Toronto

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Next ride

Date: Saturday 16 June 2012
Time: Gather at 12 noon for socializing, body painting, bike decorating etc. Bring food to share if you wish. Ride starts at 1 pm, following a route along several major streets in the downtown core.
Location: It starts at Coronation Park (by the waterfront at the centre of the park)

Posters/flyers

This is a poster for the 2012 WNBR Toronto ride.

One version is a PDF for printing to paper, the other is a smaller PNG image for web and email. Spread far and wide!

WNBR Toronto 2012 poster for Printing to Paper / WNBR Toronto 2012 PDF Poster

WNBR Toronto 2012 Web/Email Poster / WNBR Toronto 2012 Web/Email PNG Poster

Sign up for updates using the form at the World Naked Bike Ride website.

Facebook has unfortunately proven to be worse than useless; Facebook's Groups like its WNBR Toronto Group vanish without warning simply because Facebook's website belongs to Facebook, not to any of us, and for no other reason. So in order to stay in touch be sure to sign up to get ride updates directly at World Naked Bike Ride, and/or check this Toronto WNBR wiki.

Route

Start: Coronation Park by the lake. South of the CNE's Princes Gate. Meet at 12:00 noon, ride 1pm. Bring water and sunblock, and perhaps a picnic lunch.

Route The clockwise route passes many of Toronto's landmarks and popular areas. Coronation Park on the waterfront has always served us well as a picturesque and practical gathering/staring point - the 2012 ride will be starting from there as usual. At the suggestion of some riders, the tail end of the ride is changed to scoot west across Queens Quay back to the starting point at Coronation Park. There would also be the option for a contingent to "peel off" at the foot of Bay, get dressed in the park by the water and head over by ferry the the beautiful Toronto Islands for an evening at Hanlan's clothing optional beach.

Below is the 2012 route:

Link to Google Map.

What to bring

• Water
• Sunscreen
• Decorations
• Signs for yourself and your bike
• Posters
• Costumes
• Body paints
• A personal picnic lunch including beverages for the day
• Bicycle helmet – let's be good role models!
• Footwear.

Legality

Remember, it's perfectly legal for women to go topless in Canada anywhere that a man might, which includes cycling on city streets.

Furthermore, the Crown has acknowledged that participating in an orderly event naked is not illegal, so long as you are wearing something, such as shoes.

And you will also be happy to know that we have been cycling naked with a few polite and respectful bicycle police for the last few years, who kindly stop traffic for us on those busy left turns, and who do their best to keep us all together as a group.

Photos, Movies and Audio

It would be great if someone could take the time to research for missed media from 2011 and previous years - there's probably a lot of interesting material to dig up. Any volunteers? Many blogs have been left out on purpose where they've simply re-used photos from sources already listed here and don't say anything new and so are not of primary interest - though blogging about the WNBR is always encouraged!

2011 saw a surge of interest in the WNBR, perhaps in response to the unfortunate swing towards anti-humanist and anti-sustainability agendas in both Toronto's municipal and federal governments since 2010. Sometimes it feels like we're going backwards, like cycling uphill with a headwind; all the more reason to pedal harder. I think we can. I know we can!

2012

Toronto 1912 photo courtesy City of Toronto Archives

• Video: [http://vimeo.com/36597585 An open video invitation on Vimeo by participant Tom Balint to join everyone for the WNBR 2012 in Toronto!
  

2011

2011 WNBR Toronto Poster: Leif Harmsen, Photo: Ethan Eisenberg

• Video: WNBR 2011 Toronto at Dundas Square courtesy of "Victorinoxs" on Youtube. alternate link to same movie
• Video: WNBR 2011 Toronto at College & Spadina courtesy of "keepitinthefamily" on Youtube. alternate link to same movie
• Video: WNBR 2011 Toronto at Queen W courtesy of "shapon10" on Youtube.
• Video: WNBR 2011 Toronto courtesy of "tbonedunlop" on Youtube.
• Video: WNBR 2011 Toronto courtesy of "Vladephoto" on Youtube.
• Video: WNBR 2011 Toronto at Yonge & Bloor courtesy of "torontominute" on Youtube.
• Photos: Tom Balint (freely view and upload)
• Photos: Scott Snider
• Photos: Igor Laptev
• Photos: Gene Dare
• Photos: Galit Rodan
• Press: TorontoVerve
• Press: Toronto Sun
• Press: City News
• Press: James Hamilton
• Press: The Sojourner
• Press: Sheila Gostick: Now Magazine
• Press: Marlene Leung: Torontoist
• Press: Tom Balint: Brock Press
• Press: staff:BlogTO
• Press: National Post

2010

WNBR 2010 Toronto Photo Credit Ethan Eisenberg

• Photos: WNBR 2010 photo server courtesy of Tom-In-Niagara (freely view and upload)
• Press: KJ Mullins reports with an article, pictures and video!
• Audio: CBC Interview
• Video: movie courtesy of Bare Oaks
• Photos: Bare Oaks (flickr.com membership required)

2009

• Press: Now Magazine, with video
• Press: Jenny Yuen: Toronto Sun (preview)
• Press: Jenny Yuen: Toronto Sun (review)
• Video: Toronto 2009: On Youtube
• Photos: Toronto 2009 WNBR from Spike's Naked Planet

2008

WNBR 2008 Toronto Poster by Leif Harmsen

• Video: Toronto 2008: On Youtube
• Audio: CIUT Radio interview
• Photos: Toronto 2008 WNBR photos from Spike's Naked Planet

2007

• Photos: Toronto 2007 WNBR from Spike's Naked Planet (fixed 19 June 2009)

2006

• Photos: Toronto 2006 WNBR from Spike's Naked Planet (fixed 17 June 2009)

2005

• Photos: Spike's Naked Planet/TNT!MEN
• Photos: Naturist Ontario (at WorldGroups)
• Video: See TNT!MEN: Toronto 2005 World Naked Bike Ride: Fun and Fabulous! (click video stills at bottom of page)

2004

• Photos: Spike's Naked Planet/TNT!MEN
• Photos: Naturist Ontario (at WorldGroups)

See also: WNBR Toronto Yahoo! group photos

History

2011

Despite dire predictions of storms that never materialized, the ride was our biggest ever with approximately 150 ladies and gentlemen on our bicycles. We took a new route that went clockwise throughout the downtown core and passed new landmarks such as University of Toronto's King's College Circle, The Ontario Legislature at Queen's Park where we rode past a wedding that the newlyweds will never forget, and the heart of Canada's Financial District at King and Bay where important and often unsound financial decisions are made about our future and environment. Spirits were high among riders and the cheering public in general. Once again the police did not join us but we handily negotiated traffic ourselves. More media types than ever were present so hopefully the ride got a lot of good and well deserved press.

2010

The 2010 Toronto WNBR made a splash! 16C and rain didn't stop 80 or so enthusiastic upbeat people from enjoying the good clean fun protest against fossil fuel dependency. Riders ranged in age from under 10 to near 70 with a good number of both women and men. One couple rode on a side-by-side tandem called the "buddy bike". There was much festive dress-up and body-painting. The police had said that they were going to join us for the ride but they did not; we were able to manage traffic ourselves. The public was most appreciative, perhaps partly because of the terrible oil spill in the Gulf. It only started raining hard at the very end as we arrived at the finishing point.

2009

The 2009 Toronto WNBR was a hit! Over 100 women and men came out (110?), including a few that joined spontaneously along the route! Riders ranged from age 16 to near 70 and came from as far away as Ohio! The bicycle police did not join us this year, perhaps because we have always been so orderly that they thought it unnecessary. While we missed their help in guiding traffic on our behalf, a few volunteers were able to assume that role and did so well. Due to street closures for a festival, we took a small detour along Front Street at the start. We somehow took a wrong turn onto College Street near Kensington Market, but managed to quickly get back on route!

Facebook (an infamous privately owned networking website) censored/removed the 2 year old WNBR Toronto Facebook Group but inexplicably left the orphaned WNBR Toronto 2009 Facebook Event that has all the same perfectly innocent content. Facebook and the like have proven to be worse than useless and antagonistic - they have their own corporate anti-humanist agendas which are not compatible with the WNBR - they prop up the myth that humans are obscene and that a new SUV will make you deliriously happy. I reject Facebook because it is unacceptable, k-zap, gone. It parrots people you know to create an illusion that they are somehow helpful for socialising and that you'll be banished if you reject it - they're not and you won't be. Some things one has to do for oneself; socialising is one. It is best to maintain our own emailing lists so that we can contact each other directly, and direct each other and the public to this wiki at www.worldnakedbikeride.org.

2008

The 2008 ride in Toronto was the biggest yet. 75+ women and men participated. Once again the weather was ideal, the police courteous and the public enthusiastic and supportive. Artist Leif Harmsen had created posters to advertise the event, as had another volunteer, and efforts had been made to distribute them around downtown Toronto and online.

2007

The 2007 ride in Toronto was the best yet. The weather was ideal. 30+ women and men participated and a new contingent from Hamilton joined up with us shortly after we set out. The police escort was courteous and the public was very supportive and showed much appreciation. The press coverage was generally very good - with a few excellent quotes and a clear reporting of the WNBR mandate and global scope.

2006

The 2006 ride in Toronto was plagued by lack of organisation and cold weather, but we ended up having a great time. Someone faxed incorrect info to the Toronto police, who showed up at Coronation Park several hours before the rest of us. They ended up having a very long day, but were good sports about it.

We started gathering around 11:30, and left on our ride at about 13:00. It was only about 14 degrees, but the sun was very intense and it warmed up nicely. We took a nice long winding route through the downtown core, and encountered a warm if low-key reception from the good citizens of Toronto. It's amazing how many people downtown happen to have cameras with them.

Our police escort hung back for the most part, but assisted us through a few intersections and left turns. We look forward to better weather and an increase in numbers for 2007, and hope to have a few women join us.

Edited by John aka Scoutniagara and Spike

2005

Ride report at TNT!MEN: Toronto 2005 World Naked Bike Ride: Fun and Fabulous! This page includes a number of reports from the 2005 ride, and provides links to photos of the 2004 and 2005 rides.

2005 Toronto WNBR pioneers!

2004

We had about 40 or 50 riders on the Toronto 2004 ride from Grange Park, but had a difference of opinion from two different police divisions, so for the 2005 ride, after a lack of leadership, a meeting place, Coronation Park was chosen. It worked out well, but we weren't able to advertise in sufficient time to draw more riders. We only had 10 riders, but I think we had a great and successful ride.

Links

Related websites

• TNT!MEN (Totally Naked Toronto Men Enjoying Nudity) – TNT!MEN is famous for marching naked in the Toronto Gay Pride parade, and for convincing City Hall to declare Hanlan's Point officially clothing-optional. Members of TNT participated in every ride since 2004.
• Naturist Ontario

Location information

• Google map of Coronation Park with meeting point marked
• Google map of entire Toronto route
• Wikipedia: Toronto
• Wikipedia: Ontario