The Insurance Saga: A Timeline December 29, 2025 Apartment explodes. Spend two days in ICU. Escape with phone. Inventory now consists of: 📱 Phone 🩴 Borrowed slippers 👕 Borrowed clothes ✨ Trauma

Speaking of which: My insurance claim currently feels like a group project where I've submitted all the work, all the references, all the citations, and someone just logged in six months later to ask what the assignment is about. Needless to say I've submitted my second formal complaint.

Six months ago, I was admitted to Guelph General after a fire, struggling to breathe. On June 28, I'll be riding in the Tour de Guelph, raising funds for the very same hospital. My lung capacity is back, my legs are carrying me 25 kilometres, and I'm fortunate enough to give something back.

Wow. @ootslibrary.bsky.social and Guelph Pride went all out this year. By far the biggest Pride in the Park yet. Fantastic to run into @leanneguelph.bsky.social and @cathydowner.bsky.social. Also happy to hand out Pride Ride leftovers from @bicyclemayorguelph.bsky.social. Happy Pride!

The countdown begins! #GuelphPrideRide

McQuillan’s Bridge is more than an old bridge. It’s a heritage structure, a trail connection, and a non-motorized crossing over the Eramosa River used by hikers, cyclists, community groups, educators, kids, and residents moving through the area. #bikesky #guelph

I'm very happy to have shared my cycling story with Ontario Cycling! #bikesky ontariocycling.org/cycling-stor...

Don’t let construction, rain, or a big hill stop you. Hop on your bike, head downtown, and support the local businesses that make our community thrive. #guelph #downtownrenewal

Invisible people don’t get safe streets. If cities don’t measure how people move, they disappear from planning decisions. Pedal Poll helps collect real-world data on biking, walking, e-bikes, scooters, and #micromobility across #Canada. June 2–7, 2026 🚲 #bikesky

As Bicycle Mayor of Guelph, I care deeply about this kind of community data collection because it helps bridge lived experience and policy. Stories matter. But numbers often unlock funding, design changes, and political momentum. Pedal Poll runs June 2–7 🚲 #Bikesky

I miss mine - so much laundry amongst other things!

Upcoming events in #Guelph With the lack of funding and resources from the city this year please support our community efforts for #bikemonth (and beyond) where and how you can! #bikesky

A bike lane used by “nobody” often means: • nobody counted it • nobody measured outside rush hour • nobody measured kids, seniors, women, shift workers, or disabled riders • nobody measured winter use Data gaps become funding gaps. Volunteer for Pedal Poll: velocanadabikes.org/pedalpoll #bikesky

My first little trailer is doing well. Folds down so nicely! #bikesky

Once a year, usually around this time I make this post: "My name is Mark. I’m a board member of @hamontbikeshare and @cyclehamilton, and I’m proud to serve as the Bicycle Mayor of Hamilton. Underneath this helmet is a real person: I’m a son, a brother, a uncle, an older adult,

Invisible people don’t get safe streets. If cities don’t measure how people move, they disappear from planning decisions. Pedal Poll helps collect real-world data on biking, walking, e-bikes, scooters, and #micromobility across #Canada. June 2–7, 2026 🚲 #bikesky

Friday's bike parking at the @riverruncentre.bsky.social 💕

The Spring Bloom Ride brought together 5 kids, 11 adults, and Ward 1 councillor @caton.bsky.social for a slow roll last week. The kids made quick friends, took on little-but-important jobs along the way, and had two playground pit stops for play and some strategic chaos management. #BikeSky

This is my first Tour de Guelph and I’m riding 25 km for Guelph General Hospital. They showed up for me after my residential fire. Now I’m riding to show up for them. Join my team or donate:

After my residential fire, Guelph General Hospital took care of me when I needed it most. So I’m riding 25 km in my first Tour de Guelph to give back. Join my team or donate:

Federal update: In March, I reached out to Dominique O’Rourke about the status of federal Active Transportation Fund projects. Including Guelph’s application for the Rural-to-Core Bikeway. I’ve now heard back from her office. #Guelph #ActiveTransportation #BikeGuelph

See this wonderful article from the Guelph Mercury Tribune on my upcoming spring bloom ride. Looking forward to riding with @caton.bsky.social www.guelphmercury.com/things-to-do...

To everyone saying, "How oh how do we stop Google Maps cut-through traffic??" ...I present to you the solution, which we've had for 50 years in Berkeley.

Upcoming events! #Guelph #BikeGuelph #BicycleMayor #Bikesky

How lucky are we to have @bicyclemayorguelph.bsky.social? Come ride Ward 1 with us on May 3rd, 10:30am and see some blooms!

The vulnerable road user vs personal vehicle culture war is, at its core, a struggle over what a city is for. Is it a pipeline for private convenience, or a shared public space for human life? Until that question is answered differently, the conflict will keep repeating itself. #Urbanism #Bikesky

A thing I keep noticing: some drivers do not just struggle with inconvenience. They seem unable to tolerate even slight discomfort if it means yielding to someone more exposed. One of the most visible imbalances is in poor weather...

A lot of “bike debates” are really about hierarchy. Drivers are expected. Cyclists are treated like intruders. Pedestrians are tolerated right up until they slow the machine down. #Urbanism #TransportationEquity #VunerableRoadUsers

Next, and last, is Traffic Calming Policy Update. Chair Klassen takes over with a presentation by: Nico Koenig, Transportation Safety Specialist Liraz Fridman, Road Safety Supervisor Steve Anderson, Manager, Transportation Engineering

The real standard for a good city is not whether it maximizes convenience for the already comfortable. It is whether it expands dignity for the most vulnerable. We owe each other a city where housing is possible, transit is reliable, streets are safe and public life belongs to the public. #Urbanism

Bikes are faster than walking, cheaper than driving, and more direct than transit. What’s not to like?

These machines fight traffic. Our @thebikinglawyer.bsky.social billboard is live.

The bike is often just the trigger. The real argument is about what kind of city we owe each other. #Urbanism #Bikesky #ActiveTransportation #VulnerableRoadUsers

A street can be built to maximize vehicle throughput, or it can be built to maximize human safety, access, and dignity. Those goals are not always compatible. A high-speed turn that feels smooth for a driver feels terrifying to a pedestrian in the crosswalk.

A bike lane is never only a bike lane. It is a public decision about who streets are for. For decades, cities have been designed around the assumption that cars should move quickly, store easily, take up most of the room and be considered the default.

A city tells the truth about itself through its design. If the safest way to move through it requires a car, then freedom has been quietly tied to income and ability. #Urbanism #TransportationEquity #VulnerableRoadUsers

Car dominance is so deeply baked into everyday life that it disappears into the background. Speeding, blocked crosswalks, unsafe turns, long crossing distances, and hostile roads get filed under “just traffic.” #Urbanism #Bikesky #VulnerableRoadUsers #ActiveTransportation

“What about pedestrians?” is so often used selectively. Pedestrians absolutely matter. Cyclists can make walking feel unsafe, and that should be taken seriously. But if someone only invokes pedestrians when attacking bikes...

A lot of people only discover their concern for pedestrians or accessibility when cyclists and infrastructure are the villain. Meanwhile: speeding cars are normal blocked crosswalks are normal unsafe intersections are normal sidewalks that are cracked and unleveled are normal...

Winter reminds us that accessibility isn’t optional, it’s essential! Blocked ramps, snowed-in bus stops, and buried crosswalk buttons can completely cut people off from daily life. If you spot an accessibility barrier report it 519-837-5648 | operations@guelph.ca | guelph.ca/snow #WinterWednesday

Thank you to London Cycle Link for inviting to their Annual Meeting on Wednesday for my first solo speaking engagement as Bicycle Mayor. It was absolutely worth the trip to meet a room full of people who care deeply about their city & are working to make cycling safer & more accessible in London.

For many of us mobility devices, chronic pain, sensory overwhelm, low-car households, winter maintenance determines whether we can leave home at all. If you notice a snow barrier that blocks someone’s movement, report it. Those calls change routes, timelines, and priorities.

Dedicated 🚲🚶 weather stations & cameras in Oulu give a peek at traffic & maintenance. Snow’s been falling for hours now, and this path has already been plowed twice today, before 01:30am. This camera managed to snap someone casually pedalling at 1:30, just one of many enjoying the 24/7 maintenance 🤌

WINTER WEDNESDAY: SAFE ROUTES DON’T DISAPPEAR IN WINTER Kids walking, rolling, or bussing to school still need clear ramps, safe crossings, and accessible bus stops — even when the snow piles up. If you see a spot that’s unsafe or blocked: report it. It helps keep your school route connected.

Winter reminds us that accessibility isn’t optional, it’s essential! Blocked ramps, snowed-in bus stops, and buried crosswalk buttons can completely cut people off from daily life. If you spot an accessibility barrier report it 519-837-5648 | operations@guelph.ca | guelph.ca/snow #WinterWednesday

If someone says “people don’t bike here,” Ask: Is the network connected? Are crossings safe and intuitive? Is snow cleared? Gravel, sand and debris swept? Are speeds managed? Do we need time to build trust the area again? Would you feel comfortable cycling here?

For many of us mobility devices, chronic pain, sensory overwhelm, low-car households, winter maintenance determines whether we can leave home at all. If you notice a snow barrier that blocks someone’s movement, report it. Those calls change routes, timelines, and priorities.

WINTER WEDNESDAY: SAFE ROUTES DON’T DISAPPEAR IN WINTER Kids walking, rolling, or bussing to school still need clear ramps, safe crossings, and accessible bus stops — even when the snow piles up. If you see a spot that’s unsafe or blocked: report it. It helps keep your school route connected.

I’m good in emergency mode. What’s harder is what comes after... when the flames are out and you’re standing in what’s left. Many of us are only an accident, illness, or a few missed paychecks from losing our footing. I’m still building, with care, grief, and deep gratitude for a community

Winter reminds us that accessibility isn’t optional, it’s essential! Blocked ramps, snowed-in bus stops, and buried crosswalk buttons can completely cut people off from daily life. If you spot an accessibility barrier report it 519-837-5648 | operations@guelph.ca | guelph.ca/snow #WinterWednesday