The bike is so small that it doesn’t have pedals, gears, or brakes. But the little legs propelling it forward are determined to get up the hill. We’re on Queen St in downtown Dartmouth, heading uphill toward Wentworth St, mid-way through September’s Kidical Mass ride. Somehow, after a couple blocks of uphill climb, the little one seems to gather speed, pulling ahead of the grownup who has been riding beside her. Yes, she zigzags a bit unpredictably, but it hardly matters. At Kidical Mass, community members “cork” the side streets so that no vehicles can enter for the few minutes that the group takes over the street. At Kidical Mass, we create the world we want to see: where children have the freedom of movement without worrying about cars, where they can ride side-by-side with their friends, and where grownups can relax into conversation on a beautiful Sunday morning bike ride.

In December 2023, I had my left ankle joint replaced after living with rheumatoid arthritis in that joint for 38.5 years. Ten years prior, I had the talonavicular joint in my left foot fused.

When I started as Bike Mayor of Halifax, I launched a project to get community input about what people think the term “all abilities” means. The term is used in the context of cycling infrastructure in Halifax. You’ll often hear city planners and cycling advocates talk about “all ages and abilities”. The “all ages” part is relatively clear, but it’s never been clear whether “all abilities” refers to cycling ability, disability, or both.

I became Bicycle Mayor of Halifax in December 2019. I started strong out of the gate, with media interviews early on and introducing my new role at the Halifax Cycling Coalition’s birthday party in February 2020. During winter bike week, I gave a Pecha Kucha talk along with other members of the Halifax cycling community. Along with the Halifax Cycling Coalition (HCC), I launched a survey to gather insights about what people think the term “all abilities” means with respect to cycling. I was lucky to have the support and collaboration of Meghan Doucette, who was the Executive Director of the HCC at the time.