The courage of kids and cowardice of politicians

By Jillian Banfield and Dan Peterson

A small child is on a balance bike on Queen Street in Dartmouth. They are mid stride in the sunshine.

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.

This was our largest ever Dartmouth ride since we started Kidical Mass in 2022. We’ve grown mostly through word of mouth and some media attention, but this year feels different. Even the area councillors have started attending our rides, after many years of inviting them. In many ways, Andy Fillmore and Tim Houston have galvanized our community.

A large group is gathered before the Dartmouth ride. Bubbles are coming from the back of one bike.

The summer of 2025 was a trying time for people who want to bike in Halifax. Early in June, Mayor Andy Fillmore unleashed an attack on cycling as a form of transportation. His motion to pause bike lane construction was handily defeated by council colleagues, but his attacks continued. As the debates wore on, it seemed clear that the fights about bike lanes were how Andy Fillmore and Tim Houston were laying the groundwork for strong mayor powers.

Rather than do the tough work of collaborating with colleagues, compromising and finding solutions, Andy Fillmore would rather proudly delay and steal bike lanes away from kids, with Tim Houston urging him on. What a legacy for both of them. Although Houston recently said that Fillmore won’t be getting strong mayor powers during the fall session of the legislature, anyone who’s been paying attention to this provincial government knows it can’t be trusted to follow through on promises. What happened to the fixed election dates and the puppies?

These two men show nothing but contempt for the citizens they’re meant to serve. Andy Fillmore lies in the media to sow confusion and resentment toward the council he is meant to lead. Tim Houston dodges accountability at every turn, and is directly targeting bike lanes.

A sign on the back of a bike reads "bike good mayor bad"

The hostility they demonstrate is no match for the enthusiasm from the community of folks who bike in Halifax. We rally in the hundreds, copy “Clerks” on our emails so every council member will know our thoughts, and we share our bike joy so that our cups stay filled during this long fight for our bike lanes and our democracy.

A spontaneous chorus of bike bells breaks out during Kidical Mass, when we stop to allow the group to catch up. The little one on her balance bike reaches over to ring the bell on her grownup’s handlebars.