Home and Native Bike Roads

As I worked on Maryam Siddiqi’s Canada 150 story (p.66) with 150-km routes in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Quebec City and Charlottetown, I got lost in the maps. I followed the routes on Google Street View and Google Earth to explore those cities vicariously. I’ve always been a sucker for maps, high-tech or low. Of the five cities, I seemed to linger in Ottawa the most. I grew up there, in the mighty City of Nepean when it was its own city. It’s where I learned to ride my bike and it was on bikes that I explored my hometown.

My map browsing for our Canada 150 story brought to mind the last big, notable-number celebration of the country, Canada 125. On July 1, 25 years ago, I took off on my bike to a pretty wild tract of land on the Rideau River across from Mooney’s Bay. There was a long gravel road, woods, fields and footpaths that I could ride on. Somedays, it could feel like you were out of the city there, but the place was definitely known by dog walkers and teenage bush bashers. (Google Maps tells me it’s all suburban housing now.) I’m sure I took in some fireworks 25 years ago, but I don’t really remember. I do remember the ride, though.

That Canada Day, I was days away from my 16th birthday and the learner’s permit that would get me behind the wheel of a car. Still, all through my teenage years, the bike was important, not just for getting around (no parental permission required or gas money either!) but for exploring. One summer, which was probably the zenith of my own teenage apathy and laziness, I at least made a good show of looking for a job. Diligently, each morning, I’d get on my bike and head downtown to the student employment centre. It was a lovely ride along the Rideau Canal. There might have been a faster route, but – you know – whatever. I’d scan the jobs. On a perfect day, there’d be something reasonable I could apply for, via fax, and then I could get back on my bike. I’d make my way back home, any way I wanted. I’d often carry a small map book in my backpack. I’d look for new routes. I’d wonder if there was a path not on the map at a certain dead end or if, say, that park and that park connected somehow.

My days are much more structured than they were 25 years ago. So are my rides. When there’s time to head out, it’s usually on a route I’ve done before. It’s just more efficient that way. But after working on the Canada Day story, I think the best thing to this July 1 is to set some time aside to explore.

Matthew Pioro Editor