July 22: Final day

Last morning on the road and the last hard wakeup call. Everyone was excited about the ride into Victoria but already sad that it was just about over. We got the ferry in good time had an uneventful crossing. There was a beautiful sight out the window though as a layered mist swirled around the Gulf Islands.


Coming off the ferry, we were thrilled to be met by a large contingent of cyclists who joined us for our ride to the parliament buildings. Marshalling services were provided by people from the Cross Canada Cycle Touring Society (CCCTS) who took us on a slightly modified Lochside Trail route. A lunch stop was made at Mattick’s Farm (Thanks for the ice cream!) where we collected the final kilometres going on the petition log and the kids rehearsed their part of the legislature rally. After setting off again we had one last stop to gather people together before briefly taking over the lane on the Johnson Street Bridge and Wharf Street then circling around the parliament buildings.


The afternoon’s event went well except for the increasing drizzle. The emcee kept things moving along as Celia and Mary made their final speeches,
followed by a song from Robin and the kids. It was then that CO2 Man attempted to hijack things with his call for more greenhouse gas emissions but the kids chased him away. Next, the invited politicians spoke of their concerns about the environment and the need for larger action. It was too bad the Conservative Party declined the opportunity to be present but there were representatives from the Liberal, NDP, and Green Parties. It would be great if everyone made all parties aware that the environment is a top priority for Canadians. Closing out the day was a performance by Daniel Lapp and then short speeches from cycling advocate Todd Litmann and BC Sustainable Energy Association’s Guy Dauncey.




Before the final parting to end the Wheels for Change ride we gathered at the home of Natasha and Mutang for an end party for all the riders and all the Victoria volunteers. Much appreciation was shared around and many expressed the wish to do something together again though we would be happy if there was no more need to demand climate change action. It would be nice to do a tour celebrating actions taken instead of trying to shake off inertia.

Now go make some noise.

July 21: Central Valley Greenway Ride

Rain threatened all morning and occasionally fell briefly but was never a problem. At John Hendry Park (aka Trout Lake Park) a large contingent of cyclists showed up for the ride along the Central Valley Greenway. It was a ride organized by the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition in conjunction with Wheels for Change so all those hundreds of kilometres ridden joined our call for government action on climate change. Most of the ride was very nice with only a small section on a busy road. The kids joined us at Burnaby Lake for the final 10K, just in time for the big climb up to Moody Park in New Westminster. At the end point there were info booths and a couple of short speeches and some singing.


After most of the local cyclists left, our guide Arno led us out to Ladner for our final night on the road. Crossing the Alex Fraser Bridge was neat because of the view and the separate bike/ped path (though there isn’t room for two way traffic). As we arrived in Ladner we had to detour slightly for a bicycle race. Too bad we didn’t get their kilometres too. One last meeting about the following day’s schedule and most headed off to bed (except our intrepid travel blogger).

Apologies

Sorry for not updating yet. I am in the unusual situation of working full time this week. I have got some more pictures uploaded
here. Newest pictures are at the bottom. Click on any thumbnail to see a larger version. If you want to comment you can send an email to wheelsforchange@gmail.com or if you have a Yahoo account you can easily get a free Flickr account and make comments directly
on pictures.

Thanks to all our readers for their interest and support.

July 20: Into the great megalopolis

Be wary of the leisurely no-rush morning. It will turn into the usual last minute panic. Our planned departure was 2 hours later than usual so we all had a much-deserved sleep-in so that used up all our spare time but then we lingered over breakfast etc and got away half an hour late (as usual). >_< The kids were excited about the chance to do some riding and to add their kilometers to the logbook. The rain had begun by the time the kids were mounted up so we had to fashion some quick garbage bag ‘raincoats’. The wetlands and farms around the dike would have been tranquil if not for the repeated random BOOMs from ‘cannon’ intended to scare off birds from crops. Sigh. After crossing the Pitt River Bridge’s separated ped/bike path the damp kids piled into the van and the adults pedalled on toward Port Moody. At the library there we all sheepishly kept using the hand dryers to warm up and dry off our clothes because we were so cold. Still we pressed on. Beatrice who has met up with us for the last three days was a star giving guidance and remaining enthusiastic despite being quite chilled.

After hitting the road again an hour later, a flat tire split our team of 13 riders into two groups. The lucky ones got led on a lovely bike trail along the shore east of the Second Narrows Bridge. The unlucky ones took a somewhat shorter route due to the delay of a second flat (same wheel) and third flat (different bike) then a slow leak and two dislodged wheels that required unloading and reloading all four panniers. Urgh. At least the rain had let off. Who would have thought it would take us from 10:30am to 6pm to ride a mere 57K? Rain sucks. Yet we bike on for the planet. And really, it wasn’t so bad. It just makes for good dramatic whining. :P

Our evening meeting dealt with some hard issues that had no easy solutions but it was great to see the passion people had and that we were all still moving toward the same target instead of avoiding the issues. Wouldn’t it be nice if more politicians and industries would take initiative on global warming instead of playing a pointless waiting game trying figure out what is the least effort they can get away with?

July 19: Maple Ridge shows off its green side

Overnight the rain was heavy at times but the day wasn’t too bad. We were surprised at how hilly Abbotsford was despite all the straight lines on the map. Some people hit their peak speed of the whole trip in the ‘flat’ Fraser Valley. Fort Langley was a pretty spot to regather everyone before crossing the Fraser on the Albion Ferry. We were pleased to see anti-idling signs posted in the ferry lineup area although at least three drivers were too blind to see the sign right beside them.

In Maple Ridge we got to participate in the opening of some new bicycle lanes (the lead construction guy even bicycles to work!). We also met a man who retrofitted his bike with an electric motor and it now helps him get more exercise because it has become his primary transport. Later we visited Molly Energy which received a Gold Spoke Award for promoting bicycle commuting and the former lawcourts which have been retrofitted to LEED Silver standard as the new community safety building. In the evening the kids biked around a course to contribute more kilometers and we all finished off with a swim in the local pool.

July 18: Be careful what you assume

The skies were much darker than yesterday but we had several events which required us to hit the road regardless of weather. First we rode into Chilliwack to meet the mayor and find out what that city is doing to fight climate change. It seems they are making good progress in building eco-density and protecting the local water supply. Some areas need work (e.g. biofuels are not the answer) but not everything can be expected to be perfect at once. We were happy to see a start had been made. Next event was a visit to Yarrow’s Eco-village project. The rain soaked us shortly before arriving there so we skipped an outdoor tour and had an interesting introduction to eco-village principals such as the triple bottom line (sustainable economically, ecologically, and socailly). Afterwards we had another soggy ride to the campground. Blech!

Our final event of the day was a ride around the area with cyclists from Abbotsford (and beyond). After two soaking we weren’t too keen on more and we figured (almost) no one would show up so we pondered cancelling if only a couple of people showed. Much to our surprise we were greeted by a crowd of over 30 cyclists who came out in the rain to ride with us. Wow! We toured past a variety of local crops and then finished with a section of the Trans Canada Trail along the Sumas River dike. Great finish to the day.

July 17:Lions and tigers and bears! Oh my!

Our expanded core group for the final week of Wheels for Change. (As always, click on pictures to see a larger version with more info.)


One more kick at the internet was squeezed in before departure. Cynthia at First Mud cafe was so helpful to us. After two weeks of steady sunshine we had a cloudy day for riding as we left Hope behind. We headed onto the Lougheed Highway which had a nice wide shoulder and very little traffic. Steve saw a bear cross the road but didn’t get a picture (again). The kids got to ride their bikes for a while on Seabird Island then but had to stop before the bridge which looked a little dodgy even for adults. We gathered together and crossed the bridge critcal mass style by taking over the entire lane. It would not have been safe have for cars to squeeze past because it was too narrow. Cars got backed up quite a bit but it’s worth noting that they would not have been delayed at all if they were on bicycles because there is room for over a dozen bicycles in the space that a single car takes up. After reaching our campsite most of us went to check out Bridal Veil Falls which are the sixth highest in Canada at 122m. As we came back someone told us that we could get into the local amusement park for free during the last half hour of the day. The kids had a blast trying out minigolf, pedal cars, and paddle boats. The only downside to the day was the mass of mozzies attacking us.