THUNDER BAY - A bicycle ride around the city was held this Saturday to bring awareness and memorialize the children who were lost at residential schools.
This is the second of such rides to occur after co-organizer, Brent Edwards, firsts rode his bike across the city last year with his family, after finding out about the 215 Indigenous youth found in unmarked graves at a former residential school in BC.
Edwards was overwhelmed by the support he's received from the community this year and is hoping to hold the bike ride every year.
"It's wonderful, I'm loving the support. We have a lot of people here who are going to be riding through the city and we have two children,” he said. “You know, it's a good turnout, I'm loving this. This is great. We're not gonna forget about our children, you know, we'll do it every year, and remember them every day."
The riders started off the 2-hour and 15-minute bike ride at Skaf's grocery store on Hodder Street, with a send-off by Thunder Bay-Superior North MP and Minister of Indigenous Services, Patty Hajdu.
"I think these kinds of events are a way to pull communities together,” she said. “To, first of all, do that important work of education and advocacy but also to support each other because this is really emotional."
With a police escort and many of the cyclists wearing bright orange shirts, the group made their way across the city to the Walmart on Arthur street.
