Guelph Community for Active Transportation

🚴‍♀️🚶‍♂️ Want to help make Guelph a more walkable and bike-friendly city? Join GCAT and help us increase the quantity, quality, and safety of active transportation in our community! While the community may know us for our fun events and bike valet service at local festivals, we also have many people working just as hard behind the scenes to promote active transportation and improve our city's infrastructure. At GCAT, our mission is to create a city where everyone can walk or bike around comfortably, while contributing positively to public health, clean air, and a vibrant local economy. We envision an active transportation network that is inviting, equitable, inclusive, and connected, and that is enjoyable and safe to use in all seasons by people of all ages and abilities. To achieve our mission, we work with local residents, organizations, and government officials to promote and achieve active transportation targets, and we empower people to participate effectively in the decision-making process related to active transportation planning and design. As a member of GCAT, you'll have access to exclusive benefits at local bike stores, and together we can achieve our goals of encouraging more people to walk or ride a bike, communicating the benefits of active transportation through community events and media, advocating for better infrastructure and policies and so much more Join us today and help us create a better, more walkable, and bike-friendly Guelph for everyone! 🌳🌞🚴‍♂️ #GCAT #activetransportation #walkablecity #bikingcommunity #sustainabletransportation #cleanair #publichealth #localcommunity #membershipdrive #guelph

Did you know that GCAT has committees that help steer the wheels of change in Guelph's active transportation scene? Ready to roll up your sleeves and be a part of something bigger? Reach out to us if you're interested in joining one of our committees.

The @royalcityalleycat bike race is coming up on June 7th at noon! No registration is required - just show up and have fun! Click the link in their bio for the event rules.

We are throwing a party tomorrow to celebrate GCAT’s 10 Year Anniversary with all our GCAT community, and you are invited! Scan the QR code or click the link in our bio for details.

Pride Ride 2026 is rolling in 🌈🚲 Join us for our 3rd year! Deck out your bike. Bring your people. Show up loud, soft, sparkly, in neons, pastels or however you want to be seen - show up as you are. York Road Park (Covered Bridge side) Guelph Ontario 6:30 PM | 7:30 PM roll out Come early to decorate your bike, get some face paint, grab a temporary tattoo, and connect with the community before we roll out. This is a ride for everyone: all ages, all abilities, all kinds of wheels. Bikes, trikes, trailers, mobility wheels, we roll together (est 8-10 km/hr family pace). Helmets are required for riders under 18 and strongly encouraged for everyone. Weather + air quality: Rain or shine (unless conditions are unsafe). If you’re sensitive to air quality, keep an eye on forest fire smoke warnings. We’ll cancel if the Air Quality Health Index reaches High Risk (+7) or if there’s an orange/red weather warning. Accessibility: If there’s anything that would help you participate more comfortably, let us know & we’ll do our best to support. Route will be posted - communications on weather, air quality and trail quality will be updated on socials. A quick note on allyship Pride doesn’t end at showing up, it lives in how we treat each other. We will support one another, make space for those often left out of the cycling community, and speak up when it matters. Standing up for everyone in your community, especially when it’s not easy is what real allyship looks like. That’s how we build a safer community together. Hosted by the Bicycle Mayor of Guelph, Guelph Girls Gays & Theys Bike Club, GCAT, and Guelph Pride: all working toward safer, more connected community. Huge thank you to the volunteers who make this possible. Stay connected: @bicyclemayorguelph | @activeguelph | @guelph.girlsgaystheys.bikeclub | @guelphpride Tag your posts with #GuelphPrideRide

For the past few years I’ve had the pleasure of joining @andreabidgood initiative to bring Easter food and treats to @wyndhamhouseguelph with @activeguelph Happy Easter 🐣 to all, regardless of your religious beliefs or how you choose to spend Good Friday. I for one enjoy spending it in community (and baking for my mom). 😊

SPRING STROLL & ROLL We’re kicking off the spring season again with a casual community walk in the Arboretum ( @uogarboretum ) and donation drive in support of the youth at Wyndham House Youth Shelter ( @wyndhamhouseguelph ) ! Multiple community networks are coming together to welcome the new spring weather and to create and deliver an Easter care package to some local youth in need of some extra care during the holiday. Whether you bring donations or just your sweet self, we’d love to see you at the walk. Riding in from the north end of Guelph? Join our mini group ride! Option to ride as a small group to the Arboretum - it’s a short route that skips the Gordon Street hill by using the scenic residential bike route. Group ride departs at 6:00 PM Meeting spot: Royal City Park gazebo - across from the Boathouse. Biking to the Arboretum is totally optional - Feel free to walk, bus, drive etc! Need help with a repair or maintenance before the ride? Visit our friends at Freehub Community Bike Centre ( @freehubgtl ). Their calendar shows many open hours to choose from. The walk meet-up is at 6:30 PM at the Hales-McKay Shelter in the Arboretum (by the parking lot & covered bike rack) and we’ll likely set off around 6:45 - We’ll see you there! Donations are appreciated but not required. Whether you want to contribute funds via cash or e-transfer ( [email protected] w/ easter in the message), donate items, lend a hand, or just show up for some good company, your support will help make this Easter a little brighter for local youth. Will occur rain or shine - dangerous weather excluded If you want to help deliver the package to Wyndham House Youth Shelter on Friday April 3rd - please let me know. We’ll likely bike from the corner of Waterloo and Alma around 11:30am.

Entry for @bikelanesweeper When bike lanes start and stop, maintenance often follows the same pattern! We’re lucky! Our bike lane sweeping started early this season, and the crews doing that work are absolute heroes. But the need isn’t seasonal. It’s constant. On this stretch, debris shows up faster than it can be cleared. Landscaping crews hired by these businesses regularly blow yard waste straight into the bike lane. Gravel, sticks, sand, piles of leaves and all of it becomes a hazard. I've done my best advocacy wise to educate but it hasn't made a dent over paying for the quick fix. One year, I had five flat tires in this corridor alone! Others have slipped and gone down in our bike lanes, some with serious injuries too - notably an elderly man a few years ago who had to be flown to Hamilton for the trauma center. A bike lane doesn’t stay safe just because some paint is there. It stays safe because it’s maintained consistently, predictably, and as part of the system all year long. A dedicated community bike lane sweeper (aside from our lovely pathway sweeper also run by the city) wouldn't clean as we need it, especially in the shoulder seasons when we try to say there's not enough people cycling. It would help prevent injuries, reduce barriers, and make the network usable day to day when the city doesn't have the capacity or call it a season. Because safety shouldn’t depend on timing and budgets. It should be built in from the start! #sweepergiveaway2026

Huge shout-out to the volunteers running Freehub out of the Guelph Tool Library. @freehubgtl / @gtoollibrary What I thought would be a normal fix with my first broken spoke... turned into a full production and a crash course in my gaps in bike mechanics. Huge appreciation for the patience, tools, and knowledge they share with the community 💖 Freehub is a volunteer-run space where you can use repair stands, specialized tools, and get help from experienced bike mechanics while working on your own bike. Community bike culture at its best. I went in with a bit of "assume I know nothing" and still had a good time fixing my wheel. Check out their Spring Equinox Parts Swap: bring parts, trade gear, or just come hang out with fellow bike nerds. Want to support local bike goodness? ✨ Donate or grab their merch ✨ Pick up an “I’d Rather Be in the Bike Lane” vest from our friends at Speed River @speedriverbicycle Spaces like this keep all types of riders rolling. Show them some love. #Guelph #BikeGuelph #RightToRepair #BikeCommunity #activetransportation

My relationship to Guelph, my hometown, has been greatly enriched by the advocacy and community building efforts of Andrea. She has been making Guelph more inclusive for people who haven’t had their needs considered. It’s great to see her be acknowledged for her contributions by @activeguelph as recipient of their Top Cat award. 🐈😻🚲

Safer streets don’t appear by accident. Protected intersections don’t advocate for themselves. Winter maintenance standards don’t improve because we hope they will. Community progress happens because people volunteer their time. And right now, GCAT is looking for the next group of people ready to help carry that work forward. GCAT is electing new Board Members at our Annual Meeting on March 13th, 2026. If you care about: • Safer streets • Accessibility • Climate resilience • How Guelph moves and who feels welcome moving through it This could be your turn for a seat at the table. We’re looking for: • Representation from across all backgrounds, wards, and mobility modes • Action-oriented people: this is a working board • Folks with communications, social media, governance, or fundraising skills And here’s the most important part: You don’t need to have it all figured out. Many of us are self-taught. Many of us learned by showing up. Many of us were simply waiting for the chance to step in. There is room to grow here. This isn’t symbolic! It’s hands-on community work. You’ll gain real nonprofit governance experience, collaborate with a high-energy team, and see tangible results on Guelph’s streets. If you’ve been thinking “maybe one day,” this might be that day. 🗓 Applications have been extended to March 8th 🔗 www.gcat.ca/join-the-board/

GCAT’s 2026 Annual Meeting Friday, March 13 7:00–9:00 PM (Doors at 6:30) 📍 NEW LOCATION THIS YEAR: Red Chevron Club | 34 Elizabeth St, Guelph @redchevronguelph Join us for an evening of updates, community and meaningful conversation about the future of active transportation in Guelph. This year's special guest speaker: Ken Eden Ken Eden resides in the Niagara region and brings a lifetime of experience in public service. With a Bachelor of Commerce from Acadia University, Ken began his career in insurance before dedicating more than four decades to the fire service. First as a volunteer firefighter and chief, and later as a full-time Fire Chief from 1990 until his retirement in 2011. Today, Ken continues his commitment to community service through Bikes for Farmworkers, a volunteer initiative that collects, repairs, and distributes donated bicycles to migrant seasonal farm workers in Niagara. The program helps workers access groceries, services, and community spaces during their time in Canada, expanding mobility, dignity, and connection. We will also be electing board members at the meeting. Interested in helping shape safer streets and stronger mobility in Guelph? Applications are open until February 25 🐾 Top Cat Award Nominations Open Know someone advancing walking, cycling, or active transportation in our community? Send a short nomination to [email protected] Deadline: February 24 Light bites + community connection included. Remeber to renew or join your GCAT membership to vote at the meeting. Save time by renewing online. Let’s keep Guelph moving safely. 💙💚 #Guelph #ActiveTransportation #SaferStreets #CyclingCommunity #GCAT