By Tara Lindemann
The Haldimand Press
DUNNVILLE—It was mostly sunshine for the 700 cycling enthusiasts who took part in the seventh annual Dunnville Grand Tour on August 19 and 20, 2023. Riders travelled different routes ranging from 50 to 160 kilometres, offering vistas of Haldimand’s precious Lake Erie shoreline and of the Grand River.
“My 10-year-old son was ‘wheelie excited’ to watch them go by,” said seasonal Lowbanks resident Paula Moore. “He plans to race one day, and he’s been saving for one of these fancy numbers.”
Cyclists from all over came for exercise, scenery, and camaraderie to embrace the things that Haldimand brings.
“It’s been beautiful weather, and we’ve been staying in a cabin at a (nearby) resort, so we’ve been getting down to the beach, and going swimming in the lake; it’s lovely,” said North Bay resident David Schroeder.
He’d been on the tour before with his wife, but this year he brought along friend Thorsten Brost for his first Haldimand experience.
“It’s been fabulous,” said Brost. “I’ve never done a tour like this before.”
“We came down a day early going to breweries, wineries, and cideries in this area,” added Schroeder.
The event has been, excepting pandemic restrictions, the third weekend of every August. Cyclists choose their route, which vary between 50, 75, and 100 kilometres, with Saturday offering a 160-kilometre ride that went along Lakeshore from Port Maitland, in and around Dunnville, upriver along the Grand to Cayuga, and back along Lakeshore to circle round at Selkirk Provincial Park. Rest stops dotted the paths, with the group landing each day at the Dunnville Memorial Arena and Community Lifespan Centre for a spaghetti lunch at journey’s end.
Organizer Atilla Elek was pleased with the weekend.
“We had a spatter of rain but this is the first year we went without pouring rain,” he laughed. “The gods have smiled upon us and it was just perfect weather.”
He said the route was an incomparable draw for many.
“These are the most scenic routes you can drive in Ontario,” he said. “It’s by the lakeshore, the Grand River, and it’s (a) very flat and very cycling-friendly area.”
He added, “It’s nice to visit Haldimand and drop a few tourist dollars; it’s a good thing for everyone.”
Where before the pandemic they had 900 riders, last year it dropped to 400. With the jump to over 700 participating this year, Elek has his sights on building the tour to over 2,000: “And we could not do this without our volunteers and sponsors. They have been gracious and generous.”
But to grow, he said, more help is needed.
“We would love to encourage local vendors to think of us before next year, and we would love to work together,” he said.
For more information on the Dunnville Grand Tour visit dunnvillegrandtour.com.
