New Frontiers - 2014 Year In Review

As 2014 draws to a close, the usual year in review lists, pre-made Facebook videos, and unattainable New Year’s resolutions have been making the social media rounds. While I prepared David Letterman style top ten lists for the two previous years, the past year was one about several new frontiers, which no countdown would do justice.

The Case for Buying Local

With ten days left until Christmas and people scrambling to do their Christmas shopping, it’s time to discuss a different way of getting involved, and that involves your purchasing habits. Sure, price can play a significant role (especially for those with lower incomes), but there are other forms of decision criteria that have social, political, and environmental implications. Fair trade! Non factory farmed meat! Buy green! Boycott this company! But if there is one rule I encourage over all others, it’s to support local businesses.

Sure, buying local may mean paying a higher price than at big box stores, but there are other implications that need to be considered.

Spokes and Swapping Skills

On November 8 and 9, over 70 cyclists from all parts of Toronto (except Etobicoke) participated in Cycle Toronto’s second annual Skills Swap at City Hall. The first day consisted of speeches and advocacy workshops, while the second day was a bike plan pre-consultation with city staff.

Toronto Election Aftermath

Well well well! Last Monday’s election in Toronto was one for the record books! While my preferred mayoral candidate didn’t win, this municipal election exposed me to new roles, interesting sights, and many lessons. After recuperating for the past few days, it’s time to share these lessons.

Lessons from Canvassing in York West

Toronto’s municipal election is 30 days from today (October 27). There are the well-publicized mayoral races, but we also need to pay attention to the races for council and school trustee, given the mayor only has one vote in council. This is the first municipal election I have been involved with and it has been an eye opener in various ways. The mayoral race has been volatile with Olivia Chow losing her front runner status during the summer months and on the rebound again, John Tory being increasingly grilled over his SmartTrack transit plan, and Rob Ford withdrawing due to a cancer diagnosis while his brother Doug took his place. On a personal level, I have been asked to take on roles not encountered during previous political campaigns.

Thoughts on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

If you checked your social media feed as of late, chances are you have come across multiple videos regarding the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, as well as posts critical of this phenomenon. For the record, I was called out on this challenge last month by a fellow HEAL4Life board member, which I accepted both by dumping the ice water on my head along with making a donation. Regardless of your opinion, you cannot deny the success this has meant for ALS, in which over $100 million has been raised in the United States (press release) and $12 million in Canada.

For this post, I will discuss the three main criticisms regarding the Ice Bucket Challenge and how it applies to other recent social media stunts.

The Community Side of Cycling

There are various types of communities out there covering ethnic, political, business, and activity based interests. For cyclists, there are different organizations involved (e.g. Cycle Toronto, Share The Road, Toronto Bicycling Network) and different types of cycling (e.g. mountain, road, commuter), but the feel of being part of a community is present amongst all. This summer, I took part in two events which emphasized this community feel; those being the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer and Bike Rave.