Inside Touring

HUB CITIES

Centralization for the win

BY R. BRUCE THOMAS

The view overlooking Pleasant Bay along Nova Scotia’s Cabot Trail is quite breathtaking. The Glenora Ferry provides a short respite from the road between Kingston and Prince Edward County.

STunning and STimulating - the scenery and roads southwest of Calgary epitomize the beST reason for Sport Touring.

BOB, the Big Orange Bridge, welcomes another day to Nelson, BC - an ideal Hub City.

In perfect 20/20 hindsight we’ve probably just come through the weirdest riding season any of us have experienced. Back on January 1, 2020 I doubt that anyone would have guessed we’d all be in lockdown for months and that so many things we take for granted would be gone (including bum fluff for a couple weeks!). One of the biggest things affected as the world battled the COVID-19 virus was international, and in some cases inter-provincial, travel. By mid-March travel was severely curtailed and quarantines were implemented for returning travellers. Travel was also hampered by the forced closures of restaurants and hotels. No point going anywhere if you can’t find a place to eat or sleep.

Of course, March isn’t usually a busy time for travelling motorcyclists in most of Canada but even when the weather got nicer there were still impediments. On May 8, when a couple buddies joined me for a 400 km ride, our lunch destination still wasn’t fully functioning, and it wasn’t the kind of day to sit on a bike and drink a coffee. Also, when we approached the Saddle Lake First Nation we were rightfully met with roadblocks, clipboards and handheld digital thermometers. We hadn’t expected this when we planned our route but once it was ascertained that we weren’t planning to stop in Saddle Lake we were cleared through. Everyone was doing what they could to protect themselves.

While the events of the summer of 2020 are still fresh in my mind, they also seem so long ago. And yet, as we enter May 2021, and COVID-19 and all the variants are still ravaging parts of Canada, it doesn’t look like this summer is going to be much different. With border closures and tight travel restrictions in places, staying close to home seems to be our only option. Let’s try to keep it interesting.

Professional sports leagues closed as part of the strategy to prevent large crowds of people from passing the virus amongst themselves. This caused much planning to get the games back to ‘normal,’ with everything except for fans in the stands. The concept of a Hub City was hatched to allow the games to commence sans the usual travel requirements. Teams would be sequestered in cordoned-off hotels close to their stadium or arena and play the games in a bubble with, hopefully, any infected persons outside the bubble. Edmonton, where I live, was selected as a Hub City for the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs and, while the Oilers didn’t fare so well, the concept seemed to work well for the league.

In terms of riding a motorcycle, a Hub City is not a new concept. Touring companies have offered Hub & Spoke tours for decades where clients stay in one location and do ‘out and back’ day trips during their ‘tour.’ Motorcycle rallies and events are another case where a central location may be utilized with the surrounding area having something else to draw attendees. Think Sturgis, where the party atmosphere and reputation of the event are backdropped by the nearby Black Hills and the Devils Tower. There are plenty of great roads and attractions in the area, as well as lots to do in town if a person desires a non-riding day. In 2020 I had to cancel participation in a 36-hour rally headquartered in Colorado, a number of planned Iron Butt

Rides that required heading south of the border, a months-long scavenger hunt event and a couple great riding destinations in the American Midwest. But this didn’t mean I was lacking in opportunities. I’ve ridden across Canada numerous times from

Newfoundland to the Yukon and while some of those trips have been direct and completed on a tight timeline, I have been off the main routes enough to know there are many potentially terrific, and perhaps somewhat surprising, Hub City locations

The Great Sand Hills in Saskatchewan rise in stark contrast to usual prairie scenery. The Wishing Well spot beside Clear Lake is a pleasant rest area in Riding Mountain National Park. The East Gate at Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba is a National Historic Site.

for touring in Canada. Let’s follow the sun across the country as we explore some options. I’ve only been to The Rock twice and, while I’ve ridden from

St. John’s to Port aux Basques, there is no way I could identify a

Hub City due to the distances involved. The interesting things to see are too far apart with basically the Trans-Canada Highway to get you around. All I can say is, just go to Newfoundland when you can, you’ll love it. I would suggest Antigonish, NS as a great Hub City since

Cape Breton Island and the Cabot Trail would be a good day ride. Lunenberg, Peggy’s Cove, Grand Pré and the Annapolis

Valley are within reach and catching the Caribou Ferry to PEI

Cap-Bon-Ami is one of the most scenic viewpoints in Parc National Forillon, QC.

Percé Rock is a visual highlight of a circuit of the Gaspé Peninsula.

adds another great destination. Moncton, NB would also be a great stepping off point to explore PEI. From Moncton you also have easy access to Fundy National Park and the wonderful Hopewell Rocks. While on your way to or from the Maritimes it’s worth it to take the diversion around the Gaspé Peninsula, which I prefer to the Cabot Trail.

I believe Trois-Rivieres would be an excellent Hub City in Quebec. Since living in Cornwall, ON for a stretch several decades ago I’ve always found the St. Lawrence River mesmerizing and enjoy riding beside it. I’ve enjoyed the scenery in Parc National de la Mauricie and also many of the wonderful undulations in the eastern townships. Quebec City, with all of its history, is close by – perfect for a short riding day. The Laurentians north of Montreal have also provided some inspiring riding.

While I’ve never stayed in Peterborough, ON I’ve enjoyed excellent riding in that area and would love to spend more time there as it seems almost ideal as a Hub City. Smiths Falls, Prince Edward County, the Kawartha Lakes region... so many roads and hills and corners. And don’t forget the butter tarts and Slickers Ice Cream!

Portage La Prairie seems ideally suited for loops to Dauphin and Riding Mountain National Park, to circle Lake Manitoba via the Narrows or for exploring the Red River and the history around Selkirk. Portage is also close enough for a day trip into Winnipeg if you want to visit the Forks, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights or perhaps the Royal Canadian Mint.

Moving further west I believe Moose Jaw, SK would be an ideal Hub City. To the east is the wonderful Qu’Appelle River Valley, to the southwest is Grassland National Park plus the amazing T.rex Discovery Centre in Eastend. To the west the

Great Sand Hills provide an awe-inspiring disruption to normal prairie scenery. If you want a day off, you can tour Al Capone’s tunnels or take a relaxing day at the Temple Gardens Spa in the middle of the city. I know Calgary, AB is not likely at the top of most Hub City lists but it is very favourably situated. In 2019 I was one of the prime disorganizers of a sport touring rally that attracted over 100 riders from as far away as Kentucky and Oklahoma. With the long summer daylight hours, it’s possible to ride northwest on the Icefields Parkway to Jasper and back, plus dinosaurs and hoodoos are not far away in the Drumheller region to the northeast. The southwest offers fantastic riding in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains plus the opportunity to ride through Kananaskis Country and cross Highwood Pass, Canada’s highest paved road. To the southeast there is a vast irrigation canal area including the Brooks Aqueduct National Historic Site. Be sure Bow Lake is one of to explore the Starship Enterprise in Vulcan and the scenic highlights on the Bomber Command Museum of Canada in Alberta’s Icefields Parkway. Nanton during your travels. For non-riding days there are plenty of things to do in Alberta’s most populous city including Studio Bell, home of the National Music Center. Nelson, BC is an almost perfect location for a Hub City as it anchors an area isolated by three inland ferries at Balfour, Fauquier and Galena Bay. The resultant lack of through traffic and the exceptional curves and scenery make this an excellent motorcycle playground. And at the end of the day the area features plenty of hot spring resorts to soak away the joys of the road. The International Selkirk Loop passes through Nelson and even if the border remains closed it’s still possible to ride about one third of it. In the Jan/Feb 2020 issue of IM editor Lambie detailed some of the great riding in the Penticton area. The promotional work that Penticton Tourism has done to prepare a ride guide and encourage motorcycle tourism would have the small city in the Okanagan Valley in the running for my favourite Hub City. As previously mentioned, I’ve ridden across the country numerous times but that doesn’t mean I’ve come close to seeing all there is to see or ridden all the great roads. What I’ve outlined here are just some of the areas I’m most familiar with. There is awesome scenery in multiple directions out of Whitehorse,YT but the big adventure is getting there. Yellowknife, NT is basically the end of the road but it’s still an interesting trip. My buddy Norm in Grande Prairie has lots of favourite routes that could make that northern city a good hub location, but I haven’t ridden enough to make recommendations. What I do know is that there are plenty of places in Canada to ride. Create your own ideal Hub City where you’ve got a variety of riding options, things to do if you want to take a day off, good culinary options and maybe a craft brewery or two for after the bike is parked. Ensuring businesses will be open before you go is also an important part of trip planning in 2021. Most importantly, get out and ride. It sure beats Netflix and chill. IM