Getting to know the Saskatoon Cycles board of directors: Dominic McKeith

As a non-profit, Saskatoon Cycles relies on the generous efforts of its volunteers. One of the ways you can contribute to and help shape the direction of our work is by becoming a member of our Board of Directors. At our AGM on November 3rd, 2021 three people joined our Board. We’ve already introduced you to Gordon Holtslander and Merlin Toth. Lastly, we present Dominic McKeith, a devoted year-round cyclist who works in IT.

Q: Who are you and why do you ride a bike?

My name is Dominic McKeith. I ride a bike for a number of reasons, but the biggest ones are: I would like to stay active and in good health, it’s more relaxing than driving, and it’s better for the environment.

Q: Any favourite cycling rides or routes in or around Saskatoon?

There are so many cycling rides and routes that I like that it’s hard to think of my favourites. Here are a few that I particularly enjoy:

• The Meewasin trail on the east side of the river starting from around Gabriel Dumont Park all the way to the Riverside Country Club south of the city. It’s a beautiful gravel path that runs along the river, about 9km one way.
• The parks on the southeast side of the city: Lakewood Park, Hyde Park, Donna Birkmaier Park, Briarwood Park, and Briarwood Lake. You can bike through all these parks without biking down a single road (just crossing them). It’s a beautiful area.
• The fat bike trails at the southwest corner of the city. I have never actually been there during the winter and do not own a fat bike, but I have biked through them during the summer and it’s a very nice place.

Q: Why did you decide to join the board?

I decided to join the board because I would like to help improve cycling in Saskatoon. There are many ideas in my head that I feel I should do something about!

Q: What do you hope to contribute through your involvement?

In addition to bringing forth infrastructure ideas for cycling, I am a tech guy and can surely contribute to the technology side.

Q: Have you already volunteered with Saskatoon Cycles? If so, in what initiatives have you been involved?

I have not volunteered with Saskatoon Cycles before. I am new to the Saskatoon Cycles group.

Q: What do you see as some priorities to make Saskatoon better and safer for cyclists?

Infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure. The cycling routes I listed above are great for recreational riding, but often when commuting by bike somewhere in the city, the best route has no bicycle infrastructure at all, and can definitely be intimidating. For example, the few times I’ve biked from Stonebridge to Rosewood, the best option for me was to bike on the highway.