UNDRIP Again
by Will Nicholls
Though the United Nations adopted the Declaration in 2007, it’s been slow to be implemented in Canada. Perhaps former NDP MP Romeo Saganash can tell you of his frustration to even get it acknowledged by Canada in any meaningful way.
In the past, Canada was one of its early supporters but later became one of the last countries to sign the Declaration, leaving many countries they had convinced to question the real commitment of Canada.
Saganash’s private member’s bill to make the UNDRIP law (only Canada did that in the end) made Canada champions of Indigenous rights. But as with anything, governments are slow when it suits their purposes and that includes enacting the UNDRIP.
That’s why Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak released the following statement reacting to UNDRIP’s fourth Canadian report. “Today’s report is itself a call to action – for Canada to improve its efforts to work alongside First Nations to build true Nation-to-Nation partnerships so we can accelerate progress on the UN Declaration,” said Woodhouse Nepinak.
She added, “We appreciate the increased level of detail and transparency in this report compared to previous years, but it still reveals an ongoing lack of meaningful measures to ensure Canada’s policies, legislation, consultation processes and mandates are aligned with the spirit and intent of the Declaration. Action will be especially important as Canada is aiming to advance major infrastructure projects
and build a stronger economy. Respect and real partnership will be key to progress.”
In addition, BC Regional Chief Terry Teegee said, “After four years of slow, incremental progress in implementing the UNDA, First Nations continue to advocate for stronger commitments and decisive, transformative actions that recognize and implement First Nations’ sovereignty, nationhood, inherent rights and title and our right to free, prior and informed consent.”
Perhaps one of the biggest concerns was that the AFN and First Nations across Canada felt the feds haven’t consulted with First Nations on the One Canadian Economy Act (Bill C-5). It’s felt that it’s a return to colonial practices that don’t respect the first inhabitants of
been enacted concerning Indigenous Peoples.
Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty said, “The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act is vital in protecting the rights and dignity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples. This fourth annual report demonstrates the collaborative work we are doing together, to build a more equitable and inclusive future. The Government of Canada will continue on the path of reconciliation through honesty, partnership and action grounded in the values of the Act.”
As someone who has looked at the way governments do things, I would have to say this report is one of the most transparent ones I have ever seen and that alone gives me hope.
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Reconnecting With Identity
Cree language revitalization in schools
by Natalia Fedosieieva
Photos courtesy of Deborah House-Cox
The Cree School Board (CSB) is launching a Grade 1 Cree language pilot program for the new school year.
Rolling out in Chisasibi, Mistissini, Waswanipi, Waskaganish, and Whapmagoostui, the initiative builds on earlier Cree language mentorship efforts in Pre-K and Kindergarten, emphasizing oral communication while integrating Cree into core subjects.
Deborah House-Cox, Deputy Director General of Pedagogy, said the CSB acted after a 2019-2022 study showed Cree youth were rapidly losing their mother tongue. Although the assessment was limited to students in Grade 2, Grade 6 and Secondary 2 within Cree communities, the results raised concerns, HouseCox said.
To support less fluent pre-K teachers, the CSB paired them with retired Cree educators to guide lessons and ensure students speak Cree, House-Cox said.
“We had to develop the curriculum, the methods and the language learning strategies that we would use at those levels,” she explained. “So, we consult our former teachers who might have ideas on how to strengthen our language use.”
House-Cox said the program uses a neurolinguistic, culturally rooted approach, teaching students to use Cree in real-life situations.
“It’s learning the actions within the context of where you are going to use that language, and how it has to be appropriate,” she said.
She mentioned that the engagement sessions across nine Cree communities
earlier this year allowed families to help shape the program.
“We want to give a choice to the parents,” she said. “They decide which language their child is taught in.”
Cree is one of Canada’s most widely spoken Indigenous languages with over 86,000 speakers in 2021. But it is in decline, having lost 6.1% of speakers since 2016.
At the same time, House-Cox emphasized that this pilot program is about more than just language skills. “It’s very important because in order to keep the culture alive, each student needs to have a strong sense of identity,” she stated.
Noting that many young people have lost their connection to Cree culture, caused in part by technology, House-Cox believes the program fulfills the CSB’s promise of education rooted in Cree identity.
Pearl Weistche, Coordinator of iiyiyiu Chiskutimaaschaawin, has been closely involved in the development of Cree language curricula.
She recalls early 1990s programs once taught children Cree. However, limited hours, outdated materials and English dominance, accelerated by technology and the pandemic, have since reduced fluency.
Now, as part of a renewed effort, Weistche is helping lead the Grade 1 Cree pilot program, aiming to restore the language’s presence in classrooms.
She warns the Cree language is in decline and without immediate action, it could be lost entirely.
“I’m probably the last generation of fluent speakers,” she stated. “If young parents keep on using English, Cree is going to be lost.”
Weistche emphasized the program’s foundation in oral learning, where knowledge was passed down through everyday life.
“In a traditional dwelling, that was the classroom,” she explained. “When a hunter brought home a beaver, the mother prepared it while the children observed, and the father taught the language of the land. There was geography, history and stories, all taught through language.”
For Angela Gates, Director of iiyiyiuiyuhtwin Research and Development, it is important to revive the Cree language among children.
“Our goal is to strengthen, to maintain, to bring it back, and to reconnect students with their identity,” she said.
“It really depends on the student,” Gates added. “Some may no longer know the language at all, others understand parts of it, and a few can still speak.”
According to her, a decade ago, Cree was common among children at play, but today those conversations are rare.
As Gates points out, the importance of the program goes far beyond language proficiency. She states the Cree language reconnects children with their identity and gives them strength and confidence.
“By making them know who they are, it will give them that self-confidence to go out into the world and become who they want to become.”
Department of Commerce and Industry
Financial Sovereignty The Road to
With booming demand in Indigenous communities for new business loans, the First Nations Bank of Canada (FNBC) is making major strides towards its goal of raising $50 million in new equity financing before the end of this year.
On August 22, FNBC announced a $10 million equity investment from the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation. The Nation and its economic development arm, Tano T’enneh Enterprises, acquired a 4.32% ownership interest in the bank. Earlier in the month, five other Indigenous groups across Canada invested an additional $9 million.
FNBC president and CEO Bill Lomax celebrated the news in Prince George, BC, not far from his home community in the Gitxsan Nation. Lomax said returning to the region for this milestone represented professional momentum and a commitment to strengthening Indigenous economies.
“This investment is a powerful statement of confidence in the future of FNBC,” said Lomax. “The money that we get, we will put to work very easily over the next 18 to 24 months. Then we might have to get out there again just because the demand is so high.”
With so many First Nations looking to start businesses, acquire existing operations and build infrastructure, FNBC is facing a backlog of loan applications. Through partnerships with the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) and the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), raising $50 million Could facilitate loans totalling $500 million or more to Indigenous communities across Canada.
Projects long delayed by funding challenges have been given new life by the CIB-partnered Indigenous Land Development Loan Program, which began financing essential infrastructure projects earlier this year. Doig River First Nation in northern BC said the program has been “game-changing” in making its new eight-acre economic hub, called Naache Commons, a reality.
As Indigenous communities grapple with a $300 billion infrastructure gap, Lomax said CIB’s collaboration helps the bank stretch financing to more Indigenous projects than traditional grants or government capital funding could accomplish.
“We’re just trying to keep up with the pace of Indigenous business,” said Jed Johns, FNBC chief marketing officer. “If there’s a Nation looking to get an infrastructure piece, they should be coming to us because we’re able to expand our
Chief Dolleen Logan
loan capacity now in a way that we haven’t been able to in the last few years.”
The financial sophistication of First Nations has evolved dramatically in recent years. A $100 million business acquisition program announced with the BDC in June responds to a wave of business owners retiring just as Indigenous entrepreneurs are expected to grow by 23% in the coming decade.
“What’s great about that is when they buy a business, it becomes an Indigenous-owned business which gives access to other procurement opportunities and another edge in operating,” Johns told the Nation. “It brings in another revenue stream for the Nation without having to put up their own capital or taking money from their trust.”
With Canada aiming to boost major projects in response to US tariffs, First Nations could play a role in enabling many of these activities to proceed. One of Mark Carney’s first acts as Prime Minister was to double a pot for federal loan guarantees to Indigenous groups to $10 billion.
Johns suggested that Carney is supportive of economic reconciliation and thinks we’ll see more Nations develop projects. It aligns with Lomax’s vision for accelerating growth opportunities since taking the helm of FNBC in 2023.
While FNBC’s commercial banking division has been growing at about 10% in new loans issued over the past several years, this year it’s expected to grow between 20% and 25%. With that pace of growth, other initiatives such as guiding
First Nations Bank expands financing for Indigenous projects
by Patrick Quinn Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
clients’ retirement savings plans have been put on the backburner.
Founded in 1996 as a strategic alliance between First Nations in Saskatchewan and TD Bank, which originally owned 80%, the latter divested by 2012 as other First Nations became shareholders. Today, FNBC is 88% Indigenous owned.
The James Bay Cree were an early supporter and eventually became one of its largest shareholders. Former president Keith Martell told the Nation in 2019 that the Cree had discussed founding their own bank at that time but decided to partner with FNBC.
Martell said Chisasibi members were unhappy with their existing bank, which had literature only in French and lacked cultural understanding. In 1998, FNBC’s second branch after Saskatoon opened in Chisasibi. Nemaska and Whapmagoostui have since opened smaller FNBC community banking centres.
“In Indigenous communities, faceto-face banking with that personal touch still matters,” asserted Johns. “That’s where we have connection with community. This capital raise will support the construction and operation of the bank to open more branches.”
Former Cree Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come served on the original board of directors, where CNG executive director Davey Bobbish currently sits. Bill Namagoose retired last year after 12 years as chairperson of the bank. He noted that 70% of its over 130 employees are Indigenous.
“It was a nation-building concept back then and still is,” said Namagoose. “It’s a flagship in the financial industry. The other big banks service the North remotely – First Nations Bank creates jobs for Indigenous people within their community rather than in large non-Native centres.”
Johns presented at the Cree Nation’s inaugural business summit last year and believes its road to relative financial sovereignty is a story that should be more widely known. With new Grand Chief Paul John Murdoch recently observing that bigger banks exacerbate the housing crisis through obstacles like counter-guarantees from the band, Johns suggested FNBC can help deliver solutions.
“We’ve been involved in [housing] projects before,” said Johns. “Those that run between $5 to $50 million is a sweet spot for us. We’re able to provide below-market rates, anywhere down to almost 1%, and an infrastructure project becomes a lot more affordable.”
Contending that the FNBC is less interested in the bottom line than working in the best interest of First Nations, Johns mentioned cases where they’ve earned less loan income because they recommended communities secure available grants and not borrow more than they needed to.
“It’s important we reflect back on the communities we serve,” said Johns. “Other banks don’t have the same relationship focus that we have. That’s a key difference – we want the Nations to be successful no matter what.”
Welcome BACK TO SCHOOL!
Wishing all students, families, teachers, and school sta the very best for the new school year! Let’s make it the best one yet!
Bonne RENTRÉE!
Nous souhaitons à tous les élèves, aux familles, aux enseignants et à l’ensemble du personnel une excellente rentrée scolaire ! Que cette nouvelle année soit la plus belle et la plus réussie de toutes !
Briefs
Quebec ministers meet AFNQL over forestry tensions
After months of protests culminated in a tense confrontation between Atikamekw protesters and loggers, the Quebec ministers of Indigenous Relations and Natural Resources interrupted their vacations this week to meet with Regional Chief François Verreault-Paul and other leaders of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec and Labrador (AFNQL).
The meetings follow faceto-face confrontations between non-Indigenous loggers and land defenders from the MAMO First Nations group and an instance of what appeared to be a logger driving a heavy truck very slowly towards a land defender standing in the vehicle’s way.
Resistance has mounted across the province since Bill 97 was introduced in April, which proposes sweeping changes to the way forestry is organized in Quebec. With Indigenous opponents arguing it threatens to privatize their ancestral land, the AFNQL had previously suspended discussions with the government over the issue.
The AFNQL had called Quebec leaders back to the table “to take responsibility” for the deteriorating situation and “establish the conditions of a genuine and constructive dialogue.” Ministers and the Council of the Atikamekw Nation suggested initial meetings were constructive.
The Council stated that all parties agreed to amend Bill 97 to “achieve true social and political
Former Grand Chief Mandy Gull-Masty speaks at the Chamber of Commerce
acceptability.” It also announced the implementation of a pilot project between the Atikamekw Nation and forestry companies to “experiment with new forestry practices that respect Atikamekw values.”
Absent from the meetings was the MAMO First Nations organization, which unites self-identified land defenders and territorial chiefs from Atikamekw and Innu communities. MAMO spokesperson André Pikutelekan said the organization would have existed with or without Bill 97.
“For us, it’s about keeping our trees, keeping a healthy forest,” Pikutelekan told APTN. “There is no negotiation. If we talk about negotiation, it is so that the territory is not affected. Our main and almost sole goal is to protect the forest of the territorial chiefs.”
Minister Gull-Masty in Val-d’Or
After a whirlwind beginning to her tenure as Indigenous Services Minister for the federal government, Mandy Gull-Masty was back in more familiar territory to host the Liberal summer caucus retreat in Val-d’Or.
The Cree Nation’s former Grand Chief spoke at the Chamber of Commerce, visit-
ed a local medical centre and attended an event at the Val-d’Or Indigenous Friendship Centre, accompanied by the city’s mayor, Céline Brindamour.
“The Quebec Liberal Caucus had the opportunity to explore our diverse industries and oneof-a-kind culture,” Gull-Masty said. “This has been a critical reminder that Abitibi matters, that we are on the map, and that great things are happening right here at home.”
On August 25, Gull-Masty was joined by MPs Claude Guay and Carlos Leitão to announce a $2.5 million investment in five innovative companies in the Abitibi: Arkys Web Software, Techni-Lab S.G.B, ASDR Canada, Usinage Marcotte and HydroTech Mining.
“Your work represents the future of a more innovative and inclusive economy in our region,” said Gull-Masty. “I look forward to seeing the transformative impact of your technological advancements in the years to come.”
Gull-Masty also attended the seventh edition of the Val-d’Or Community Supper, which she called a tradition that’s becoming “a cornerstone of the community, an opportunity for people to come together, share a meal, and connect on a deeper level.”
Earlier in the month, GullMasty met with First Nations
evacuees from wildfires in Manitoba, announced advances for Métis entrepreneurs, and spoke at the inaugural Global Indigenous Languages Summit in Ottawa. The minister was looking forward to a well-deserved summer holiday back home in Waswanipi before the parliamentary fall session commences.
Mailasi Music Festival rocks Chisasibi
More than 30 artists performed over three evenings at Chisasibi’s third annual Mailasi Music Festival August 7-9. The free event was moved from the community ball field to Job’s Memorial Gardens due to weather conditions.
Cree band Miikun headlined the final night, following sets by Quimutjajit, Eeyou-Innu Rock Band, Swamp Rockers, and Vern Cheechoo and Lawrence Martin. Other highlights included Crystal Shawanda, Into Overdrive, Peyakutenuu and the Fort George Rockers. The majority of performers were local talent playing 15-minute sets.
“To our incredible attendees, your energy and enthusiasm lit up the festival grounds, creating memories that will resonate for years to come,” shared festival organizers. “Your love for music brought our vision to life!”
Jody House was a last-minute addition as emcee while CHFG Radio broadcast the festival’s music. Originally initiated by Makivik’s council in Chisasibi, led by Raymond Menarick, Mailasi is Chisasibi’s name in Inuit.
by Patrick Quinn
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
sails,” said Oleg Khalimonov, director of the Starsailor program.
“Had it gone another four seconds, it would have made it to space. Now the team knows we can do it – it sounds funny, but we didn’t even know if it would fly.”
As the first attempted space launch in Canada since 1998 and
Photos provided by Oleg Khalimonov
CHIKABESHREACHESFORSPACE
the first ever in Quebec, Starsailor’s success marks a pivotal moment in the country’s cosmic ambitions. That it was accomplished by a group of engineering students in collaboration with the Cree Nation of Mistissini is all the more impressive.
The project began seven years ago among friends building much smaller rockets for university competitions. When a million-dollar contest for sending a rocket to space fizzled out due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the team pressed on anyways, quarantining together in a remote house for eight months and continuing experiments in farmers’ fields and bathtubs.
“It was way harder than we thought,” admitted Khalimonov. “We had to build a launch tower, the engine, the test stand. On our first engine test, everything blew
up and we have no idea why. It took us another year and it blew up again.”
Eventually a sufficiently reliable engine was developed using a volatile mixture of kerosene and liquid oxygen fuel, powering the 13-metre Starsailor rocket similarly to how companies like SpaceX launch satellites. It’s the most powerful student-built rocket engine ever recorded. About 700 students overall contributed to the project’s countless testing and component redesigning.
“We’re trying to prove that students can also do hard things,” said Simon Randy, president of student group Space Concordia. “It’s not just companies or large government organizations. It’s really people who have the drive and the grit to work on these large projects.”
Seeking a remote base camp that’s accessible by road, Space Concordia contacted Mistissini in January to explore possibilities. After careful deliberation and contingent on the necessary authorizations, Cree tallyman Harry Coonishish and the company holding the land lease approved a site formerly used as a mining company’s airstrip.
“Never before had anyone even thought of doing this here,” Khalimonov
said. “The fact we could do this in our own backyard was a cool opportunity – we don’t have to go to NASA or even Nova Scotia. It feels special to do this here. The kids here are like, this is
While livestream meetings with Chief and Council shared the team’s progress, anticipation built as approvals arrived from Transport Canada and SOPFEU, reassuring community members there was a low safety risk. With the Coonishish family building lodging and kitchen areas, the rocket’s components were transported north in wooden crates.
Canada and Quebec were represented on two of the rocket’s sides while the third was emblazoned in Cree syllabics. This was inspired by attempts to translate Starsailor into Cree. Someone suggested the Cree mythological character Chikabesh, or Starboy, whose myth cycle usually ends with him travelling to the moon.
“The students were more than willing to put Chikabesh in Cree syllabics with a picture of a beaver, because it’s in our community logo,” explained Council member Pamela MacLeod, who helped link the team with the right people. “Elders would ask in Cree, ‘So what happened with Chikabesh – did it fly yet?’”
In the weeks before lift-off, Space Concordia made a community presentation and engaged in numerous activities at the youth centre. Curious community members came to marvel at the rocket site. When MacLeod visited on the Sunday before launch, there were 65
Ideas That Can’t Miss
Cree business summit inspires entrepreneurship
by Patrick Quinn | Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Cree Nation Business Summit returned bigger and better for its second edition, held in Mistissini August 19-21. Building on last year’s successful youth-focused gathering, the Summit welcomed established business owners in addition to the next generation of entrepreneurs.
The three-day youth program, built around the Bear Den Business Case Study Competition, offered participants the chance to compete for $26,000 in prizes while accessing workshops, expert speakers and mentorship opportunities. Youth delegates arriving from each Cree community had free transportation, accommodation and meals.
“The goal was to boost that potential for entrepreneurial spirit and work as a
team,” said Samuel Mcleod, who facilitated the competition. “So many people learned something and thought of entrepreneurship as an ideal path for them.”
Mcleod pitched the idea of a casestudy competition last year to the Department of Commerce and Industry (DCI), which helped organize the inaugural Summit in Chisasibi. For this year’s competition, the seven randomly assigned groups of four or five had additional support and resources to develop their business plans.
“Last year we had teams falling behind, so we had workshops along the way with the Indigenous Prosperity Foundation about public speaking and marketing your brand,” Mcleod explained. “They also assisted with
getting teams thinking about how they wanted to create their video commercials.”
Videographers Jason Swallow and Manuan Lafond worked with teams to create 60- to 90-second commercials of their fictional businesses, which were screened at the final awards gala. Economic development officers from Cree communities helped coach participants.
Team 3 with Bradley Mianscum, Cain Stewart, Clarissa Happyjack, Sara Dash and Savannah Jolly were the grand prize winners of $10,000 for a Waswanipi strip mall called Clearwater Plaza. Leveraging its highly visible location where traffic has to pass, their pitch was “you can’t miss us.”
Photos provided by Shawn Iserhoff
Second prize went to Eeyou and Me Tourism, “where two worlds become one journey,” a Nemaskabased enterprise aiming to connect tourists with translators and ancient wisdom for an immersion in traditional life. Other ideas included a motor sports dealership, event venue, health spa and funeral home. “Shining stars” from each team were awarded iPads.
“It was amazing ideas coming from young people,” said DCI director Anthony MacLeod. “The concepts are realistic, they could happen. Many of them have great ideas for shaping the Eeyou economy and participating in that journey in their vision of entrepreneurship.”
MacLeod estimated the Summit drew nearly 200 participants. Presenters included Cree entities Apatisiiwin Skills Development, Eeyou Mobility, the Board of Compensation and the Cree Native Arts and Crafts Association. Workshop and presentation topics included e-commerce, artificial intelligence and contracts and procurement.
MacLeod helped facilitate two roundtable discussions for entrepreneurs and leaders. A memorable discussion included former Grand Chief Abel Bosum, who was the Cree Nation’s first economic development director, and Robert Kanatewat, a signatory of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement 50 years ago.
Grand Chief Paul John Murdoch noted that the first businesses started by these founders of the modern Cree Nation, a gas station and restaurant, are still running today. They told the Hudson’s Bay Company that a local family would be taking over gasoline sales.
The Summit was first major event for newly elected Cree leaders Murdoch and Deputy Grand Chief Linden Spencer. Organizers hope their business backgrounds will usher in
an increased regional focus on entrepreneurship. Asserting that small and medium businesses are the backbone of the economy, Murdoch was excited by the momentum the conference generated.
“We not only celebrate success but recognize the spirit of innovation and creativity that continues to grow across Eeyou Istchee,” said Spencer. “To our youth delegates, you didn’t just present projects; you showed vision and courage. I see the same determination and hope that has guided me on my own journey.”
In honour of the JBNQA’s 50th anniversary, the DCI paid tribute to the rich history of Eeyou entrepreneurship at the awards gala. Established in 1971, Mistissini’s A.D.E.L.S. Restaurant was the oldest of these foundational enterprises, owned by Annie Brien, Denise Coon-Come, Elizabeth Gunner, Laurie Brien and Sharron Brien.
Charlie Brien, who passed away in 2002, started out selling tea, pop and sandwiches to construction workers in the community. With no roads in those days, restaurant equipment and a pool table had to be paddled in from the beach about 16 kilometres away or brought in by winter road.
Also honoured at the gala were Blackned Construction, established in 1975 and owned by James Blackned, Bert Blackned and Emily Hester; Waswanipi Grocery Store, opened by Sandra Happyjack and Delores Gull in 1978; Meechum Reg’d, owned by Beverly Quinn and established in 1982; and Natives Exploration Services, owned by Sam R. Bosum since 1984.
Mistissini Chief Michael Petawabano emphasized that business development must be rooted in building Cree expertise. And he saluted these community pillars as proof of what’s possible “when vision meets hard work and community support.”
The Cree IELCC Fund is designed to fund projects/activities that foster the education, Cree culture and language, as well as health and wellbeing of children 0 to 6 and their families.
All projects and activities must also ensure that no children are left behind: activities must be accessible to all children, no matter their level of ability or special need.
Crossword by Margie E. Burke
Here’s another edition of the Nation’s puzzle page. Try your hand at Sudoku or Str8ts or our Crossword, or better yet, solve all three and send us a photo!* As always, the answers from last issue are here for you to check your work. Happy hunting.
Depression-era agcy. 32 A quarter of four
Masked man with a stick
chessmen as taxes
Drove away
Pupil of Plato
Skirt 7 Semicircular
Place for a
Eggs, in biology window
19th Annual Members Assembly
September 10 & 11, 2025
Petaapin Youth Center, Oujé-Bougoumou, Québec
CORPORATE AGENDA
– Annual Report
– Local Arts Committee Reports
– Financial Statements
– Corporate Matters & More
MARKETPLACE
– Local Vendors
– Cree Products
– Novelty Items
WORKSHOPS
– How to Start an Arts & Crafts Business
– Accessing Funding & Sponsorship Programs
– Artist Directory
– Marketing Strategies
– Copyright and Intellectual Property
– Music Industry Resources
Live Entertainment, Performances & much more... Food & drink to be provided!
My iron horse keeps me balanced
by Xavier Kataquapit
This wave of cold weather reminds me that I don’t have much motorcycle riding time left and that summer will soon turn into fall. Students are heading back to school and some of the birds are already flying south.
I love classic bikes, and I now ride a 2000 BMW R1100R, which features a flat, horizontally opposed twin-cylinder engine, a design this German company has been producing for over a century. After riding a bike for almost 30 years I feel at one with this magnificent machine.
On a bike I am in deep meditation. I must be 100% aware of my control as I head down the road. I have to be conscious of every bump, twist and turn on the road and keep an eye on my mirrors for any traffic behind me. Up here in northern Ontario I also watch for animals crossing the road. I’ve often had to brake
Anyone who has a drinking or drug problem does not ride a motorcycle, or at least they don’t do it for very long. The chance of having an accident if you are drinking or taking drugs is very high when riding a bike.
As a reward for being in recovery I get a natural high full of adrenaline, beauty and an amazing connection to the world around me. I like to ride alone, and I am not comfortable in groups, which I consider dangerous.
For the past few summers, I have not
my pre-ride inspection and then firing up this amazing engine. I have several classic bikes now. They are big, but they are also thoroughbreds and handle the road with confidence and style.
My risk taking on the road is always calculated, and I stay on the safe side. There is this incredible feeling of freedom as I flow down the road with the wind in my face, and a kaleidoscope of forest, lakes and sights in my eyes. This is my high.
With the sound of this amazing engine
