Three years ago this month the Toronto Cyclists Union was born! On our 3rd birthday we have much to celebrate. As our membership continues to steadily increase we are in a better position to offer more value to our members and become a more powerful voice for cycling in our City. The bike union would like to thank all of our members for bringing us to where we are today! You continued support is invaluable to making Toronto an excellent cycling city. Although there is much work to be done, we’re confident that with our members’ continued support we can continue to make change for better streets.

On our 3rd birthday, our only request is for more of Toronto’s cyclists to join the bike union. We need more members to support our advocacy work, so please consider becoming part of the movement for a better Toronto!

Are you in need of a vacation? Have you ever wanted to experience a bicycle tour? The bike union is raffling off a $1,000 gift certificate toward a bike tour with VBT, Bicycle and Walking Tours! Join, renew or donate in the month of June and we'll enter your name into the raffle! Don't miss this great opportunity to help make a trip of a lifetime happen!

Contest Details:

For members: Contribute a minimum of $25 and we will enter your name into the raffle. We will re-enter your name for every $25 increment in your contribution.

For non-members: Join or renew at the $30 level and we will enter your name into the raffle. If you join at the $75 level, we'll enter your name twice. Join at the $150 level and we'll enter your name in the raffle three times!

Note: Contest ends on June 30th. Gift certificate expires in May 2012.

All of the accomplishments at the bike union are due to a tremendous amount of effort by volunteers. Our volunteer Board of Directors provides critical governance and organizational oversight, which makes board members incredibly important. This year marks the conclusion of the term for three of our founding Board members: Raj Bharati who contributed his legal, financial and policy expertise as Treasurer, Karey Iron who dedicated her efforts in developing the Board in the first few years and Tovi Heilbronn who actively contributed to developing volunteer policies, strategic initiatives and human resource capacity. In addition, Roberto Garcia is resigning as Vice President. Roberto laid the ground work for many of the membership programs we enjoy today. Karey, Raj, Roberto and Tovi collectively have over 12 years of bike union experience! They will continue to be involved recruiting members, volunteering at events and acting as a resource for the bike union. We would like to extend our gratitude to and wish them well in their future endeavours.

At our recent AGM we also had the pleasure to welcome four new board members: Carolina G'ala, Deborah Adams, Jayme Dunlop and Nick Wright. You can read more about your new directors here. It's an exciting time for our board as we continue to develop membership, resource capacity and enter a strategic planning process. Our new board members bring a fresh perspective and are vital in providing effective governance as we continue to grow.

On May 19, just shy of our third anniversary, we held our AGM on the fourth floor of the CSI Spadina building. Over 100 members attended, and began the meeting with a foot-stomping warm-up led by board member and MC Simon Strauss. Throughout the course of the evening, members heard about our current budget and budget projections, the amazing work that Andie (Advocacy Director) and Jared (Membership Director) have been up to, and some of our plans for the upcoming year.

Heather McDonald, Board President, recognized our four outgoing board members (Karey, Tovi, Raj and Roberto), and introduced four new board members who were acclaimed at the meeting (Carolina, Deborah, Nick and Jayme). Heather also shared her personal and inspiring perspectives of the importance of cycling advocacy. As a colourful example of the progress being made in Toronto cycling advocacy, Heather recounted how when she attended Velo-City 2011 in Spain, cycling advocates from the Netherlands were asking questions and seeking advice from her about our programming. Now that's a compliment! Another highlight was that a City Councillor attended for the first time in our AGM history! We'd like to extend a special thanks to Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong for taking time out of his busy schedule to learn more about the bike union and talk with our members.

The meeting emphasized two key roles for our members: we need as many volunteers as possible, and we need people to get involved in their Ward Advocacy Groups. Through volunteering with the bike union directly and connecting with Councillors through the Ward Advocacy Program, members will ensure that the bike union keeps spreading the word about our unique and city-changing advocacy, and continues making the city a safer and more accessible place for cyclists of all stripes. We also need everyone to encourage their friends and family to join and help us reach our goal of 2,500 members by the end of 2012.

Thanks to everyone who attended, and we'll see you all on the road!

Click here to view our 2010 Annual Report, designed by Angel Chen.

As the number of people riding bicycles across Toronto continues to increase, the Toronto Cyclists Union has developed important outreach tools to meet their needs. By providing large scale bicycle parking at festivals and events, partnering with bike shops to offer free safety checks and mechanical services and recruiting volunteers to pump tires and lube chains for commuters, the bike union is working to increase the visibility of cycling in Toronto, while offering valuable services to all cyclists.

Bike Valet
Though the City of Toronto has installed over 16,000 ring and posts across the city, there is often not enough bicycle parking at large events and festivals. The bike union has responded to this gap by offering safe, secure and convenient valet bicycle parking through Bike Valet. In May 2011, the bike union ran Bike Valet in coordination with the Go Green, Go Dutch, Go Bike ride and parked over 150 bikes at the Eco-Wheels Show in the Distillery District. It's an important service that we plan to expand throughout the summer.

Bicycle Service Station
Sometimes it's difficult to find the time to get to your local bike shop. By partnering with bike shops and cycling organizations, the Bicycle Service Station brings the bike shop to you on street corners and in parks across the city. Experienced mechanics diagnose issues with your bicycle and do basic repairs. It's also a great chance to discuss the issues facing cycling in Toronto and sign up as a member of the Toronto Cyclists Union. At the kick off to Bike Month at Nathan Phillips Square, we partnered with Urbane Cyclist to offer a Bicycle Service Station. Check out our website for service stations near you!

Pump up the Jam
Need some air in your tires? Is your ride not feeling as smooth as usual? Our Pump up the Jam events send bike union volunteers to different places and organizations across the city to ease your ride, wherever you're off to. Earlier in May, we partnered with the West End YMCA to pump tires, lube chains and talk about the big issues facing cycling in the city.

If you're interested in partnering with us on any of these services, don't hesitate to contact Jared Kolb, Director of Membership and Outreach at jared.kolb@bikeunion.to.

Over the past month, we have added 20 members to our Bikewatch Team. As volunteers, Bikewatchers do outreach for the bike union by working Bike Valet, Bicycle Service Station, Pump up the Jam and tabling events. They also get a free Bikewatch t-shirt and gain access to exclusive events across the city. If you're interested in joining our volunteer outreach team, please contact jared.kolb@bikeunion.to.

As part of bike month, the Toronto Cyclists Union’s Ward Advocacy Program groups will conduct a Ward Check-Up. With tools and resources provided by the bike union, groups will audit the state of cycling infrastructure in their wards in order to make recommendations for improvement and highlight best practices.

The Ward Check-Up will take place on June 26th, 2011 at varying locations across the City. Save the date! More detailed information will be provided soon on our website and via e-mail so stay tuned! If you are not already involved in a ward group and would like to participate in this event, please contact us at info@bikeunion.to with the subject line: Ward Check-Up. Remember to indicate your ward number and we’ll connect you with your local Ward Check-Up leaders!

Ward 13 Bikes operates out of Toronto's West End, representing the neighbourhoods of High Park, Bloor West Village and the Junction. Our rookie Councillor, Sarah Doucette, is as fresh and energetic as we are, and completely on board with us in promoting active transportation. We are lucky to have access to some of the city's best cycling infrastructure, including the Martin Goodman Trail, the Humber Trail, the lanes and trails through High Park, the West Toronto Railpath and the Annette/Dupont bike lanes.

Ward 13 Bikes has worked with the City to ensure that bike lanes will be installed on the Bloor Bridge over the Humber River during the renovations and that Ring-and-Post parking will return this summer to Bloor West Village. Currently we are working on three main projects: improving existing bike crossings on Lake Shore Blvd, extending the West Toronto RailPath to Strachan and promoting bike lanes in Bloor West Village. To get people out and cycling, and increase bike union membership, Ward 13 Bikes held two events this spring: a Ward Audit Ride and a Bike Tune-up Party in High Park. This summer, we're hosting Bells on Bloor (which launches from High Park, June 18th!), as well as an Explore Your Ward ride and a Safe Routes to School ride.

If you’d like to get involved in Ward 13 bikes, please contact us at ward13@bikeunion.to. We’re looking forward to a great summer!

It’s extremely important that all cyclists be aware of their rights and responsibilities, which is why the bike union makes efforts to distribute as much information as possible. Our Toronto Cyclists Handbook made waves last year when we distributed this key resource on safety tips and regulations in 17 languages. It continues to be the go-to document for Toronto cyclists to learn more about safe cycling. This month, we’re happy to provide key information regarding your rights as a cyclist in the unfortunate event of a collision. Thank you to Caroline Meyer, lawyer at Thomson Rogers – Toronto, for providing this detailed and important information.

Click here to learn about your rights as a cyclist in the event of a collision.

The Learning Enrichment Foundation is holding a used bike drive. The bikes will be fixed up by newcomer youth in their Reframe bike program. The youth will then keep the bike that they fixed up. The program is based on the belief that if new Canadians learn to appreciate the mechanics of the bike, and if they have an opportunity to learn about safe cycling in Toronto, they are more likely to enjoy the economical and health benefits that come with cycling as a means of transportation. It’s also an opportunity for new Canadians to get hands on experience in a field that could lead to employment or a lifetime passion. The bikes don’t need to be fancy, but they have to be good enough to tune up and ride safely.

To make a donation, please contact Vin Heney (vheney@lefca.org, 647-328-8955).