Water Cycles 2024

and a tour of Laurel Creek!

Back in 2023, I discovered a wonderful initiative called Water Cycles Expeditions, which, according to its website, is a social enterprise focused on inspiring a global movement to reconnect people and water through cycling. In September of 2023, this group hosted the first Water Cycles Bikes and Blues Festival in Belwood, Ontario.

The 2024 season of water cycling is now upon us and there are three events planned in the new Grand Adventure Series Bike Tours, which focus on the Grand River watershed in Ontario:

1. June 22, 2024: Waterloo, ON. This ride will start and finish at the University of Waterloo (UW) and will cover parts of the urban watershed of Laurel Creek, which drains into the Grand River near Bridgeport, ON. The ride will be for all levels, from families (kids must be over 10) to seasoned cyclists. The route is being finalized, but it will include points of interest along Laurel Creek within the City of Waterloo. Although the route will be around 20 to 25 km, there will be optional extensions for those who wish to go for a longer ride. The ride is free, but you’ll need to sign up and fill out a waiver here.

2. July 13, 2024, Guelph, ON. This ride will start and finish in Guelph, which lies on the banks of the Speed and Eramosa Rivers, which drain into the Grand River near Cambridge, ON. The ride will be longer at around 80 km. Registration is free, but you’ll need to sign up and fill out the waiver here.

3. August 24, 2024, Bikes and Blues Festival, Elora, ON. This second-annual event will be held at the Wellington County Museum (between Fergus and Elora) this year. The rides themselves are free and there will be two ride distances offered: A family ride (10 to 15 km, age 10+), and the Luther Marsh Lasso (gravel ride: 90 to 100 km). The longer ride starts at 10am, and the family ride starts at 12:30pm. If you want to just sign up for the rides, click here. The festival starts at 2pm (tickets are $28.50 and can be purchased here). The festival will include live music, children’s activities, food and drinks, arts and more!

This week I went on a scouting ride around the University of Waterloo with Dr. Dustin Garrick, a professor at UW who is one of the driving forces behind Water Cycles Expeditions (and many other water-related initiatives). We crossed Laurel Creek several times and head towards the Laurel Creek headwaters, which are west of UW on the Waterloo Moraine. We have some ideas for the Waterloo ride on June 22, 2024.

Laurel Creek is interesting to me because its headwaters start out in the country and the Waterloo Moraine. It then passes through the City of Waterloo where it disappears under Uptown Waterloo before continuing its path towards the Grand River in Bridgeport. There are a few dams along the way and it has a history of flooding (prior to dam construction). There’s also an old mill in Uptown Waterloo (Grist Mill). An interesting timeline can be found here.

Here’s a short photo summary of our ride this week:

The Waterloo ride on June 22, 2024 will start at finish at the University of Waterloo, my alma mater, where I learned about wate over 30 years ago!

Laurel Creek as it flows through Waterloo Park

A small water fall at Silver Lake, in Waterloo Park, before the water disappears beneath Uptown Waterloo, The Grist Mill is the wooden structure.

The reappearance of Laurel Creek, east of Regina Street in Uptown Waterloo.

Drop me a note if you’re interested in joining these free rides and learning about water.

Thanks for reading The Water Droplet and keep watching for more stories about water!