Cycling the beautiful Toronto Islands

7/15/22

Today was lovely. After a lazy day yesterday enjoying the beach and some nearby restaurants, I got another nice slow start this morning, but also good news shortly after I arose: my COVID test was negative! I don’t know how long this has been the case; I hadn’t re-tested since my positive result on July 6th. Today was my 11th day since the start of my symptoms, so I felt confident I wasn’t contagious… but it felt extra good to see it in “black and white.” I still have a few lingering symptoms (which I always do for a week or two after a cold) but mostly, I’m back, and feeling good.

This afternoon I wanted to see the Toronto Islands, which must be reached by ferry. Several people had suggested that I should see them while I was in town, and I’m glad I went.

But first, I wanted to meet up with someone in person whom I hadn’t spoken to in more than twenty years, and had never met before… but our talks at that time had given me my first inkling that I would like to visit Toronto someday.

Kevin McLaughlin was the founder of AutoShare (1998) a then-independent car sharing company which is now part of Enterprise Rent-a-Car. Back when I worked for CarSharing Portland (also founded in 1998, by my then-boss Dave Brook, and now part of Zipcar) we had a few conference calls with Kevin about the operations of the two companies, which were similarly sized and structured.

Kevin now manages his new startup, Zygg, an e-bike subscription service with offices in Toronto and Vancouver. I stopped by the office for a brief chat to reminisce about car sharing’s nascent days, as well as the present and future of urban mobility. Keep an eye on Zygg: expansion plans are in the works!

After our meeting, I biked down to the ferry dock, where three ferries depart at regular intervals to take foot- and bike passengers over to the islands.

After disembarking, it was cool to sit on a bench at the beach on Ward’s Island, and look over at the city across the water.

I spent the better part of the next hour cycling a beautiful path to another ferry dock at Hanlan’s Point, where I caught a return boat, then bicycled back to my apartment in The Beaches at the end of the evening.

I have one more full day here. Looking forward to whatever unfolds!

Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a one-hour phone or video call with me!

Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!

Want to support my vision financially? I am in the process of manifesting $50,000 in lieu of a “salary” for the year of this journey. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons and supporters!)

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *