International Association Of Independent Journalists Inc.

[Jennifer Maclean]

Becel Ride For Heart!: 2010!


By Jennifer Maclean



One lone bicycle comes down the freeway!



Toronto, Canada - The event was the "Becel Ride For Heart," a one day bike-a-thon that travels along Toronto's major freeways on behalf of fund raising for life-saving heart research. The ride is an annual occurrence as it was this Sunday, June 6, 2010 and is interesting because of the unique sight of seeing bicycles on major freeways.


Getting closer!



As you can see from the photos here, we had rainy day and in the 15 plus minutes we watched the freeway at Lawrence Ave and the Don Valley Parkway, we only saw one bicycle (tandem) riding the event. Sure we had a confection and an ambulance for anyone who got into trouble,. But where were the cyclists? I spotted a cop just circling around the top part of the hill where the freeway passes by Eglinton Avenue but no cyclists.



A rest station for the lone cyclist!


We are taught as journalists to go to an event when you made the decision and to report only what you observe when you get there. So this is what we found. The day brightened up a bit and probably more cyclists did the event. But I will not stack the reporting chips in favor or not in favor when I report a story. This is what I saw. Perhaps the organizers held back the hardline cyclists who would ride in any weather for the press, but there should have been more of a presence at this time of the day on a Sunday.


Personally I had to use the Don Valley Parkway later that day and use it often. This time with it closed I got lost and wasted much time trying to get to the section of the freeway that was open to regular traffic. There has been much made of the new bike lanes with no bike traffic here in Toronto and the closure of the freeway with nobody using them does not put cyclists in the best light with the other users of the road.


And so goes another Becel ride for heart.!