Encountering Kids in Wellington West, Ottawa

September 19, 2012 Hansonthebike 2

Reading Time: 4 minutes I remember as a kid in Holland, we always had a decorated bike ride on our Queen’s Day (which is basically our National Day). I didn’t think much of it and participated a number of times. Only now I realise, 45 years later, that it was probably organised to make us familiar with traffic. Or probably just to have fun. Who knows. In Ottawa, Kathleen Wilker has become the face of children cycling advocacy. She works for the Kitchisippi Times, won the Bruce Timmermans City of Ottawa award, and is a member of the Hintonburg Cycling Champions. She also writes for Momentum [Read more…]

Ottawa’s Wellington West Fashion Show

September 17, 2012 Hansonthebike 3

Reading Time: 4 minutes Wellington West in Ottawa is probably the hippest place in Ottawa. Last weekend, the Business Improvement Area organised a ‘Taste of Wellington West’. Food could be sampled, antique cars were on display (some very cool ones actually), there was a kids bike ride, RightBike offered free bike parking and there was a fashion show, with bikes offered by RightBike Ottawa and regular citizens of Ottawa as the models. While I rarely buy clothes as I hate shopping, I do enjoy watching the fashion show. Here are a few impressions. If anyone can help me with the names of the models [Read more…]

Building Bridges in Ottawa – September 18 meeting

September 15, 2012 Hansonthebike 4

Reading Time: 4 minutes Ottawa is building bridges. That probably sounds like Stephen Harper is reaching out to Thomas Mulcair, but I am really talking about bridges. Currently a bridge is being built over the Airport Parkway. Design is under way to build a bridge over the canal and one over the Rideau river. Also, a bridge is planned extending Hickory St over the O-Train, just north of Carling, to connect with the O-Train pathway. To be clear, I am talking about cycling and pedestrian bridges. In the near future, that O train bike path will connect further to Dow’s Lake, so that those [Read more…]

Cycling Towards Hot Air

September 4, 2012 Hansonthebike 1

Reading Time: 5 minutes Gatineau is closer than you think. Mentally, Gatineau and Nepean are far apart for me. They aren’t really though. Mind you, Nepean is large, but we live just South of the Experimental Farm so although it is technically old Nepean, it is the closest area of Nepean to down town. Yesterday, we decided to cycle to the Balloon Festival in Gatineau along some scenic routes, but still fairly direct. The Experimental Farm is closed for car traffic in the weekend, and hence a great connector for people from Nepean cycling to Hintonburg, Little Italy and down town and further North. [Read more…]