Saturday, June 12, 2021

World Naked Bike Ride Toronto 2021

Ready, set, get naked and ride! #WNBR is back to its regularly scheduled second Saturday in June and today is that day - June 12, 2021. Torontonians of the two-wheeled persuasion, although very accepting of roller blades, scooters and skateboards, join together to protest against exposure to pollution from cars and in support of cycling and body-positivity. Gene Dare greets the riders early on in the day in the photo at top.
Getting ready for the ride
Christmas theme
Riding with a buddy

This is the second Toronto pandemic ride and one of three rides that typically take place in Canada which includes Montreal and Vancouver. Just show up and ride and remember participation is as bare as you dare. Returning on the traditional Saturday in June brought out a lot of newcomers and many returning riders.
Co-organizer Gene Dare wearing his big Canada flag hat arrives early in Coronation Park, located immediately south of Princes' Gates at Exhibition Place off of Strachan Avenue, and waits for people to arrive at the memorial near the water. People usually start gathering starting around 10am - for 2021 remember social distancing, your mask and the ever popular sunscreen. Then many of the riders start applying body paint in preparation for the ride, in previous, non-covid times there was a professional artist that you could pay to paint your body.
It's easy to see Gene's Canada Flag in amongst the riders

See more photos after the jump.

There will be plenty of tourists and photographers in Coronation Park that will either be very surprised by the event, or there specifically for the WNBR. A Group photo will be taken at approximately 12:45pm and the ride will depart the park shortly after 1pm. Members of the ride wave to people along the street and shout things like "less gas, more ass" and "World Naked Bike Ride."

There is limited parking in Coronation Park along Remembrance Drive. You can find more parking at Ontario Place and in Exhibition Place. ActiveTO won't include Lake Shore Boulevard West closures during this ride so driving around the area should be relatively hassle free.

Coming down Yonge Street past the Toronto Eaton Centre
On Queen Street heading towards City Hall

Many are returning riders while more and more new WNBR riders join every year. In 2020 the ride was postponed for one week and ran on a slightly reduced participation level. This year the ride goes as scheduled and up to two hundred riders should be joining the protest. 

Routing is shown in the following Google map. From the starting point the first street on the trip is north onStrachan Avenue then we pass by Trinity-Bellwoods Park, Alexandra Park, Kensington Market, into the University of Toronto grounds and over to Queen's Park for the first photo opportunity. Then up Avenue Road to Yorkdale, down Yonge Street and along Church Street before heading to Allan Gardens for a quick rest break. Leaving the gardens we pass through Ryerson University and circle Yonge-Dundas Square as the thousands of visitors watch the ride pass by the Toronto Eaton Centre. The second photo opportunity happens at Toronto City Hall with a cooling splash in the pond at Nathan Phillips Square. The home stretch is south on Bay Street to Queen's Quay, heading east to Sugar Beach, then back west to the Toronto Ferry Docks where some of the riders head over to the nude beach at Hanlan's Point, otherwise the ride continues along Queen's Quay multi-use path, detouring into HTO Beach and back to Coronation Park. The overall ride takes about three hours.


It looks like the weather for June 12th will be partly cloudy and a high of 23 degrees Celsius. In addition to the sunscreen don't forget to bring some water and maybe some snacks and have a good time. The weatherman screwed up the forecast - it was sunny and hit about 27 degrees.
Photo opportunity at Queen's Park
Leaving Allan Gardens
Toronto City Hall
Playing in the water jets in the outdoor pond


Leaving Coronation Park
Stop Animal Cruelty
Typical reaction from bystanders - they thought it was fun
Passing through Kensington Market
More cooling down at Nathan Phillips Square

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1 comment:

Boobie 2shoes said...

My 77 year old Croatian neighbor dropped by about an hour ago to tell me she had just received her second Vaccine for COVID-19. She mentioned while she was over on Queen Street near Yonge she also saw several naked men on bikes, varying in age and asked me what was up with that. I had ta little chuckle then I proceeded to explain it to her.

Doors Open

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