2025 Ottawa Bike Day

Introduction

I am an avid bike rider because of the associated environmental, health and social benefits. Ottawa, where I live, is a decent city for cycling, and when I heard of a “Bike Day” event in town I obviously had to go check it out.

What is Bike Day?

On Saturday, May 3 I went to New Edinburgh Park in Ottawa to check out Bike Day, a half-day family-oriented event showcasing bikes and the people who ride them. I arrived just in time to join a group bike ride through the park and surrounding neighbourhood. The ride lasted about 10 minutes, and many of the riders were children.

Back at the park, I checked out the activities on offer. They included:

• Donated bikes for sale;
• A mechanic offering free tuneups;
• Cycling organizations handing out stickers and talking to passersby;
• And a bake sale.

I also encountered several people I know from one of the cycling clubs I am part of, which is always a treat.

Motherload

The highlight of the event for me, and the main reason I attended, was to view a screening of a documentary film called Motherload, shown in the park’s adjoining fieldhouse, about a California mother of two young kids and how cargo bikes changed her life.

I had not heard of the film before, but was intrigued by the synopsis. It goes into the history of bikes, including how in the 19th century they were a feminist symbol by giving women opportunities they did not have before. In a more modern setting, there are stories of people using a cargo bike to do things no one would ever imagine it capable of doing, such has transporting kayaks (plural!), grocery shopping for an entire family, delivering supplies in emergencies, participating in races, and carrying six(!) kids. And these were all regular people too, not influencers looking for a publicity stunt.

My favourite message of the film is that bikes (cargo or otherwise) help us connect to the world around us, and being exposed to the sights, sounds and smells around us all while moving on our own power gives us a deeper appreciation of being alive. And we can get this sense of accomplishment while doing things we would be doing anyway, like buying groceries.

Takeaway

So would I go again? Definitely, if for nothing else than for whatever film they are showing. Even if they show the same film next time, I would go again just to re-watch it.