Mark Anderson's Card Delivery Story
A few weeks ago, I received an email from Thea (Manager at the Everyone Rides Initiative), asking if I would be interested in volunteering- I’d be taking over Thea’s share of card deliveries during their much deserved vacation. During the pandemic I have been responsible, adhering to physical distancing, wearing my mask, and limiting my immediate circle. All this to say, I’ve been going a bit stir crazy without human interaction, even though I have... [Read more]
Top 5 Hamilton Routes to Ride: HBSI Board Director Midhat Shares Her Favourites
Meet Midhat: McMaster University and DeGroote School of Business Alumni, and one of the directors on Hamilton Bike Share's board. In her role as director, Midhat holds the office of the secretary, keeping our documentation organized and up to date. Midhat is passionate about equitable access to bikes for all, and loves creating opportunities for people to experience the joys of cycling in their daily lives. She has found that Bike Share allows riders access... [Read more]
Ryerson's Legacy: Truth and Reconcilation
Ryerson’s Legacy: Truth and Reconciliation On July 18th dozens of protesters in downtown Toronto called for an end to Canada’s glorification of racist policymakers from the past. The protest centered around a symbolic act: dousing Ryerson University’s statue of its founder in red paint, to represent blood shed by Canada’s Indigenous residential schools. Prior to the July 18th protest, Ryerson University students had been petitioning for the removal of Ryerson’s statue for over 5 years,... [Read more]
A Source of Comfort and Joy in Unprecedented Times
Written by Elise Desjardins, Hamilton cycling advocate (July 2020) Image credit: Elise selfie, June 2020. I started cycling in Hamilton in 2016 and became a bike share member in 2017. At the time, I was working a few kilometres from my home and cycling seemed to be the healthiest, fastest, and most affordable way to get to and from work. Up until that point most of my cycling had been in my hometown as a... [Read more]
No More Stolen Sisters
As Hamilton spent July 1st in lockdown without fireworks or in-person Canada Day festivities, hundreds of people gathered in an afternoon vigil to honour Indigenous women who have gone missing or been murdered in an ongoing, centuries-old national genocide. The “No More Stolen Sisters” event, held at the Claremont access on July 1st, featured storytelling and calls to action against anti-Indigenous cultural and systemic violence, racism, and misogyny in the colonial state of Canada. Image... [Read more]
May 5th was Red Dress Day
Written by Thea Jones, ERI Program Manager (May 7, 2020) Image: Rebecca Belmore, The Named and the Unnamed, 2002, video installation, Vancouver BC. May 5th was Red Dress Day. On this day Canadians were encouraged to wear red as a way to draw attention to missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada. The REDress Project was created by Metis artist Jamie Black, as a call to Canadians to remember. Black is a part of a history of female Canadian artists working to ensure... [Read more]
Pride and Remembrance: 2021 Update
NOTE: This article was originally posted in June 2020, but has been updated in June 2021 to include current Pride festivities. As we usher in June’s humidity amidst over a year of COVID-induced physical distancing, it’s natural for people to seek connection. June is a historically festive month, and many Hamiltonians look forward each year to one of the city’s most meaningful events: Hamilton Pride.Pride Hamilton has again announced that Pride is going digital; allowing Pridegoers access to... [Read more]
Statement on Black Lives Matter
The Everyone Rides Initiative, on behalf of our not-for-profit organization Hamilton Bike Share Inc., reaffirms our commitment to equity in bike share as we witness the recent and ongoing acts of violent, anti-Black racism in the colonial states of Canada and the United States. We see and mourn the recent deaths of George Floyd (46, Minneapolis, MN), Tony McDade (38, Tallahassee, FL), David McAtee (53, Louisville, KY), and D’Andre Campbell (26, Brampton, ON) by the... [Read more]