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Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Bike Week Winnipeg to run June 8 to 14
St. Boniface WINNIPEG It's time to party — and a collective invitation has been issued to the city's bike community to join in the fun. Bike Week Winnipeg will host two neighbourhood bike parties in Westwood and St. Vital, on June 6 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. (3550 Portage Ave.), and on June 13 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. (5 Fermor Ave.), respectively, to celebrate cycling as an inclusive activity for everyone. The parties will include bike activities with Green Kids, bike decorating, refreshments, and free bike tune-ups courtesy of Vélo-Cité or The W.R.E.N.C.H. During Bike Week, which officially runs between June 8 and 14, Winnipeggers are also invited to attend group rides, workshops, and events such as the Bike Week Bash, Bike Winnipeg's Kidical Mass group ride for families, and Bike to Work Day on June 10. Supplied photo Participants of a group ride during last year's Bike to Work Day are pictured here. This year's Bike Week Winnipeg will run from June 8 to 14. 'Bike Week is a celebration of bicycles and everyone that uses them,' said Charleswood resident Dave Elmore, who chairs Bike Week's board of directors. 'We like to say it's for everyone, as when we started, Bike Week was more aimed at commuters. Now, it's for anybody and everybody that rides bikes.' Ultimately, one of Bike Week's universal goals is to encourage people to get on their bicycles rather than take single-occupant vehicle journeys. Elmore — a passionate cyclist himself — said the emergence of e-bikes in recent years has also become part of the conversation. 'In my personal opinion, e-bikes are shrinking the city, and they're giving people the opportunity to ride further in a shorter time,' he said, noting there will be numerous pit stops for riders on Bike to Work Day (presented by CAA Manitoba) to stop and refuel and enjoy snacks and swag. Elmore said there will be a group ride that day from Assiniboine Park to The Forks, and that people can 'jump on and drop off' at any time between 6 and 9 a.m. 'Bike Week is so important to me in so many ways. It's about encouraging people to get on their bikes and ride,' Elmore said. 'It's important to embrace and utilise our active transportation system, and there's also the environmental aspect.' Bike Week Winnipeg event producer Andraea Sartison is thrilled this year's event offers so many opportunities for people to get involved. Mondays A weekly look at news and events that matter in your communities. The St. Boniface resident said she's encouraged by the volume of local businesses lending their support. Sartison also said organizers are also welcoming any financial support community members can muster in a crowdfunding model: 'We're asking for a little community support this year. We're accepting any dollar amount, starting at $5.' 'We want to continue to grow, and we need a little love. Winnipeg is a very grassroots city, with a small town vibe in a big city, and people are always happy to contribute.' Visit for more information. Simon FullerCommunity Journalist Simon Fuller is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. Email him at or call him at 204-697-7111. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Getting more butts on bikes'
Dave Elmore recalls the ribbing he got as a teenager when many of his friends were buying their first cars and he bought a bike instead: a blue 10-speed CCM Turismo. 'Cycling's always been important to me,' he says. 'It's always been something I've done.' Today, the 70-year-old Charleswood resident shares his passion for cycling through his volunteer work as chairperson of Bike Week Winnipeg. The annual event features programming meant to encourage and engage cyclists. This year's edition takes place June 8-14. 'It's all about getting more butts on bikes,' Elmore says. An engineer by training, Elmore was working as a project manager for the federal government when he started commuting to work by bike in the early 1990s. He co-founded the cycling advocacy group Bike to the Future, now known as Bike Winnipeg, in 2007. The following year, he helped start Bike to Work Day, an annual one-day event for bicycle commuters. In 2014, the event was rebranded as Bike Week. With the rebrand came an expanded mandate to engage cyclists of all kinds — whether they ride for everyday transportation, recreation or some other reason. Rather than create change through advocacy, Elmore says, Bike Week attempts to create cultural change by engaging riders, trying to get more people involved in cycling and growing their understanding that bicycles can be a part of the city's transportation culture. While Bike to Work Day is still one of the week's flagship events (it takes place June 10), this year's Bike Week will feature numerous activities for people of all ages and abilities, including group rides, workshops, games and a wrap-up party on the legislative grounds on June 14. The following is a list of volunteer opportunities for Winnipeg and surrounding areas. For more information about these listings, contact the organization directly. Volunteer Manitoba does not place volunteers with organizations but can help people find opportunities. To learn more about its programs and services, go to or call 204-477-5180. The following is a list of volunteer opportunities for Winnipeg and surrounding areas. For more information about these listings, contact the organization directly. Volunteer Manitoba does not place volunteers with organizations but can help people find opportunities. To learn more about its programs and services, go to or call 204-477-5180. The Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada needs volunteers for its walk at the Teddy Bass Athletic Field in Kildonan Park on June 28. They will help with setup, registration and participant motivation. No experience is required. Apply at by June 16. Creative Retirement Manitoba needs board members who are passionate about lifelong learning. The charity offers affordable educational opportunities for older adults. The working board requires members with basic computer skills to help with program planning alongside staff members, who manage presenter communications. No formal education is needed. The board meets eight times annually, on the second Friday morning of the month. Email hello@ by June 30. Apathy is Boring needs people ages 18 to 30 for Winnipeg RISE. The program provides training, resources and funding to support youth in designing and leading a community project. No experience is required. Apply at by July 6. The St. Vital Agricultural Fair is seeking volunteers for its 114th annual Fair and Display on Aug. 8 and Aug. 9. Opportunities include serving as greeters, setting up and taking down tables and chairs, and serving meals in a cafeteria style. Volunteers are also needed at the children's craft table and in helping exhibitors place their entries, and to help with cleaning duties such as garbage removal. More information about the event is available at Apply at PjMcFarlane@ or to 204-487-4597, ext. 1, by July 29. The Leftovers Foundation, a food-rescue charity with a mission of reducing food waste and increasing access to food for people facing barriers, is gearing up for Home Harvest. The program facilitates the rescue of homegrown food. Community members can participate by signing up through the website or mobile app to become a donor (grower) or volunteer to complete routes. Growers with excess produce can submit a request any time, and volunteers can harvest and deliver the produce to local service agencies and keep a portion for themselves. Volunteers can sign up in groups or individually. Email alyssa@ or go to for more information. Apply by Aug. 2. Villa Rosa needs volunteers to help manage its donation room by organizing items and keeping the space welcoming. This is a weekly position, and you must be at least 18 years old. Contact the volunteers co-ordinator at volunteers@ or 204-786-5741 by June 13. Shelter Movers — a national charity providing free moving and storage services to people and families fleeing abuse — needs movers and drivers. Movers must be 18 or older, and drivers must be 21 or older. Email by June 30. The West Central Women's Resource Centre needs three board members, including the treasurer. For more information about the West End centre, visit Send your resumé to wcwrcboardinterest@ by June 30. Parkinson Canada is recruiting support group facilitators for Brandon. The facilitator plays a critical role in the delivery of support services at the community level. They create a confidential and welcoming space, where people living with Parkinson's or their care partners can share their experiences and develop supportive relationships in a group setting. The group meets from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month. Apply at or volunteer@ by June 30. Folklorama needs pavilion volunteers for roles such as admissions, guest services, beverage services and food preparation. They also help backstage, support cultural displays, manage souvenirs and help with setup. Folklorama oversees volunteer applications, while pavilions handle selection and training. Participants gain skills in communication, problem-solving and leadership. This year's festival runs from Aug. 3 to Aug. 16, with flexible hours for volunteers aged 13 and over. Apply at by July 31. The Canadian Red Cross needs volunteers. The Red Cross can show you how to help when disaster strikes. Go to email volunteer@ or call 1-844-818-2155. Last year's Bike Week drew more than 14,000 people to 160 events over seven days, according to a report prepared by Fête Jockey Events Inc., which helps organize and manage Bike Week. Elmore expects similar numbers this year. Bike Week 'adds to the culture and visibility of cycling across the city,' says Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. '(It's) creating those opportunities to give people that experience of cycling so they can get out there and imagine it as part of their everyday life,' he says. 'It's everyday people who are looking for those cycling opportunities — not just some radical core of people. It's everyday folks. It's our neighbours, our aunts, our uncles and our siblings that want to get out riding.' Cohoe praises Elmore's efforts, describing the retiree as 'tireless (and) ageless.' '(He's) someone who's committed a huge amount of time to making the city better, to helping us all be a little bit more environmentally friendly and sustainable, and someone who's always ready to take on the task, big or small,' Cohoe says. 'You get a smiling face, you get a hello and a warm welcome from Dave every time.' Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. In addition to chairing Bike Week, Elmore is a mechanic at the WRENCH community bike shop, he teaches cycling skills to middle school students and he leads spin classes twice a week at the YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg. The grandfather of two rides to these volunteer commitments on one of his eight bikes — usually either his red Surly or chrome Sekine. 'Ultimately I don't look at any of them as work because I enjoy doing them, and I guess I'm seeing the benefits because I'm seeing more and more people on bikes,' Elmore says of his volunteer commitments. 'The things that we're doing as different organizations, whether it's Bike Winnipeg or Bike Week, are making a difference in our city, and that keeps me going.' If you know a special volunteer, email Aaron EppReporter Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
San Francisco Chronicle
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
People are obsessed with Mayor Daniel Lurie's Instagram. But will it actually help S.F.?
It's 8 o'clock on a Thursday morning, and San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is standing in front of me in his shirtsleeves, recording himself on an iPhone he's holding at arm's length. 'All right, everybody, it's Bike to Work Day!' he exclaims, grinning. 'You're going to be seeing a lot of me in this,' he adds, holding his bike helmet up to the camera. Nearby, a handful of Lurie staffers wait astride their own bikes, while his security detail sits impassively in a Rivian SUV. Meanwhile, a small crowd of kids on their way to school stops to watch with curiosity as the most powerful man in San Francisco transforms himself into a creature they're eminently familiar with: the social media influencer. To those unfamiliar with Lurie's digital presence, the idea of our mayor taking time out of his day to record selfie videos doubtlessly sounds cringe-inducing. I certainly found it surreal to witness in person. But video communiqués like this have become a central facet of his administration. Lurie is inescapable on Instagram, where his team posts a relentless barrage of photos and videos following him around the city. One moment, he's walking and talking somberly about the chaotic conditions he just witnessed on Market Street. Next, he's ordering a strawberry matcha boba at a cafe in Chinatown. He even breaks news on Instagram — such as announcing plans to bring Dead & Company to San Francisco for a three-day concert. Well, sure. But he and his team also recognize that in the digital age, images and videos can not only launch or destroy political careers — they can determine the trajectory of a city's future. Is San Francisco in a 'doom loop' or a 'boom loop'? Like it or not, recent history shows most people aren't looking for the answer to that question in objective data. Rather, they're basing it on the city's vibes. Of course, understanding the importance of vibes and shaping them on social media are two different beasts. The idea of just about any politician finding success through selfie videos seems implausible for anyone other than a young, telegenic figure like AOC. Yet Lurie is somehow pulling it off. Based on data shared with me on May 15, his Instagram posts had been viewed by nearly 1.9 million accounts in the prior 30 days — an astonishing 147% increase from the previous month. Only about half of those accounts already followed Lurie — meaning his page is reaching a significant number of people who may not be familiar with him. When he was elected in November, Lurie had about 3,500 followers on Instagram. On May 24, he hit 100,000. Lurie's team says this growth was achieved organically; since the election, they haven't paid for posts to be promoted. Ask around town, and it's clear that no promotion is needed. 'I am obsessed with the mayor's Instagram,' Rich Lee, the co-founder of Spro Coffee Lab, a popular San Francisco cafe, told me. 'I obsessively watch his social media,' said Amy Cleary, director of public policy and media relations for the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, adding that Lurie's pop-ins at local restaurants have been a boon for businesses. 'Daniel Lurie is killing the comms game tbh,' a digital media specialist wrote in an X post that received nearly 800 likes. 'Posting short videos to Reels every day, announcing every little thing the admin is doing. it's all format-native and not overproduced.' How did Lurie, who by his own admission is no natural in front of the camera, become such an Instagram sensation? And what does that signify about the future of our politics — and the importance of perception in turning around San Francisco's fate? To find out, I shadowed Lurie and key members of his communications team for about 12 hours earlier this month, starting with the mayor's morning bike ride to City Hall. If there's a through line in Lurie's videos, it's in his earnest dad vibes. 'I am fired up,' Lurie proclaims in a May 9 Instagram reel shot in Golden Gate Park's Kezar Stadium, grinning with excitement while jabbing his finger as if punctuating his words with exclamation marks. ' San Francisco is getting a new pro soccer team!' The mayor's cadence is halting and slightly awkward, as it is in most videos. But Lurie's team isn't trying to make him into something he's not with editing. Instead, they show the mayor being himself, out and about, instead of reading scripted remarks from a staged backdrop — the milieu in which most people engage with politicians. Ensuring the mayor's message falls on the endearing side of corny is the responsibility of his communications team — the majority of whom also worked on his mayoral campaign. Deputy Communications Director Annie Scudder Gabillet, 40, is the mastermind who oversees the office's proactive planning and social media strategy. She works closely with Haakon Black, 23, a communications and digital assistant who handles much of Lurie's speech writing, and Sophia Robles-Mendoza, 24, a digital communications manager who handles day-to-day online updates. During the campaign, Gabillet was Lurie's digital director and Black his digital assistant, driver and ' body man ' — a close aide who follows a politician around the clock to provide logistical support. Lurie's current body man is Fernando Villarreal, 23, who was a field organizer for the campaign. Because Villarreal is the only non-security staffer who goes with Lurie everywhere, he inevitably plays a role in Lurie's social presence. They're a tight unit — a vault of inside jokes and playful ribbing. 'Everyone thinks he's my son, wherever we go,' Lurie said of Villarreal, who still has the baby face of a high-school student. He added that 'for months,' even the sheriff's deputies at City Hall thought Villarreal was his kid, drawing laughs from staffers. This casual, familiar repartee between Lurie and his staffers is reflected in his social media, which comes across as accessible and relatable. The mayor isn't a distant authority figure; he plays video games and shares what he ate for lunch, and posts with the frequency of a friend on a dream vacation. 'For some people, this is the only (way) that they will engage,' Lurie told me. 'We've got to meet them where they're at.' As if performing a subtle face-lift, Lurie's team shapes and tweaks his raw video footage to make it interesting enough to pop on social media — where infinite streams of content are competing for viewers' attention. The team adds text and multimedia elements, using fonts and songs native to Instagram and TikTok's respective libraries so the videos look and feel natural on those platforms. It's a smart political strategy: Too often, people lose faith in their elected officials because they aren't effectively communicating what they're doing. Lurie, on the other hand, seems to be everywhere at once, including restaurants across the city where he stops for lunch or coffee. Unsurprisingly, this has proved popular with small businesses. Lee, of Spro Coffee Lab, said Lurie's Instagram account is evidence he's 'boots on the ground.' Cleary, of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, said she was impressed by Lurie showing up at 'small places in the Excelsior that even I didn't know about.' She added, 'That's really nice for the neighbors and for the businesses — the mayor knows we exist. The mayor cares.' At Jane on Larkin cafe, where Lurie stopped for lunch the day I shadowed him, Lurie told me restaurants are now calling his office and asking him to film there, which he's done a few times. 'These restaurants, these small businesses, they deserve our support. I want to be a cheerleader. … I am going to tell people how great our city is.' At the same time, he added, 'I also don't want to sugarcoat it. We have real challenges.' How do you go about boosting the city you love while also being honest about the problems it faces? It's a tightrope that all big city mayors have to traverse. But that balance is especially fraught in San Francisco — where scenes of drug addiction and homelessness have played out before an international audience and given legs to warning tales of Democratic governance. While images of civic disorder can help motivate a sense of political urgency, they can also scare away the workers, small businesses and private investments the city needs to turn things around. Yet pretending those problems don't exist only breeds resentment and frustration among residents who have to deal with them each day. Lurie's Instagram account is honest that things in San Francisco aren't all sunshine and rainbows. I watched Gabillet film a quick video outside Jane on Larkin, where the mayor mentioned the importance of cleaning up the troubled alleyway next to the restaurant. Yet there are limits to what Lurie is willing to show. Midway through my day with him, I watched the mayor read 'nice emails' about police officers for a recurring video segment honoring city workers. As he sat at his City Hall desk, a tripod-mounted iPhone in front of him, Lurie read from a stack of note cards his staffers had given him. 'Yesterday, a friend and I were having coffee outside Peet's at Broderick Street when a belligerent man carried his disturbance of the peace from inside the building to our table. (An officer) very calmly persuaded him to leave the premises.' Lurie paused before reluctantly reading the next sentence. 'The man then punched a car, causing damage, and ran.' The mayor stopped and exhaled. 'I'm not sure if we like this,' he said, laughing awkwardly. His staffers quickly said he didn't have to use it, and Lurie relaxed and moved on to the next email about police officers helping a homeless man fix his broken wheelchair. But this tension between candor and boosterism surfaced very publicly just days later in a way Lurie couldn't control — when a citizen documentarian known for posting disturbing scenes of drug use and homelessness in San Francisco confronted him. In a video posted on X, 'JJ Smith,' as the videographer calls himself, approaches Lurie on the street and shows him footage of a mother trying to shield her child from chaotic conditions on 16th and Mission streets. Visibly frustrated, Lurie responds, 'You don't have to tell me — I'm there every day!' He adds, 'Let me just say one thing about you doing the videos and pushing them out … it also kills our economy. Think about it.' When I connected with Smith last week, he told me he was frustrated by the mayor's reaction: 'You can't fix a problem if you sweep it under the rug.' Yet it's clear the mayor isn't blind to these circumstances. Multiple times during my day with him, Lurie knelt down to ask homeless people in crisis for their names and if they were interested in shelter and services. Those encounters weren't filmed, but bystanders have posted similar videos of him across social media. It's difficult to dispute Lurie's contention that the near-constant stream of images and videos depicting San Francisco as a hotbed of urban disorder has negatively affected the city. He believes in the power of reinforcement: Positivity begets positivity; negativity begets negativity. 'My job as mayor is to make sure that everybody knows how great our city is,' Lurie told me. 'And I'm just telling the truth. … The city is doing better. It's on the rise.' This could easily be dismissed as unserious boosterism. But the growing number of Lurie's social-media followers suggests San Franciscans aren't mad about it. After years of pandemic struggles and being dragged through the national mud, residents are tired of feeling like their beloved, beautiful city is being unfairly maligned. They're tired of the city being defined by its challenges. They want a comeback story. Lurie has found success in giving it to them — one Instagram post at a time. Elena Kadvany contributed reporting. Emily Hoeven is a columnist and editorial writer for the Opinion section.
Axios
15-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Capital Bikeshare ridership increases to new record
Around 186,000 new riders used Capital Bikeshare in 2024, taking the total number of rides to a record of 6.1 million, per new data. Why it matters: Thursday is Bike to Work Day, with more than 100 pit stops in the DMV and free giveaways. By the numbers: CaBi rides grew 79% between 2019 and 2024, per data from Lyft, which operates the program.
The Irish Sun
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Major boost for commuters as DublinBikes announce free cycle to work offer TODAY – here's how to avail of freebie spin
A MAJOR boost for commuters is on the way as DublinBikes announced a free cycle to work offer TODAY - here's how to avail of a freebie spin. Advertisement 2 RedClick Dublinbikes are offering a free cycle to work offer today Credit: PR Handout For one day only, '1 Day Tickets' which normally cost €3.50 will be completely free from midnight to 11:59pm today. The move is part of RedClick DublinBikes' new Shared Streets campaign which wants to see more people cycling around the city. The DublinBikes scheme has been operating since 2009 and has clocked over 38 million journeys to date. Run by advertising company JCDecaux for Dublin City Council, the scheme has become a major part of Dublin's Advertisement READ MORE IN TRAVEL As always, all trips under 30 minutes will still be free - but if you're going longer standard rental charges will apply. This offer comes during Bike Week, and RedClick hopes it gives people a push to choose cycling as a fun, healthy and green way to get around. Only 18 per cent of Dubliners cycle at least once a week, according to new research commissioned by the insurance group. This is behind the EU average of 24 percent, with some countries like Advertisement Most read in News Travel RedClick General Manager, Lorenzo Loan, said they're proud to support the initiative and want to see even more people giving cycling a go. He said: 'As proud partners of the RedClick DublinBikes scheme, we're delighted to support Bike to Work Day and encourage more people to get out and cycle. 'It's very important' - Ryanair's 'baggage sizers' warning to Irish passengers ahead of busy Easter break amid €75 fine 'Our research shows that people recognise the health, environmental, and lifestyle benefits of cycling - but many still need the right support to make it part of daily life. 'That's what National Bike Week - and our Shared Streets campaign - is all about: giving more people the chance to experience cycling as a real, everyday option.' Advertisement To get the free ticket, head to their website at Meanwhile, Irish parents are set for a big boost as a new scheme that will allow children under nine to travel free on public transport has been revealed. FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORT FOR CHILDREN SCHEME Part of Budget 2025, the initiative was announced during a Dáil session and is now being developed by the National Transport Authority. And it is set to be rolled out in the third quarter of the year. Advertisement It means that The aim is to ease pressure on household budgets, make transport more accessible and build long-term habits among young children for choosing buses, trains over cars. Minister of State Seán Canney confirmed in the Dáil that the work is underway and said that he will follow up once a specific date is finalised. He said: "The National Transport Authority has statutory responsibility for the regulation of fares charged to passengers in respect of public transport services provided under public service obligation, PSO, contracts. Advertisement "Under the programme for Government, our commitments include the roll-out of contactless payments, keeping fares affordable and examining the further expansion of free public transport for children. "Specifically, budget 2025 included a measure to extend free child fares on PSO services to children aged five to eight years old. "The NTA is working to develop and implement this change, with the new scheme expected to launch in quarter 3 of this year." 2 Cyclist's can avail of the promotion for one day only Credit: J Orr Advertisement
