Kidical Mass Ottawa Bike Ride to the 2026 Climate March

A joy-filled bike ride with a purpose: safe streets for kids today and tomorrow too.

Join us for a fun and purpose-filled bike ride in Ottawa! This event is perfect for families or anyone looking to enjoy a slow ride. Everyone is welcome: participants of all ages, abilities, and caretaking responsibilities (that means you too grandparents, aunts, uncles, babysitters, and community members who love kids!). We will be travelling at a very slow pace. Whether your child is a pro on two wheels or just starting out, this event is perfect for riders of all ages, abilities, and skill levels.

This ride is in collaboration with Fridays For Future and the 2026 Climate March. We will bike together to Ottawa’s City Hall to meet with marchers coming from other locations.

About Kidical Mass

Kidical Mass is an international movement inspired by ‘critical mass’ events held to emphasize the number of people who want to ride bikes and to call for infrastructure improvements. Kidical Mass expands on that idea with a focus on children and families. These events celebrate the joy of biking asking cities to make streets safe for kids and therefore safe for everyone. We believe children should be able to safely and independently travel to school, parks, sports, and other destinations. With climate change already impacting the lives of children, safe streets for kids also means seriously addressing the climate emergency. There are measures – both big and small – that cities like Ottawa can pursue to make this possible (some of our ideas are below).

About the Climate March

While the rest of the world advances on climate action, Canada is falling behind—recently ranking 21st out of 22 Western countries on the Global Performance Index. The 2026 Ottawa Climate March is happening on Saturday, September 19, 2026. We gather and march from Gatineau to Ottawa holding rallies at key locations along the way to make our voices heard. More details from Fridays for Future.

Kidical Mass Schedule

10:30 AM

Meet at St. Luke’s Park. Decorate signs and bikes, play, chalk, and bubbles

11:15 AM

Bike Ride Begins! We will ride together to Ottawa City Hall.

12:00 PM

Rally at city hall with the Climate March. Bring snacks!

Details

Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult and are welcome to ride their own bikes or on board with another rider.

Bright colourful clothing and accessories are encouraged.

We will have some sign and decorations, but you are encouraged to bring your own as well.

Sign-up is not required, but it is encouraged so we can get in touch if there are any updates to the event (e.g., weather issues, travel disruptions, etc.).

Let’s come together as a community, promote cycling, demand climate action, and create lasting memories. Mark your calendars and get ready for a wheely good time at Kidical Mass Ottawa!

We are also seeking volunteers Do you want to be involved with this event? Please reach out to us at kidicalmassottawa@gmail.com.

About the Event Hosts

Bike Ottawa is a not-for-profit volunteer-based advocacy group. We believe riding a bike in Ottawa should be a fun, safe, and easy choice for all ages and abilities. We are committed to advocating for a vibrant and equitable Ottawa where active transportation plays an important role in year-round mobility.

For Our Kids Ottawa Gatineau is a community of parents, grandparents and families who are concerned about climate change. We organize family-friendly activism and information activities and provide a space to connect and take action together. We strive to be a welcoming place for all parents, guardians, grandparents, caregivers, and community members to connect and act together.

Vision Zero Ottawa is a 100% volunteer Not-for-Profit organization. Our contributors are passionate about their communities, working to have municipal and provincial governments implement systemic traffic safety changes, with an emphasis on street design, active transportation, and prioritization of human life over convenience.

Questions about the event can be sent to kidicalmassottawa@gmail.com

What makes streets safer for kids?

• A true Vision Zero strategy that focuses on proactive design action to eliminate road deaths and serious injuries. A key tenet of Vision Zero is that street design can ensure that when mistakes happen they don’t cause life-changing impacts.
• Separated and wide bike lanes that provide access to children’s destinations like schools, libraries, parks, and community centres
• Traffic calming features and reduced speed limits on arterials and residential streets
• Car-free streets including parkways and school streets
• Elimination of right-turns on red lights
• Streets that address climate change by reducing private vehicle use
• Vehicle size regulations and safety testing that includes the safety of people outside of the vehicle