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The West Toronto Railpath will have its official launch on June 20, 2009, 2pm with a Party Parade! It starts on Wallace Ave., west of Perth (at the pedestrian rail overpass). Bring your bike, blades, strollers and kids to a party for the railpath.
Brought to you by: Friends of the West Toronto Railpath, Bike Pirates, Cyclops, Yasi's Place, Big on Bloor, and by the Letter D.
Last year the Toronto Cyclists Union was brought to life with a film screening of Pee-wee's Big Adventure, supported by a live cast featuring members of the Hidden Cameras, Broken Social Scene, Apostle of Hustle, Kids on TV, Republic of Safety, the Phonemes and others. Recently "pigeonhat" aka Mez posted a video of the event.
Lex Vaughn as Pee-wee. Gentleman Reg as Francis. Magali Meagher as Simone & Jo-Ann Goldsmith as Dottie. Special appearance by Sook-Yin Lee.
Cover Story in Eye Weekly: http://tinyurl.com/ml4gh4
Photos: http://tinyurl.com/mg5caj
Event poster: http://bikeunion.to/image/peeweeProducer / Director: Dave Meslin
Production Team: Magali Meagher, Lex Vaughn, Yvonne Bambrick, Kate McKay
Props & Costumes: Stacey Kityana
Technical Consultant: John Young, THiRST Entertainment Services
Props team: Jerusha Ellis, Will Seto, Nat Van Dine
Make-up: Juliet LameyCamera: Darren ODonell & Bob Wiseman
CAST
Andrew Whiteman (Biker, nun)
Ariel Garten (Beach dancer, reporter)
Carly Stasko (Santa, Parade)
Christine Bouchard (Racer)
Crystal Perryman Mark (Sgt Hunter)
Dave Meslin (Pee-wee stunt double)
Gentleman Reg (Frances)
Jedediah Smith (BMXer, Magic Store, and more)
Jesse Demb (Racer, puppet holder)
Jo-Ann Goldsmith (Dottie, elf)
Joel Gibb (Hobo Jack)
John Caffery (Mr. Crabtree, bike theif, BMXer, diner patron)
John Power (Mickey, adoptive father)
Johnny Lamey (racer)
Justin Stayshyn (Mr. Buxton, cop, fireman, beach dancer, security guard)
Keith Cole (Andy, Clown, Beach Dancer, Nun, Biker, Stuffed tiger)
Kevin Drew (Biker)
Kevin Harding Mark (Chuck)
Lex Vaughn (Pee-wee)
Lisa Smolkin (Twisted Sister)
Magali Meagher (Simone)
Maggie MacDonald (Tina the Alamo Tourguide)
Margaret Hastings-James (Large Marge, crown lady)
Matt Blackett (Biker)
Mike EB (Kevin Morton, Monkey)
Misha Glouberman (Biker, Butler)
Rick Conroy (Terry Hawthorne)
Rose Bianchini (sprinkler, waving monkey)
Sook-Yin Lee (Biker Mama)
Stacey Kityana (Adoptive mother)
Yvonne Bambrick (Madam Ruby)Special Thanks to: Michelle Poirier, Paul Ruebens, Stephanie Markowitz, Carmelo Bordonaro, Fraser Smith, Rick Conroy, Jonathan Goldsbie, Mark Sherman, David Fingrut, David Anderson, Danny Iron, Bob Wiseman, Carmelo Bordonaro, Ed Keenan, Chris Speck, Franz Hartmann & TEA, Bob Wiseman, Bob Salverda, Niki Poirer and many others...
Event performed with permission from Paul Reubens & Warner Brothers
A new campaign by the bike union in partnership with Culturelink is working on getting newcomers on bikes again.
Toronto's cycling community would like to see more immigrants like Li get out of their cars and return to their old modus operandi as part of a city-wide "From Back Home to Our New Home" campaign, to be launched tomorrow.
The campaign will promote cycling among newcomer communities as an affordable, healthy and convenient means of transportation instead of just a recreational activity on weekends.
"This is an untapped market with cycling," said Leehe Lev, coordinator of the outreach campaign, a partnership between the Toronto Cyclists Union and CultureLink, an immigrant settlement agency. "For many new immigrants, part of living in North America is to own a car and a suburban home. But it takes away their good green habit from back home."
With regular commuters dominated by white males in Toronto, while the majority of Torontonians are either female or people of colour or newcomers, there's a lot of work to be done here. We know from Europe that providing a strong sense of safety gets a lot more women and young/old folk on bikes. I wonder what it will take to get people who are newcomers?