CYCLES

43˙33'27"N 79˙35'24"W - Port Credit 2010

2010-06-02T22:32:00.000-07:00

For the Projects: Port Credit 2010 exhibition organized by Blackwood Gallery, I have proposed a new local cartography through the creation of a meandering cycling route that retraces history and borders. Revisiting these frontiers and boundaries in an effort to examine the transition from then to now and old to new; I remap a configuration of the old Village of Port Credit, physically linking it with the various communities and requisite components that eventually comprise Port Credit as it is now known. The project mines history, embeds the former within the current geography and thus emphasizes a process of ongoing change.

I have created a limited edition map with proposed route details - including statistical information and historical references - that will be available gratis to visitors of the exhibition.

While creating this route I chronicled my explorations and cycling ordeals - via GPS tracking, video and text ... to view my attempts at mapping out Port Credit's borders by bike click on link
Port Credit 2010 Third Attempt
Port Credit 2010 Second Attempt
Port Credit 2010 First Attempt

I would like to acknowledge the support of Christof Migone and Juliana Zalucky of the Blackwood Gallery, Matthew Wilkinson of Heritage Mississauga
and William Huffman.

Sunday June 27th, 12:30 to 1:30pm: Mapping Port Credit: A Bike Tour

Join me for a group bike tour starting at the Lighthouse (corner of Front St. and Lakeshore Rd.) at 12:30pm and ending at the opening reception.
To register, please email blackwood.gallery@utoronto.ca by Friday, June 25th. Insurance dictates that helmets must be worn by all participants and a Waiver must be signed and received at the start of the event. For more information visit the Blackwood Gallery or email blackwood.gallery@utoronto.ca
The exhibition and opening reception take place in Port Credit at 141 Lakeshore Road East (at Hurontario St.) Opening reception: Sunday June 27th, 1 - 4pm, exhibition runs from Sunday June 27 - Sunday July 25, 2010

Port Credit 2010 Third Attempt

2010-05-15T04:15:00.000-07:00

BACK to Intro

Beautiful day to attempt my revised mapping of Port Credit. (Routing Key: L-left; R-right; E-east; W-west; N-north; S-south. )

To view statistical information and GPS mapping from today's attempt click on image

I start out at the Lighthouse situated on the west side of Credi River, at 105 Lakeshore Rd W.
Cycling south along Front St S, (original eastern border of Port Credit ); L - Lake St; L - Mississauga Rd S (originally delineated western border of Port Credit when it was named Joseph Street after Mississauga Chief Joseph Sawyer); R - Port St W; R - Front St S; R - Bay St; R - Mississauga Rd S; R - Lakeshore Rd W; R - John St S; R - Lake St; R - Peter St S; R - Lakeshore Rd W; L - John St; R - High St; R - Front St N; R - Lakeshore Rd W; R - Mississauga Rd N; R - Park St W; R - Peter St N; R - Mississauga Rd N; R - Front St N; R - Park St W; R - Peter St N; R - Front St N; 5.5km; cross Lakeshore Rd W ...

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I then move on to the extension of Port Credit planned in 1846, on the eastern edge of the Credit River, cycling south through JJ Plaus Park along path to southern tip of pier (take in view of Lake Ontario, and look west toward Old Village where I have just cycled); I loop back, passing a couple on a park bench too engaged with each other to notice my passing. Wonder how much of that may have been caught on my handlebar cam.
I exit through the parking lot ... R - Port St E; L - Helene St S; R - Park St E; R - Hurontario St (becomes eastern border of Port Credit when it was called Huron St); R - Ann St; R - Queen St E to end of parking lot then loop back (becomes northern border of Port Credit); L - Stavebank Rd N; R - Park St E into Memorial Park ... a bit difficult to navigate park today as there are trucks parked all over the place with staging and scaffolding equipment piled on grass and paths. City staff are busy preparing for the Mississauga Marathon, taking place on Sunday. Memorial Park is the location for the finish, and post run activities.
I quickly exit via High St; and cycle east; L - Elizabeth St N; R - Park St E; L - Helene St N; L - Queen St E; L - Elizabeth St N; R - Park St E; L - Stavebank St N; R - Lakeshore Rd E ... so far I have cycled 12km
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Then head west along Lakeshore Rd, passing Mississauga Rd (the original western border of Port Credit) and cycle through neighbourhoods developed in the 1880s, extending the town further west ... R - Wesley Ave; L - High St W; R - Wesley Cr then loop back; R - High St W to end then loop back; L - Wesley Ave; L - Park St W to end then loop back; L - Wesley Ave to end loop back; L - Queen St W; R - Mississauga Rd N; R - Park St W; L - Wesley Ave; L - High St W; R - Mississauga Rd N; L - Lakeshore Rd W ... I have now cycled about 15km
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My route back tracks along Lakeshore Rd toward the neighbourhood originally called Credit Grove that was planned in 1910 and which extended Port Credit north of Lakeshore Rd E and south of the train tracks, and east to the border of what was then the Township of Toronto.
... left onto Mohawk Ave; L - Forest Ave; L - Brant Ave; R - Lakeshore Rd E; R - Briarwood Ave; L - Forest Ave; L - Oakwood Ave N; R - Lakeshore Rd E; R - Woodlawn Ave; L - Forest Ave; L - Elmwood Ave N; R - Lakeshore Rd E; R - Rosewood Ave; R - Forest Ave; L - Elmwood Ave N; R - Queen St E; R - Woodlawn Ave; L - Forest Ave; L - Oakwood Ave; R - Queen St E; R - Briarwood Ave; L - Forest Ave; L - Cayuga Ave to end then loop back; L - Iroquois Ave; R - Seneca Ave (becomes eastern border of Port Credit and western edge of the Township of Toronto, runs parallel to the Credit River, as did the eastern border of the Credit Indian Reserve); R - Lakeshore Rd E; R - Cayuga Ave; R - Forest Ave; R - Seneca Ave; R - Tecumseth Ave ; R - Cayuga Ave; R - Forest Ave; L - Seneca Ave; L - Queen St E; L - Rosewood Ave; R - Park St E; L - Hurontario St which becomes St Lawrence Dr south of Lakeshore Rd E; 21.5km; R - Port St E; L - Helene St S ; then left onto bike path and cycle through Tall Oaks Park. I pause to take in the view of Lake Ontario and the notice how busy this area is with pedestrian and bike traffic ... my route has now covered 20 odd km
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In 1921 a plan was drawn up for a new neighbourhood called Hiawatha-on-the-lake situated just south of Credit Grove to Lake Ontario and east to the border of the Township of Toronto.
... L - Elmwood Ave S; R - Lakeshore Rd; R - Oakwood Ave S to end loop back; R - Wanita Rd; R - Cumberland Dr to end loop back; R - Wenonah Dr; R - Onaway Rd then loop back ; R - Wenonah Dr; R - Wanita Rd then loop back; R - Wenonah Dr; R - Minnewawa Rd then loop back; R - Wenonah Dr then loop back at Lakeshore Rd; R - Minnewawa Rd; R - Cumberland Dr; R - Lakeshore Rd; R - Hiawatha Pkwy; R - Onaway Rd; R - Cumberland Dr; R - Wanita Rd; R - Wenonah Dr; R - Onaway Rd; L - Hiawatha Pkwy; R - Cumberland Dr; R - Minnewawa Rd; R - Hiawatha Pkwy; R - Wanita Rd; R - Elmwood Ave S; L - Lakeshore Rd E ... have cycled about 30km
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In the 1940-50s neighbourhoods were established around Ben Machree and Maple Avenues extending Port Credit's border west to Shawnmarr Rd.
... R - Pine Ave N; R - Queen St W; R - Benson Ave; L - High St W then loop back; R - Harrison Ave; L - Queen St W; L - Benson Ave; R - Lakeshore Rd W; R - Pine Ave N; L - Queen St W; L - Shawnmarr Rd (western border of Port Credit, the border runs parallel to the Credit River, as did the western border of the Credit Indian Reserve); L - Lakeshore Rd W; R - Pine Ave S; merge with Maple Ave S; R - Ben Machree Dr; L - Ben Machree Dr; R - Godfrey Lane; R - Lakeshore Rd W; R - Ben Machree Dr; R - Maple Ave S loop back continue north on Maple Ave; L - Queen St W; L - Broadview Ave; R - Lakeshore Rd W; R - Godfrey Lane N; L - Queen St W; L - Shawnmarr Rd and cross Lakeshore Rd W into Rhododendron Gardens and follow a nicely paved bike path toward lake, then east; L - Godfrey Lane; R - Lakeshore Rd W ... have covered approximately 41.5km
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New housing developments dominate the property formerly owned by the St Lawrence Starch Company, one of the leading employers of Port Credit before it ceased operations in the 1990s. I turn right onto St Lawrence Dr; L - Compass Way; follow right; R - St Lawrence Dr; R - Waterside Dr; R - Compass Way; R - St Lawrence Dr; R - Lakeshore Rd E; stop cycling at 141 Lakeshore Rd E - currently home of FRAM Building Group (former home of the St Lawrence Starch Company Administration) 44km accomplished
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Research: Heritage Mississauga, many thanks to Matthew Wilkinson; and Archives of Ontario

Port Credi 2010: Second Attempt

2010-05-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

BACK to Intro

Friday 7 May 2010 - I start my day at Heritage Mississauga office where I have a meeting scheduled with resident historian Matthew Wilkinson. After providing a brief description and framework of my project he provides me with a wealth of information on the history and founding of Port Credit. We peruse historical documents, images and aerial shots of the area, as well as maps. He also fills me in on some of the current local politics and what the future might hold for the town of Port Credit. I leave overwhelmed with information, photocopies of maps, booklets and pamphlets ... many thanks to Matthew for his time, knowledge and enthusiasm!

Time to start my second attempt at physically tracing Port Credit, although running a bit late so I can only attempt half of my proposed route for the day.
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Here are some statistical information from today's attempt:

To view a GPS mapping of today's ride click on map image ...

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Here is the proposed route for today's attempt
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Port Credi 2010: First Attempt

2010-04-30T17:16:00.000-07:00

BACK to Intro

Friday 30 April 2010 - I've mapped out a route based on my research thus far and deciding to explore chronologically, the various neighbourhoods that make up Port Credit in the order that they became a part of this village. I start cycling on the west side of Credit River (where it meets Lake Ontario) in the oldest part of Port Credit. Just south of its first neighbourhood, founded in 1835. I document my route via GPS mapping and video recording (camera is affixed to the handlebars). Unfortunately, this first attempt was less than successful; the routing was a bit too confusing to follow while negotiating unfamiliar territory and lots of traffic. Will reconfigure my notes, and route, in a way that they can be easily followed while maneuvering small streets and the many turns and loops necessary to achieve my goal of physically mapping out the boundaries of each neighbourhood.

Here are some details from the day's ride:

Click on image below to view/play GPS routing.

Video of my cycling meanderings.

BACK

The Commute

2009-12-25T11:52:00.000-08:00

I decided to document – using video, photo and text – my cycling commutes from home to work during a one-week period (Monday to Friday). This commute takes me from downtown Toronto to Kettleby (a hamlet just north of the city) which is about 46.5 km each way. During this week I uploaded and catalogued my documentation, and collected data, to the blog site including GPS information and my body's vital stats. With each day's log viewers encounter detailed route maps with accompanying graphs representing my heart rate, cadence and speed fluctuations along with elevation statistics. The data collected has also been analyzed and used in my work – as a means of creating video montages that mix found footage - culled from Science Fiction films that feature superhuman female protagonists - and source material collected during my cycling commutes. The sequencing, editing and pacing of these montages are the result of a calculation based on my fluctuating heart rate, speed and cadence. This blog was the first stage of a multimedia installation entitled Elusive Body that was exhibited at Forty Seven Gallery in April 2010. Click here for more information on the exhibition.

click on day to view documentation
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY

FRIDAY

2009-12-04T14:46:00.000-08:00

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click on any image to enlarge

6h55 - I'm in front of my apartment convincing myself to get on my bike ... it's the last day of the week just one more commute and then the weekend. The sun is out, it will warm up the body in no time at all, once that is, you start pedaling.
Legs are slow to start, the pedals seem heavy and lethargic too, bike must not be happy to be out this early either. At least it's nice and quiet on the streets.

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7h22 - Climbing up that steep incline on Weston Road. So early in my ride it is always a good test to see how my body is feeling. Seems a bit slow today, the last four days have taken its toll.
There's that bright yellow house I pass everyday. Can't miss it against the dour grey and brown homes that sandwich it.

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7h41 - More climbing along Jane Street between Wilson and Sheppard Avenues. Traffic is heavy with frustrated drivers too rushed and in a hurry to get this work day over with and start their weekend. Someone is honking non-stop. Not sure if it is aimed at me or the car behind me. I have no where to go but up. How I hate Friday commutes, the frantic tension in the drivers, I see more accidents along Jane on this day than any other day of the week. Now I am getting frustrated myself, I wish that guy would shut up.

7h52 - 20km into my commute. While crossing Steeles Avenue, and entering the city of Vaughn, a bus crawls past me on the left side, slow enough for me to catch a glimpse of a row of passengers butted against the window each holding a cup of coffee ... oh how I could go for a warm cup of coffee right now.
Can't stop just yet though I still have another 27km to go before I reach my destination. First I must get through Vaughn, a city very fond of low rise commercial plazas. Such a view is impetus enough for my legs to push on harder and faster.

8h28 - Just crossed Teston Road and the border between suburban sprawl and farmland. The houses no longer look alike, they don't all fall within a prescribed grid formation. This is anarchy!

9h02 - Still cycling north on Jane Street through farmland. It has been very quiet for the last half hour or so. I have been on the road for over an hour and a half, covered 42km and it feels like I just left, time has shrunk, my body no longer aches, it feels like it could keep going forever. And, why not just keep going north along Jane as far as my body can take me without stopping, how far could I get?
But, I have a job to do and must turn right in the next kilometre, I am almost there.

9h11 - I'm there. 47km later ... 23.2km/h average, worst average for this week. My body is definitely fatigued.
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9h37 - Heading back on Keele Street passing ditches, trees and fences, beyond which are the farmhouses, the estates, the barns ... at least that is what I imagine to be tucked away behind all those trees that line this road. Every once and a while there is a clearing and I get a glimpse of a house or a barn or sometimes horses grazing. It is so quiet I only hear the odd bird, my head is wide open for thoughts. In such calm I only have to focus on one thing, moving my body forward and staying balanced on my bike. It leaves plenty of room for my mind to wander.

9h46 - King City, back in civilization. There are stores, gas stations, quaint homes and the odd café lining the street. A bit more information for my eyes to take in. There is also more traffic on the road, more to think about and to focus on, closing in on my thoughts, my meandering. No more singing, or fashioning intricate plots to take down evil corporations and corrupt politicians, or just how to get out of working for a living.

9h58 - Heading into Maple and Vaughn. From the overpass I can see the rooftops of all those cloned homes, all in perfect grid formation ... Legoland

10h09 Cycling south on Keele in Vaughn I speed through the intersection at Major MacKenzie Road only to stop to a dead halt. Traffic is at a standstill. Southbound lanes blocked off, mega road work being done. Fortunately for me a worker on site sees me. He clears a path and waves me through. I thank him and he replies by telling me that soon we will all have to ride bikes. I smile. That will be the day!

10h29 - Back within the city limits of Toronto, cycling through York University campus ... I can't help but find this area bleak, it lacks a soul. Or at least I haven't yet been able to locate one. Maybe I just haven't stopped long enough and penetrated deep enough into the concrete.

10h54 - Back on Keele Street cycling southbound over Hwy 401. One of the worst parts of my ride, the road is chopped up and there is always too many cars on the road heading in every direction. As most drivers are adverse to using their signals, I have to guess where they are going and maneuver myself accordingly. So far I have been lucky in this crapshoot.

11h01 - Finally off of Keele Street heading east on Lawrence Avenue. I have hit the last 10km mark, not very far to go now.

10h26 - Turn right onto Brock Street toward Queen Street where I will make a left and then a quick right on to Gwynne, then left on to Melbourne, right on to Dufferin and then, I will have made it - ground zero.

11h28 - ground zero. Finished my commute ... until Monday rolls around.

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MAP

Heart Rate Graph

Speed Graph

Cadence Graph

Elevation Graph

THURSDAY

2009-12-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

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click on any image to enlarge

7h05 departure a bit chilly but it is only partly cloudy this morning. A bit of sun will be good it helps to energize the body and my body could use a bit of help. It reluctantly starts turning the pedals, moving the bike forward ever so slowly ...
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7h45 On Jane Street, as usual, heading north passing Alex Auto, Jane Pharmacy, the Dollar Joint, La Stella Bakery, Nice One Nails, India Africa Groceries, B's Place, Cash Money, Royal Caribean Cuisine, Grace Food Market, Juicy Jerk ... Many small businesses housed within the two-storey building that line the street.
I become overwhelmed by how my viewing experience is saturated by advertising. Like a virus it infects every surface - light posts, the sides of buildings, front of buildings, on top of buildings, in every window, on the back of buses, on the side of cars and trucks. Nothing is immune. Not even my brain.

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7h54 - Still cycling north on Jane there are no more small buildings lining the road. A series of high rise apartment towers have sprouted, lining both sides of the street.
I notice that I am coasting quite easily through this territory. The winds are from the SW, a tailwind. This is good, my body is hurting and the view is not encouraging, the wind is helping my body to propel my bike forward beyond this area and getting me closer to my destination just that much faster.

8h36 - Now cycling through the suburban sprawl of Vaughn and Maple.

8h52 -Still on Jane Street, north of Maple in farmland now. It's much quieter here only traffic I encounter is heading south toward Toronto. I'm alone heading north to where I must go. My mind is at ease I can focus on my pedal stroke, keeping my cadence above 100rpm. So easy, my body and bike have become one spinning me forward across the pavement faster and faster. I reach 120rpm, two full pedal strokes per second ... I go higher and my bike responds driving my speeds above 30km/h. Feels good but doesn't last for long I come to a red light at King Road intersection.

9h16 - Almost finished my journey along Jane Street, approaching Kettleby Road where I turn right. Almost there.

9h22 - Six minutes later I'm there.
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9h40 - Heading back now, south along Keele Street. The wind is in my face but as it is mostly downhill from here on in, it isn't holding me back too much. It will only get better when I reach the city as the buildings provide protection. I can only depend on the trees to break the wind during this part of my commute. The houses and barns are too low and far from the road to be of use to me.

10h59 - Back in the city, on Keele Street just south of the 401. I pass a mix of plazas and working class housing.

11h07 - now on Caledonia Road. It is lined with small businesses. Further south the businesses are taken over by residential neighbourhoods.

11h24 - Almost there I see the No Frills at the corner of Dundas and Lansdowne. Do I need groceries?

11h30 - I'm here.
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Speed Graph

Cadence Graph

Elevation Graph

Heart Rate Graph

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WEDNESDAY

2009-12-02T19:46:00.000-08:00

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click on any image to enlarge

7h03 departure take my usual short cut through Milky Way. Feeling a bit of a chill. The air feels damp it might just rain today. Hope I can avoid it.

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7h29 about 7km into my commute. Waiting for the light to change green at the intersection of Rogers and Old Weston Roads, next to the Nova Era Bakery. Where is that guy I saw Monday slouched against the building, maybe I am too early or he could be inside having a coffee.

7h41 about 11km into my commute. Traffic has picked up. Waiting at the intersection of Jane Street and Tretheway Drive. Well at least I'm not alone there are a number of people standing at the curb waiting for the light to turn green, looking just as bored as I feel.

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8h01 at the 17.5km mark. Waiting at the corner of Jane and Finch Avenue, another red light. This one seems to take forever to change. It is a fairly large and busy intersection but then everything seems to get bigger and wider the farther I go from the centre of the city. I take a quick scan of the area it is amazing how many big high rise apartment complexes there are at this intersection. They are preceded by large parking lots attached to one storey, sprawling shopping plazas.

8h22 Still cycling north along Jane Street, past Rutherford Road. An hour and twenty minutes into my commute and 26km covered (16 of which has been on Jane Street). I'm in the city of Vaughn. There are no more high rise apartment complexes in my view just large cookie-cutter row housing running along the side of the road one block after another, interrupted by the odd shopping plaza. I never see anybody outside, coming or going, just rows of identical houses. I imagine each house having identical occupants.

8h37 32km done, still another 14km to go. Still on Jane Street heading north. In Maple now, surrounded by farmland with little if any traffic on the road. I keep a steady pace without worries of annoying drivers. There are so few intersections to wait at I'm no longer stopping every few minutes. My only worry the dark grey clouds slowly taking over the sky above me, I may not make it to work before the rain starts.

8h58 The rain has started and it is coming down quite hard. I stop to cover my camera with plastic. Although I am dressed for the rain I can really feel it in my legs. They feel stiff as I start pedaling again.

9h18 the rain has stopped just as I have arrived, now to work. Covered 46km with a 25km/h better than yesterday even with the rain, not bad.
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9h29 Cycling south on Keele Street, I'm now in King City. I have 43km to go. The roads are quiet as I pass the odd farm or private residence whose mansion is neatly hidden away from the street by rows of beautiful old trees.

9h38 I pass a wooden sign along Keele that advertises Ballroom Dance lessons. Here in the middle of nowhere?

9h42 I'm cycling downhill and take in the view. The autumn colours are so beautifully rich with the rain. Makes cycling in the rain almost worthwhile.

10h15 Now in Maple cycling along Keele, pass an empty baseball field. Actually there isn't a soul in sight. All this open, flat land butted by rows of identical houses, void of humanity, it looks more like an odd landing strip with its converging lines grafted out of grass and paint . Seems more ready to accept some spaceship than a group of kids. Maybe that is what happened here, some spaceship chose to land here wiping out all of humanity within a few kilometer radius while leaving intact the rows and rows of identical houses. I realize my legs are feeling stiff from a sudden chill in the airl. I have to force them to pedal faster, I still have 29km to go.

10h41 I'm crossing Steeles Avenue, which borders the north end of the city of Toronto. 19km from home, at least another hour to go.

11h26 cycling south on Caledonia Road. The street is narrow and the trucks that scream past me aren't instilling me with much confidence.

11h45 Only half a kilometre to go.At the corner of Queen and Lansdowne streets waiting for the light to turn green.

11h47 I'm here, another 46km accomplished with 25km/h average.

Speed Graph

Cadence Graph

Elevation Graph

Heart Rate Graph

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TUESDAY

2009-12-01T21:46:00.000-08:00

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9h37 Departure. Another cloudy start, but it's mild out.
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9h47 Cycling briefly along Bloor Street and pass by favourite neighbourhood restaurant South Indian Dosa Mahal. Wouldn't mind stopping but can't. Already running late and only 2km into my commute.

10h09 Cycling past 1239 Weston Road, Chez la belle-africaine Café. Traffic so far has been relatively calm, although there are many parked cars along the street.I have to keep an eye out for those individuals exiting them.

10h34 and 18km into my commute. Cycling north on Jane Street near Finch Avenue ... It is not the most attractive part of the ride as it is peppered with high rise apartments and city housing complexes that could use some major upgrades.

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10h53 Just north of Steeles Avenue and now in the City of Vaughn which prides itself as the "city above Toronto". At least that is what the sign says. For me it is the heartland of industrial parks and office plazas.
11h25 Approaching King Road the border line between the towns of Maple and King City. Just that much closer to work. I am now in farmland. Pass a few turkeys grazing in the front yard of a farmhouse. Then a little while later cows ... about twenty of them grazing and taking no notice whatsoever of my presence. Mind you it is fleeting. On this stretch of Jane, with little traffic or traffic lights, I am able to keep a steady speed of about 30km/h, it helps to have a tail wind.
A song enters my head, well, only a few notes that keep repeating over and over. Not sure exactly what it is or where it came from but my pedaling is keeping pace to it.

11h54 - 46.5km accomplished - average speed 24.5km/h, better than yesterday (23.5km/h). I have arrived, time for work.
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12h31 - Cycling south on Keele Street through King City and now entering the town of Maple, about 33km from home. I'm not too far from the Maple Downs Gulf and Country Club.
I have not yet re-entered the suburban neighbourhoods of Maple. My view is filled with greenery accentuated by splashes of red and orange. The sky is cloudy and the colours all the more saturated.

12h44 - In the middle of suburban sprawl. Pass a sign in front of the Maple Community Centre inviting me to sign up for the Vaughn Soccer Club. Don't they know I have never played it. Only team sport I played was Rugby during which I suffered my first bone fracture, two to be exact - my right ulna and radius. I was thirteen.

13h01 - Still on Keele Street crossing Doney Crescent. I'm back in the land of industrial parks. Reaching the border between the Cities of Vaughn and Toronto, only 2km away and about 19km from my home.
13h11 - cycling through the university campus, need to stop.

17h41 - back on the road toward home cycling south along Sentinal Road. Cycling through a quiet residential area situated just south of the university campus.

18h07 - Back on Keele Street cycling south past numerous high rise apartment complexes. Approaching Lawrence Avenue where I turn left, the point at which I know I have only 10km left to go.
18h30 - Cycling along Lansdowne Avenue, just south of Bloor Street with only 3km to go.

18h39 - Cutting through Milky Way, just around the corner from home.

18h40 I'm there - average speed 24km/h much better than yesterday's return commute.

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Speed Graph

Cadence Graph

Elevation Graph

Heart Rate Graph

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MONDAY

2009-11-30T21:46:00.000-08:00

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7h26 Departure - a bit later than usual. I don't like leaving any later than 7h15, this could mean a very hectic ride up Jane Street. I will hit it at peak rush hour at the highway on ramps. Given the potential for a stressful commute I make a quick left turn onto Milky Way and avoid the mess of blockades at the Queen and Dufferin intersection.
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7h56 Exactly one half hour into my commute and 7km covered, I'm waiting for the light to change at Rogers Road where it intersects Old Weston Road. I notice a man leaning up against the Nova Era Bakery. I wonder what he is waiting for, how long has he been there? What does he have packed away in that gray plastic bag? As the light changes I continue to cycle along Rogers Road to where it ends. I turn right onto Weston Road. No matter what time of day I take this road on my commute it is never busy. It's a nice wide road with two lanes. I always feel safe on this road.

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Turn right onto Jane Street, passing the Saigon Flower Coffee Together Restaurant and café. I leave the relative safety of Weston Road. Cars start to chase me down. Their right rear view mirrors brush by my left hand. H. had his hand smashed last spring after a car passed by too close and the mirror caught it. A total of 15 bones crushed. It looked more like a worn, fleshy baseball when he waved his fist in my face exasperated.
Cycling north along Jane I'm nearing the on-ramps to highway 400 and the 401. Must keep my thoughts focused exclusively on what is happening around me.

8h23 Successfully maneuvered through the traffic vying to get onto the highway. Fortunately it is a Monday I find drivers to be less antsy, a bit listless on their way to work. Tired I guess from the weekend and in no real rush to be starting another week of work. I'm now at the corner of Jane and Sheppard Streets and notice traffic of a different sort - pedestrian. There are children about on their way to school.
A cross-walk guard stands at attention on a set of stairs leading to the parking lot of a plaza.

9h04 and 30km covered I am entering King township, with a light rain, and slowly becoming surrounded by farmland. The traffic is calm I see less and less cars, my body is loosening up, my brain opening up. My thoughts start to travel elsewhere not too far though just realized how much the terrain has changed within the span of an hour and a half. From downtown Toronto to farmland, from high rises to trees, from densely populated streets to wide open fields. I continue along, alone with my thoughts, on my way to work. Still alone no one to follow and no one following me. Artists Vito Acconci and Sophie Calle are known to have followed strangers. A conceptual practice that acknowledges the existence of oneself through the other. Cyclists follow one another in order to conserve energy, zapping others of theirs. I wonder if that was Diane Borsato's real reason for her project Touching 1000 People was it to share or capture energy. Like taking a photo, 'stealing one's soul'. A tiny death. Got to keep pedaling.

9h39 (45km) At the corner of Jane and Kettleby Road I make a right only a few kilometers from my destination.

9h43 I'm in Kettleby, almost there.
9h45 - 46km mark I'm here and, on time - average speed 23.5km/h not bad given traffic. Time to get to work.
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Back on the bike, cycling south along Keele Street toward Toronto. The farmland is slowly being overtaken by suburban sprawl and industrial parks.

About 18km from home, I'm back within the city limits, cycling through the university campus.

18h55 Back on the bike. The sky is cloudy but it isn't dark yet. I cycle south along Sentinal Road passing depressing housing complexes, just my luck it starts to rain.
By 19h22 the sky is getting darker but the rain has subsided somewhat making it easier to see where I am going.
At Beechborough Road, just north of Eglinton I decide to turn off of Keele Street to get out of the rush hour traffic. This was a stupid move these residential street are poorly lit. With the rain and the darkness settling in I can barely see the road ahead of me ... really need to focus. The roads are a terrible mess of potholes and uneven pavement. My bike and I perform an awkward dance swerving and bouncing around the various obstacles.
20h00 - I have come out of the maze of small streets at Davenport Road I pass a restaurant where I notice the silhouettes of people inside. Possibly enjoying a warm meal or drink, completely oblivious to me passing by, wet and cold. For them I don't even exist. I turn right on to Symington Avenue and am delighted to be on smooth pavement and a well-lit road. I have forgotten completely about the warm, dry interior of the restaurant and those individuals within.

8h13 home sweet home - average speed 22km/h.
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Speed Graph

Heart Rate Graph

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APPROACHING CARIBOU HARBOUR - 45°40′53″N 62°42′43″W

2009-08-28T17:20:00.000-07:00

In response to an invitation for contribution to the Caribou Harbour Memory Factory - a web portal developed by artist and York University professor Katherine Knigh t - visual artist Cheryl Rondeau performs her latest cycling intervention. Caribou Harbour Memory Factory is a virtual mechanism intended to explore the cultural and physical geography of Caribou Harbour, Nova Scotia. For her contribution, Rondeau discovers the region from a number of different conceptual entry points – represented by one the following municipal demarcations: Truro; Pugwash; Cape George Point; Caribou River; and Murray River in Prince Edward Island. Cycling from each point back to Caribou Harbour, she collects information - in the form of accumulated ephemera, shared anecdotes and captured photo/video - in an attempt to illustrate and examine terrain, culture and history. This is ultimately a process of getting there one preoccupied with the in between and taking account of its effects on perception. The use of the body in displacement is central to the project – the body becomes deeply integrated and engaged physically in the experience of discovery – of Caribou Harbour, its communities and its varied histories.

The five entry points with route and details:

Prologue: 2009.08.17 In preparation - Toronto <> Kettleby

Stage 1: 2009.08.22 Murray River PEI > Caribou Harbour NS - 49km (includes Ferry ride between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia)

Stage 2: 2009.08.24 Truro NS > Caribou Harbour NS - 71km

Stage 3: 2009.08.25 Cape George Point > Caribou Harbour - 110km

Stage 4: 2009.08.26 Caribou River > Caribou Harbour AND Pictou > Caribou Harbour -

Stage 5: 2009.08.27 Pugwash > Caribou Harbour - 104km

Cheryl Rondeau would like to acknowledge the support of the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada through the funding of the Caribou Harbour Memory Factory project.

Special thanks to Katherine Knight, David Craig, Peter Williams of East Wind Cycle, William Huffman and the members of the communities traversed in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island for their generosity (the counties of Pictou, Antigonish, Colchester and Southern Kings County, PEI).

2009.08.27: Pugwash > Caribou Harbour

2009-08-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

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10h45 - I'm in Pugwash with a beautiful clear sky about 15°C and winds out of the west at 24km/h. I decide to start my journey from the Thinker's Lodge, on the edge of Pugwash Harbour. The location of the Thinkers' Conference on Disarmament, which has been taking place here since 1957. Amazing for such a small, unassuming town. Very picturesque. It doesn't take long before I am out of Pugwash and passing by farms. There are many along route #6, or the Sunrise Trail which follows the Northumberland Shore.

For details on the route taken please click here

Click on any image to enlarge

11h41 - I come across the Wallace and Area museum. Formerly the home of shipbuilder James B. Davison, it is now houses the relics of what used to be a thriving industry in the area, along with fishing. The museum staff I speak with inform me that they also maintain nine kilometres of trails and heritage gardens which visitors are welcome to enjoy. Unfortunately on my timeline this is not possible. I do inquire though if their mandate reaches as far east as Caribou Harbour or if they would have any information. It doesn't and thus they do not have any information on its history. They know it mainly for the ferry, having passed through to take it.

13h04 - I arrive in Tatamagouche a very quaint tourist town. One of the town's claim to fame is the Train Station Inn, where the former rail station and abandoned rail cars have been transformed into a Bed and Breakfast. It was purchased by the current owner in 1974 saving it from the planned demolition. All of this information was provided by the staff during my visit. They seem very proud to boast about their community's ability to preserve their history and heritage sites.
They then ask me where I am headed and they tell me that Caribou has some beautiful beaches which I should definitely visit. As for any other information they can offer ... there is the ferry to PEI that leaves from Caribou.

13h25 - There is the Fraser Cultural Centre not too far from the Inn, that I check out. It is home to the Anna Swan Museum. Hailed as the tallest woman in the world, she was born in Millbrook in 1846, not too far from Tatamagouche. The museum is bustling with tourist taking in a local art show also currently on exhibit. I chat with a volunteer of the centre about the various exhibit and then ask her for any advice about getting to Caribou. Unfortunately she has never visited and knows little about it.

15h11 - Passing through the town of River John I find a Tourism bureau, where I stop and ask about the area's history etc. The young woman working at the bureau is very friendly and tells me that there used to be a properous shipbuilding industry along with fishing and farming but since the shipbuilding has died tourism is what they are counting on to revive the community as many have left to find work in the cities. She provides some good advice on what roads to avoid approaching Caribou Harbour but as for her knowledge of the community that surrounds it and what takes place. Well there are the beaches, she really like Waterside beach close to Caribou Island.

15h47 - back on the road with about than 38km to go. There are less and less farmlands at least along the road I am traveling. I no longer pass through towns. It is quiet, very peaceful just the rustling of the trees.

16h44 - I turn off Sunrise Trail and onto Shore Road about 22km to go ... I am surrounded by trees. It seems forever that I am alone no cars no houses, no farms, just me and the road and the trees. I feel like the only woman in the world - or the only human in the world - no one but me.

It only lasts for about 30 minutes, or has it been 30 minutes? Time seems flattened, everything happening at once. Not sure how far I have gone since last checking my speedometer. What time is it? I am currently cycling toward the east and the sun is behind me so it must be nearing evening. The rustling of the trees is overtaken by the engine of a car speeding past me.

I am brought back to reality. The car turns into the entrance for Waterside beach. Isn't this the west end of Caribou? so I must be about 15 km from my destination. I am still surrounded by trees, eventually pass a couple of farms. But unlike the previous towns I have passed through today I realize that there is no café, or restaurant, or Inn, or museum close by the beach or within the town of Caribou. No where for me to stop. So I keep pedaling, enjoying the peace and tranquility that it offers, with only the trees speaking to me.

Then it hits me, didn't someone tell me Herring season starts Monday. There isn't just lobster to be caught here in Caribou.

17h24 - I have arrived.

20090826: Pictou > Caribou Harbour

2009-08-26T18:35:00.000-07:00

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17h46 - I start another short journey. This time I will explore the approach from Pictou NS. A quaint town very close to Caribou Harbour. I take the roads closest to the waterfront, check out the view. I meet up with a few tourists. Most of the people I spoke to were passing through having taken the ferry from PEI and on to another destination. They were all that familiar with the area.

For details of my route please click here

As I approach the west end of town I stop to chat with a couple of women who have just left Sharon's Restaurant. I enquire about Caribou Harbour and they tell me there isn't much there but lobsters and the ferry. Beautiful spot though.

18h10 - On my exit from Pictou I see a man leaving a convenience store and ask him if the road I am currently on will take me to Caribou Harbour. He asks me if I am going to the ferry or the camp ground. I explain where it is I am staying and he is very helpful in providing me with detailed directions. He tells me he lives near the area and that there isn't much to do. Most people are there for the ferry or for the campgrounds. There is also a really nice beach too.

I continue along and find the camp ground he mentions.

18h36 - I find Caribou Harbour.

20090826: Caribou River > Caribou Harbour

2009-08-26T18:09:00.000-07:00

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15h08 - A bit of a late start due to some blogging mishaps uploading video etc.... Fortunately I had a very short distance to do in approaching Caribou Harbour. I made a slight change from my original route plan. Instead of starting from Caribou Island I decided to start by Caribou River. It seemed fitting to go from one body of water to another.
Just as I start my route I run into Jay who is visiting a friend in the area. It is her four summer in Caribou River and just loves it. She has also been able to reconnect with her family history and informs me that the street we are currently on, Grant Street, was named after her great, great, great grandfather who had settled here. She is one of the only family members now back in the area, most having left as soon as they were old enough to "find their fortune". The family home was sold off leaving no place to call "home". She is fortunate to have her friend with property here who allows her "squatters rights" each summer.

For details of my route please click here

15h35 - I run into another woman, Julie, who has lived in the area for a number of years, having spent much of her time in Pictou prior to where she now calls home. Again she loves it here she finds a huge sense of community among the locals, specifically with the fishermen. Her son spent last summer working with them and became very aware of how supportive they are of each other. Although they are very competitive, each have their 'territory' staked out. Anyone who breaches these unwritten territorial boundaries can expect their cages cut. She is also happy to see that the lobster fishing business and the PEI Ferry able to co-exist. As she sees it both are necessary for the posterity of the region. Now if only the tourism industry could be a bit more organised, it's a beautiful location to visit.

16h00 - my ride ends at the very end of Blaine MacKeil Road in Caribou Harbou. The view from here is breathtaking.

2009.08.25: Cape George Point, NS > Caribou Harbour, NS

2009-08-26T07:40:00.000-07:00

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10h53 - Start my eastern departure point at Cape George Point. The weather is perfect, sunny, about 15˚C with a subtle wind (NW 7km/h). A beautiful place to start, the view is spectacular. Definitely a must see if ever in the area.

For details of my route please click here

For about the first 30km of my ride the route is rolling and mostly up hill. Up to this point quiet again no one nothing trees, trees, trees, oh, and the odd church.

11h47 - I discover a food stand at the edge of the road, the Sunset Cabana. I must stop. A teenager is inside listening to dance music. I inquire on directions. He's not quite sure how to get to Caribou as he has never been, but tells me I'm heading in the right direction. All he knows about Caribou is the ferry.

At about 35km the route starts to plateau, just when I am starting to feel strong pangs of hunger.

12h45 - Make a pit stop to refuel at Linsmore Café and Store. The young woman who rings in my order of fish and chips asks me where I'm heading. I tell her and she's amazed. "That's a long way, and aren't you scared of the bears?" Turns out there are constant sitings on the road. Fortunately for me I have yet to see one. As for my destination she has never been, just passed through on her way to the PEI ferry.

13h15 - Back on the road it is nice and flat now and still very quiet.

14h12 - Traffic has picked, I'm seeing more vehicles as well as the odd person walking on the street! I stop and ask a gentleman about directions. He laughs "Why Caribou Harbour, nothing there." I mention that there's lobster and that I heard it was once home to a huge lobster processing plant. He knew of it but that was many years ago, the jobs are gone, just the ferry now. I thank him for his help and he wishes me a safe ride.

15h47 - I'm in the town of New Glasgow, what a change of scenery so I decide to stop and take some video of the downtown from the bridge that crosses the East River of Pictou. A woman enquires what I am doing and tell her about my project. She's intrigued and wonders why Caribou Harbour as there isn't much there now. She does have a faint memory as a child hearing about the lobster processing plant as some of her relatives worked there but she was young and work was not a subject of interest at family gatherings so doesn't have much to offer me in the way of stories.

My thoughts wander it’s beautiful here, serene, tranquil almost too tranquil. There are so few signs, so few markers along the route. So little information readily available. It is easy to feel you are in another world, one of the present only. What has taken place in the past is irrelevant.

16h13 - The Sobey Art Foundation, the gates are open and cycle in only to find no one. Turns out the foundation is not open Tuesdays ...

17h20 - I have arrived.

2009.08.24: Truro, NS > Caribou Harbour, NS

2009-08-24T14:47:00.000-07:00

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Prior to my departure Katherine, my host and director of the Caribou Harbour Memory Factory, takes me to 'the' department store of Truro, Margolians. It is the place to shop and people come from all over to shop. As much as I would like to hang out and check out the various departments I am anxious to get on the road.

10h53 - Start out of Truro - known as the hub of Nova Scotia - with winds out of the east at 17km/h, temperature of about 14˚C and rain, which comes and goes throughout the rest of the ride.

For details of route taken pleas click HERE

11h15 - From about this point on all I see are trees. Hwy 4 "the old highway" is nice and quiet. It is so serene - no homes, no businesses, no signs, just trees ... and rain. I cycle along with the odd car or truck passing by maybe every ten minutes or so.

12h52 - I reach the summit of Mount Thom, or more accurately the entrance to the Mount Thom quarry. As much as I was enjoying the solitude, by this point I was ready to find a place to stop. As there is absolutely nothing I decide to take a break at the side of the road near the quarry and as it turns out so does someone else. The owner of the pickup truck asks me if I am heading toward Truro. I inform him of my destination and he responds "Should head back to Truro the rain has stopped there and, there is nothing to do in Caribou". I smile wish him luck trying to get his pickup started again, as he slides under its chassis.

13h38 - Finally I find a store along this old highway. I have to stop even if I don't need anything. Its tiny and cramped, I find the beverages and go to the cash. The cashier, a very pleasant woman, asks me how I am doing and where I am heading. "Caribou Harbour, have you been?"
Nope, but I am sure there is plenty to see, people to meet and things to do. Enjoy your stay"

14h50 - re-entering civilization. There are more cars on the road as I go along highway 675 into Pictou, as well as homes and businesses and the pulp mill.

15h28 - Arrive at Caribou Harbour, the rain has stopped.

2009.08.23: hurricane Bill arrived

2009-08-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

No cycling today instead stayed inside and watched the rain fall.

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2009.08.22: Murray River, Prince Edward Island > Caribou, Nova Scotia

2009-08-22T20:24:00.000-07:00

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Late start today as I had to reassemble bike after my hectic flight into Halifax. Also ran into a few problems with the mounting gear for my rear rack. Bungee cord will have to hold it together until I can find a bike shop.

*click on any image to enlarge

14h30 - I catch the ferry to Prince Edward Island on the way to my first departure point, Murray River PEI.

16h39- Officially start my journey out of Murray River PEI to Caribou Ferry. Amazing sun, 31°C, SW winds 20km/h. Roads are in great shape! Headwind not so much fun.

To view route I took click here

Short journey, along the way I stop and enquire on directions and what there is to do once I have approached Caribou Harbour. One women volunteering at a local artisan shop, has only passed through in her car on her way from the ferry to elsewhere in Nova Scotia. As far as she is concerned Pictou would be much more interesting for me. All she has noticed of Caribou and its harbour is a wharf, a cluster of houses and, of course, the ferry dock. nothing else. I'm curious to know though how involved she is with the local arts community, is she an artist herself. Bashfully she replies not yet but by this time next year she expects "yes". She has just been invited to sell her paintings in the shop, up until now she has focused on needlepoint and jewelry making but is looking forward to doing some plein air painting in the fall. The landscape here is perfect for it.
As with our budding artist when I ask others about Caribou Harbour the responses are similar. "not much there you should visit Pictou it is the biggest city nearby". One person working on the ferry was very impressed with the museum in Pictou, she strongly recommended I visit.

As I approach Caribou Harbour on the ferry from PEI I wonder if I should stop at that point. Do I actually go into Caribou Harbour. Will see how I feel about once I get back on the bike.

PROLOGUE

2009-08-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

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In preparation for the gathering of information on the Approach to Caribou Harbour I thought I would take a cue from artist Stanley Brouwn and his project This way Brouwn where, in 1961, he would stand on a street corner and ask passersby to jot down on a piece of paper the directions to another point in the city. The actual location gets lost in the varying details provided by the various individuals who complied.

A selection of questions I plan to ask individuals in order to engage in conversation about Caribou Harbour and what lies in between ...

- On my way to Caribou Harbour do you know how to get there?
- -Have you been to Caribou Harbour? (if so) Any advice on way to get there? if possible ask why they have been.
- What are the roads like, the scenery?
- Any thing I should check out along the way and once I have arrived?
I should make sure to have these questions with me while on the road possibly in the flap of the map book cover.

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ON Thursday 13 August I performed a test run with my camera equipment on my touring bike. Decided to do a roundtrip from downtown Toronto to Kettleby.

For route details click here KETTLEBY

It turned out to be a beautiful, warm, sunny day. 27˚C, winds NE 11km/h
Unfortunately the trip was over shadowed by the lingering smells of rotting garbage yet to be picked up two weeks after the city worker's strike ended. what a long and dirty process.

Would have had more to offer but needed to take some time off the bike to recovery from a minor cycling accident. Need to be back in shape and ready for my first stage on Saturday, 22 August.

Toronto-Sudbury - 43°42′59″N 79°20′26″W - 46°29′24″N 81°0′36″W

2008-05-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

English version follows ...
En réponse au croisement, en l’espace de quelques jours, des cérémonies d’ouverture de deux événements culturels majeurs à Sudbury, FAAS ou la Foire d’art alternatif de Sudbury, et le Salon du livre du Grand Sudbury, Cheryl Rondeau a réalisé une intervention s’inscrivant dans son exploration continue de l’intersection du monde de l’art et du quotidien. Du 3 au 6 mai 2008, elle a parcouru en quatre étapes 600 km en vélo, de Toronto à Sudbury, ralliant ainsi symboliquement et physiquement les centres culturels anglophone et francophone de l’Ontario. Cette épreuve d’endurance s'est conclut à Sudbury, le 7 mai, avec une tournée des lieux d’expositions du FAAS et du Salon du livre du Grand Sudbury.

Étape / Stage 1 : Toronto>Orillia - 145km
Étape / Stage 2 : Orillia>Magnetawan - 155km
Étape / Stage 3 : Magnetawan>Noëlville - 170km
Étape / Stage 4 : Noëlville>Sudbury - 85km

Munie de l’équipement d’un randonneur, d’un carnet, d’une caméra et d’un appareil photographique, Cheryl Rondeau a tenté de décrire ses trouvailles et de tracer son parcours. Utilisant à la fois la photo accélérée, la vidéo et le récit, elle a produit des esquisses de la géographie de l’expérience et de la multiplicité des espaces interstitiels entre ces deux centres culturels. Le public pourrait suivre son voyage, à la fin de chaque étape, Rondeau a partagé ses expériences de route en téléchargeant des éléments visuels et textuels sur ce blogue.

Cheryl Rondeau souhaite remercier : le Salon du livre du Grand Sudbury, Art and Art History Program (University of Toronto and Sheridan College), Pine Needle Blankets Productions, OvertheAtlantic Interactive, la Galerie du Nouvel-Ontari o, Rachelle Bergeron, Quitterie de Bernardi, Mercedes Cueto, William Huffman, Monique Mathew, Darlene Naponse, Niki Naponse, Nicole Poulin, Guylaine Tousignant, et Danielle Tremblay.
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In response to the opening of two major cultural events in Sudbury, within days of each other - Fair of Alternative Art (FAAS) and Salon du livre du Grand Sudbury, - Cheryl Rondeau realized an intervention that continues her exploration of the intersection between the artworld and the everyday. From 3 to 6 May 2008, she conducted an expedition by bicycle of approximately 600 km from Toronto to Sudbury – symbolically and physically linking Ontario’s anglophone and francophone cultural centres. Upon arrival in Sudbury, this endurance initiative culminated in a tour, 7 May, of the FAAS exhibition sites and Salon du Livre.
Loaded with randonneur equipment, cameras and notebook, Rondeau endeavoured to log her trouvailles and map out her parcours. Video and time-lapse imagery was used to record the geography of the experience and the multiplicity of interstitial spaces between these two cultural spaces. The public is invited to join the artist, at the end of each stage she shared her daily experiences by uploading visual and textual elements on this blog site.

Cheryl Rondeau would like to thank le Salon du livre du Grand Sudbury, Pine Needle Blankets Productions, the Art and Art History Program (University of Toronto and Sheridan College), OvertheAtlantic Interactive, la Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario, Rachelle Bergeron, Quitterie de Bernardi, Mercedes Cueto, William Huffman, Monique Mathew, Darlene Naponse, Niki Naponse, Nicole Poulin, Guylaine Tousignant, and Danielle Tremblay.

Étape / Stage 1 : Toronto>Orillia - 145km
Étape / Stage 2 : Orillia>Magnetawan - 155km
Étape / Stage 3 : Magnetawan>Noëlville - 170km
Étape / Stage 4 : Noëlville>Sudbury - 85km

Tournée FAAS no.2 et Le Salon du Livre du Grand Sudbury

2008-05-08T18:23:00.000-07:00

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La dernière journée, et soirée ponctuée d’événements, à la FAAS ...
.....
The last day, and evening, of FAAS ...

Visiter le site de la GNO pour plus d'infos et pour écouter les entrevues avec les artistes de FAAS à Radio-Canada.

SALON DU LIVRE DU GRAND SUDBURY

J'ai pu sortir mon vélo une dernière fois et rouler avec ceux qui avaient troqué leur voitures pour la petite reine afin de se rendre de la Salon du livre du Grand Sudbury à la première activité littéraire du Salon.
Cet événement a été l’occasion de susciter une prise de conscience de la nécessaire réduction du nombre de voitures sur les routes au profit du vélo. Pour promouvoir son utilisation, trente bicyclettes ont ainsi été mises à la disposition du grand public gratuitement au marché des fermiers pendant toute la durée du Salon.
......
I was able to take out the bike one more time and join those who chose to leave their cars and cycle from the Opening ceremony of the Salon du livre du Grand Sudbury to the first literary event of the Salon. An event to promote bicycle use in an effort to reduce the number of cars on the road. Thirty bikes have been made available free of charge for use by the general public for the duration of the Salon.

tournée FAAS no.1 - Foire d'art alternatif de Sudbury

2008-05-07T17:14:00.000-07:00

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english follows ...
Après mon arrivée chaleureuse à la Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario et quelques entrevues avec la presse locale (MCTV et Northern Life) je suis repartie pour m'installer chez mon hôte Janna Best, qui a généreusement offert de m'héberger durant ma visite. Merci Janna !
Juste le temps de faire une petite sieste car je dois me rendre au Towne House Tavern, lieu principal des expos et performances de la FAAS , voir ce qui se passe dans les différents espaces, et sur scène ! Et voilà, ci dessous, un petit aperçu de ce mardi 6 mai ...

After a very warm welcome at La Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario and a few interviews with the local press (MCTV and Northern Life) it is time for me to settle in at the home of Janna Best, who has generously offered to host me during my visit to Sudbury. Thank you Janna!
Only time for a short rest before I head out to see what is happening in the rooms, and on stage, at the Towne House Tavern, main location of the exhibitions and performances of FAAS. please see video above for a sampling of events Tuesday 6 May ...

Étape / Stage 4 : Noëlville > Sudbury - 85km

2008-05-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

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English follows
8h00 départ de Noëlville - Encore une belle journée. Ensoleillé avec un vent léger.
8h45 arrêt à Alban, déjeuner au restaurant Yvette avec Rachelle ma compagne de route aujourdhui.
9h40 halte ... vidéo

11h30 Court arrêt au magasin Wanup General Store pour acheter une boisson

13h00 arrive à Sudbury ... un peu tôt alors Rachelle et moi prenons un coup chez Buzzy Browns
14h00 arrivée à la Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario ... une réception chaleureuse merci Sudbury et la GNO !
Un grand merci à Rachelle Bergeron qui m'a accompagné en voiture aujourd'hui. Photographe de Sudbury. Ses oeuvres font partie d'une exposition à la galerie T.A.G. (une des galeries qui participe à la FAAS)

- vos commentaires sont les bienvenues
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8h00 départ de Noëlville - another beautiful day. sunny onlytiny bit of wind ... amazing
9h00 Alban - breakfast at Yvette's restaurant with Rachelle who will be responsible for vehicle support
11h30 stop at the Wanup General Store to buy something to drink
13h00 arrivée in Sudbury a bit early for my arrival time so Rachelle and i stop for a drink at Buzzy Browns.
14h00 at la Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario with a gang waiting for me ... what a warm welcome thank you Sudbury and la Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario !
Many thanks to Rachelle Bergeron who followed me by car today. A photographer from Sudbury who is also showing at T.A.G. (participating gallery at FAAS)

- your comments are welcome

Étape / Stage 3 : Magnetawan > Noëlville - 170km

2008-05-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

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English follows ...
8h00 départ de Magnetawan ... journée formidable ! Heureusement car j'ai du revenir sur mes pas à cause d’un sens interdit imprévu et non indiqué, qui me conduisait sur un chemin marqué par un tas traces d’ours fraîches. Il semble que la route Nipissing nord soit plus fréquentée par les ours que les humains ! J'ai donc décidé de prendre la route 124 sud, comme alternative, jusqu'à Nobel.
11h30 déjeuner avec Mercedes Cueto qui m'accompagne en voiture aujourd'hui.
12h15 on reprend la route - # 69 direction nord, un petit détour sur la route # 529 ... et de retour sur le 69
15h30 halte à Key Marina Je prends un lassi à la mangue au restaurant Little India ... très rafraîchissant !
15h40 halte à la rivière des français
16h30 environs ... prends le 607 et 64 jusqu'à Noëlville.
18h00 arrivée à Noëlville 170km accomplis.

J’ai roulé à un bon rythme.
Voir le paysage changer au fils des heures de mon vélo lors de mon trajet est très apaisant, très réconfortant, c'est une ouverture sur autre chose que la vie quotidienne. Ca me fait penser aux situationnistes internationaux et leur méthode de détournement.

Un grand merci à Mercedes Cueto qui m'a accompagné en voiture aujourd'hui, artiste de Sudbury qui fait partie d'une exposition à la galerie T.A.G. (une des galeries qui participe à la FAAS)

- vos commentaires sont les bienvenues
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8h00 depart Magnetawan ... amazing day !
Thankfully as I ended up having to reroute due to an unmarked deadend and, fresh bear tracks ... seems Nippising Road north is used more by bears than humans so decided to take route 124 south to Nobel instead.
11:30 brunch with Mercedes Cueto who will accompany me as vehicle support for the day.
12h15 back on the road on highway #69 north, take a little detour on route #529 then back of #69
15:30 break at Key Lake have a mango lassie at Little India restaurant ... very refreshing!
15:40 short break at French River take some video.
16:30 or there about turn on to route #607 then on to #64 to Noëlville.
18h00 arrive in Noëlville, accomplished 170km
I kept a nice pace ... watching the landscape change over the long hours on my bike is very calming, it provided an opening to think outside of the everyday.
kept a nice pace ... watching the landscape change over the long hours on my bike is very calming, it provided an opening to think outside of the everyday. I guess just as the situationnistes internationaux suggest in their method of détournement.

Many thanks to Mercedes Cueto who followed me by car today. An artist from Sudbury who is also showing at T.A.G. (participating gallery at FAAS)

- your comments are welcome

Étape / Stage 2 : Orillia > Magnetawan - 155km

2008-05-04T23:30:00.000-07:00

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8h10 départ de Orillia matin nuageux et froid. Contre toute attente, le vent est fort et plus souvent de biais et je me fatigue. Mais je me motive.

11h – 65km atteint pause café sur la route avec Darlene Naponse, cinéaste et artiste de Whitefish Lake First Nation qui fait partie d'une exposition à la galerie T.A.G. une des galeries qui participe à la FAAS. Avec sa soeur Niki, elles ont généreusement offert d’être ma voiture balai pour cette étape. Ce n'est pas chose facile trouver du café dimanche matin et dans ce coin. Bravo Darlene et Niki et merci pour tout votre travail !
12h20 -73km à Bala …
on a faim. Il est temps de déjeuner, au restaurant Hook & Ladder.

13h00 – Je continue … le soleil youpi ! … Réchauffée j’aborde les côtes avec motivation.
Toute seule sur la route ça semble prendre des heures … et oui ça fait des heures que je roule sans être dérangée, sans perturbation. C’est très calme. Pas de voitures, il y a personne sur ces routes … je vois des fermes de temps en temps mais c’est plutôt la forêt. Ça me fait penser au sort étrange et tragique de l’artiste Bas Jan Ader . Mes pensées oscillent entre les différents projets de Filature de l'artiste Sophie Calle. Combien d'heures passait-elle, sans arrêt, à filer un de ses sujets ?
15h50 - 128km halte pour m’étirer. Darlene et Niki me retrouve.
Je reprends la route et le reste du parcours se fait bien … presque. J’arrive rue Nipissing seulement 30 km de Magnetawan, malheureusement la rue se transforme en un chemin de terre non praticable avec vélo de route. Je commence à glisser dans les graviers et tombe deux fois. À ce stade il n’y a pas d’autre chemin d’accès à Magnetawan arghghg … désespérée je suis les conseils de Darlene et monte dans la voiture. Darlene me conduit jusqu'à ce que la route devienne praticable. Je remonte en selle, environ 20km après.

Lors de notre passage sur cette route on a croisé un cerf et une tortue !

17h30 - seulement 155km accomplis pour cette étape.

- vos commentaires sont les bienvenues
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8h10 départure Orillia; cloudy and cold morning and strong winds that are not in my favour but I percevere. 11h – 65km done, coffee break on side of road with Darlene and Niki, pause café sur la route avec Darlene Naponse, filmmaker and artiste of Whitefish Lake First Nation who is showing her work at T.A.G. Gallery (participating in FAAS), and her sister Niki. not an easy do find coffee on a Sunday morning in this area Bravo Darlene and Niki! 12h20 -73km Bala - very hungry time to eat. hook & ladder restaurant 13h10 – continue on… sun yeah …

on the road alone for what seems hours ... and it has been hours. No cars no people pass the odd farm but mostly forest. it makes me think the bizarre, and tragic, fate of artist Bas Jan Ader . i was also reminded of Sophie Calle's filatures projects - how long did he spend following one of her subjects, did she take breaks?
15h30 - 128km short stretch break. Darlene et Niki catch up with me. back on the route which is going well, almost. only 30km to go as I reach Nipissing Road the only road (at this point) into Magnetawan. unfortunately it soon turns into gravel then sand I start to slide end up falling a couple of times before reluctantly taking Darlene’s advice and get into her car and drive until the road conditions improve, about 20km later. During our ride along this route we end up crossing paths with a deer and a turtle.
17h30 only 155km accomplished.

- your comments are welcome