Comments Off on Ride in the 2018 East York Canada Day Parade!

By 29bikes, June 29, 2018 4:47 am

It’s that time of year again! After an action-packed June and it’s time for our annual Bike Month wrap-up party: the East York Canada Day Parade! This will be our ninth time riding in the parade and we’re calling all cyclists to join us for the most fun you can have on two wheels (or one, or three, or four, or however many wheels your bike has!). The East York Canada Day Parade has been a neighbourhood tradition for more than 60 years—and a neighbourhood legend since we joined the festivities starting in 2010! Just bring yourself, your bike, and as many family and friends as you can and meet us on the north side of Dieppe Park on Cosburn after 9:00 am on Sunday, July 1. We’ll have some time to decorate our bikes before the parade leaves at 10 am for the Canada Day party down the street in Stan Wadlow Park. May the best bike costume win! (And seriously, someone really must dethrone Felicity this year!)

Comments Off on Ride in the East York Canada Day Parade!

By 29bikes, June 23, 2017 4:56 pm

Ward 29 Bikes and friends in the Canada Day Parade

You think about joining us for the East York Canada Day parade every year, and this year you’re actually going to do it! This is our eighth year and you’re out of excuses! From modest beginnings in 2010 (we’re not entirely convinced that the parade actually existed before we started riding in it), the East York Canada Day parade has become the most fun cycling event of the year. Oh sure, there are bands and floats and community groups and thousands of spectators sitting along the route, but we all know that the parade is really all about having fun and looking silly on our bikes.

Who will win the costume competition this year? Felicity is the three-time defending champion, but the rumour mill is abuzz with news that Val has a secret weapon this year. Is there another candidate who can beat them both? Don’t miss the next exciting chapter in this once-a-year serial thriller! We meet on the north side of Dieppe Park (on Cosburn just east of Greenwood) at 9 am on July 1 for bike decorating; the parade leaves the park at 10 am. Be there!

Ward 29 Bikes and Friends in the East York Canada Day Parade
When: Saturday, July 1, 2017. Decorating begins at 9 am, parade leaves at 10 am, arrives at Stan Wadlow Park around 11 am.
Where: Meet on the north side of Dieppe Park (on Cosburn just east of Greenwood). You won’t be able to miss us.
Who: You! This is a family friendly event. The streets are closed to traffic for the parade and cyclists of all ages participate every year.
Why: You know you want to. You know you need to!
How: Come by bi-, tri-, uni-, quadri-, or any other kind of human-powered cycle, whether upright, recumbent, road, hybrid, urban, mountain, folding, tall, tandem, cruiser, or any other style.

Comments (1)

By Val Dodge, June 25, 2014 5:04 am

Cyclists take a break during last year’s East York Canada Day Parade

Ward 29 Bikes invites all cyclists to ride with us in the East York Canada Day Parade, our must fun event of the year. Riding in this local tradition is the best way to have way too much fun celebrating your community. We’ll be gathering starting at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 1 at Dieppe Park (on Cosburn east of Greenwood). We’ll provide decorations; you just need to bring your bike and a smile. Check out the fun we’ve had in previous years and contact us if you want more information about the parade or to confirm your participation.

If you’ve ridden with us before, please note the new starting point this year at Dieppe Park on Cosburn east of Greenwood.

Parade FAQs

Is it fun?

Yes! Parades are best experienced from the inside.

Is it safe?

Yes! We’re in a parade! What could be safer than that?

Can my whole family participate?

The more the merrier. People of all ages can participate in the parade with us. All you need is a bike (or a trike!).

How long does it take?

The parade takes between 60-90 minutes. Most of the riding is at a walking pace and is very easy.

Do I have to decorate my bike?

You don’t need to, but you know you want to. If you arrive at Dieppe Park before 9:00, we’ll be able to help you decorate with balloons, ribbons, fascinators, pinwheels, flags, and whatever else we can pull out of our red-and-white stash.

What should I wear?

Most importantly, please dress appropriately for the weather. Be sure you have sunscreen and headwear if necessary.  We recommend wearing either red and white or Ward 29 Bikes blue. Just make sure that you’re comfortable.

Sounds great! I’ll see you there!

Excellent!

Comments (1)

By Val Dodge, June 18, 2013 8:24 pm

Ward 29 Bikes is riding in the East York Canada Day Parade on July 1 once again this year and cyclists of all ages and abilities are invited to join us. The parade is a great opportunity for new and experienced cyclists alike to ride in a fun, friendly, and safe atmosphere while impressing thousands of spectators with your ability to balance on two wheels at parade speed, turn in circles, and wave. The parade has been run continuously in East York for more than 50 years and features numerous community organizations, floats, a motorcade, marching bands, and—for the fourth year—a growing band of cyclists who want to show how much fun riding around the city can be. The parade winds slowly through the streets of East York to the big Canada Day party in Stan Wadlow Park.

There’s only one thing that’s more fun than watching a parade: being in a parade! So bring yourself, your family, your friends, and your neighbours to the parade starting point (see the map below) on July 1 and get ready for the most fun you can have on two wheels. Wear red and white or Ward 29 blue. We’ll provide bike decorations, or you can decorate on your own if you want to compete in the best dressed bike contest.

Contact us if you’d like to participate this year or if you have any questions about the parade.

Join us in the East York Canada Day Parade

• Meet at 8:30 a.m. (no later than 8:45), Monday, July 1, 2013. The parade leaves after 9:00.
• We start at the East York Town Centre (formerly Thorncliffe Mall), in the parking lot in front of Target.
• The parade arrives at Stan Wadlow Park around 11:00 a.m. The party and midway continue until fireworks at dusk.
• Wear clothing appropriate for the weather. Don’t forget sunscreen and a water bottle.

View this map in a new window

Comments (1)

By Val Dodge, July 2, 2012 4:20 pm

Thanks to all of the Ward 29 Bikes members and supporters who joined us for the East York Canada Day parade on Sunday morning. With sunny skies and low humidity, it was a beautiful day for for a bike ride through the streets of East York surrounded by Shriners, Rotarians, marching bands, and many other East York community groups. Following the parade, even more cyclists approached us and asked if they could ride with us next year. Of course you can; everyone is welcome to join us. Let’s make next year’s parade entry the biggest ever!

Here’s a gallery of pictures from this year’s parade. Click on any picture to view it full size. Thanks for all of your support!

Comments Off on Ride in the East York Canada Day parade: Sunday, July 1, 2012

By Val Dodge, June 24, 2012 12:20 am

Canada Day parade: Ward 29 Bikes members flying the colours.

Ward 29 Bikes is riding in the East York Canada Day parade to celebrate safe, convenient, and fun cycling in our neighbourhood. And we’d like you to join us! This is your opportunity to fulfill your secret desire to be the centre of attention, riding through the streets of East York while thousands of people cheer you on. Parades make everyone smile, and the fun is doubled when you experience it from inside the parade rather than sitting on the curb.

To join us in the parade, just bring yourself, your family, and your bikes to the parking lot near the old Zellers store in the East York Town Centre (Thorncliffe Mall) no later than 8:45 a.m. on Sunday, July 1. The parade leaves the parking lot at 9:00 a.m. and winds its way through the streets of East York to the big party in Stan Wadlow Park. Wear either red and white or Ward 29 blue. We’ll have some decorations for everyone’s bikes.

Contact us if you’d like more information or to confirm that you’ll be riding with us on Canada Day.

Canada Day 2010: Waving to the crowd on Coxwell Ave.

Canada Day parade 2010: It's not the size of the bike, it's how you ride it.