Board Members

JEANNE GRIER had a bike as a child, but didn't really start riding seriously until mid-life. She decided that if her husband, Colin, was going to go off riding for hours on end, she would have to join him. She initially started enjoying rail trails, and has also learned to enjoy cycling the backroads of Ontario. Her next challenge: exploring gravel riding. She and her husband joined Cycle Stratford in 2019, as a way of meeting local riders before they had even purchased a home here. For 2 years, they got up at 5:00 am to have a hearty breakfast and drive from Richmond Hill to Stratford to join the Sunday morning group rides. In 2021, they purchased a home in Stratford, where they will eventually retire. For now, they spend every weekend in Stratford, joining in on Sunday group rides (without the 5:00 am wakeup call!) and as many Destination rides as they can. Jeanne brings her business and marketing experience to the board, as well as experience with other not-for-profit boards. She is enthusiastically growing our social media presence and is the Board Secretary.

FRANCES EVANS loves living in Stratford as much as she loves riding her bike approximately 322 days a year. She has been working at Famme & Co. the last 2 1/2 years coming back after a 30 year leave of absence. Her love of restaurants finds her a couple days a week at Bluebird as one of Stratford’s happiest waitresses. Frances is the Board Treasurer.

LYLE BEAMAN is a lifelong cyclist, having discovered the freedom of going pretty well wherever he wanted to at a very early age in his hometown of St. Lambert, QC, back in the early 1960s. After many years in the property/casualty insurance industry in Montreal, Toronto, London UK and New York, Lyle is now self employed as an insurance consultant operating from his new home in Stratford, since 2009. Lyle loves Sunday rides, meeting new friends, and supporting greater engagement with cycling for all, in Stratford and Perth County. Lyle is the club's Safety Officer.

ALAN KNIGHT recently moved with wife Liz to Stratford. They have long been touring cyclists and look forward to joining the Stratford cycling community and learning more about the region.

PETE MCDONNELL has been riding on two wheels almost as long as he has been able to walk. A dedicated year round cycling commuter, when not on his way to work he can be found riding for exercise and enjoyment. Favourite routes take him all around Perth County on his road bike. Occasional trail rides, either in Wildwood or the G2G trail are another favourite pastime. For longer rides in the winter months, Pete coordinates rides in Zwift with fellow Cycle Stratford members. Ride On!

HEATHER HOUGHTON

Heather has been cycling all her life. Growing up in Whitby, she loved cycling to the park, to school, and did her first 50 km ride in Grade 9 for the Music Department Bike-a-thon. She brought her bike to the University of Waterloo with her and learned how to cycle in the rain in Waterloo as well as successfully transport a pie home from the market in her backpack. After a serious bike accident and head injury in 2007 biking to work, it reinforced to her the absolute necessity for wearing a bike helmet. It saved her life. Since moving to Stratford in 2012, biking wasn’t a huge part of her life, but during the pandemic, she and her husband got a Peloton bike to try and increase their physical activity. In the spring of 2023, that transferred to the outdoors and the exploration of Perth County roads began. The peace, stress release, beauty and freedom that followed has been very invigorating and therapeutic. She loves cycling with the Wednesday night group, learning tips, terminology, new routes, and life skills from everyone. She looks forward to leaning more about this sport and contributing wherever she can.

BILL CRAY

Bio coming soon

ROLAND PLUM started cycling as a kid in Germany. He brought his 1988 road bike with him when he came to Stratford in 1994, but it was mainly living room decoration until he joined the cycle club about 5 years ago. Around town Roland uses a Giant city bike to run errands, and just got a new Cannondale road bike for the Sunday and destination rides. Roland is a semi-retired mechanical engineer and worked for a local bearing company. As a few of you might know, modern ball bearings were first developed in the 1880's for the use in bicycles, which shows their importance as a driver of innovation.

PAT RANNEY has cycled since she was a kid and has hit the road more frequently the last few years on her Liv Alight bike. She enjoys the exercise and people she has met through Cycle Stratford. Born and raised in Stratford, Pat lived in Toronto where she was a Project Manager and Strategic Planner. Retired now, she is a part time usher for the Stratford Festival and Returning Officer at election times. A seasoned traveller, she enjoys short jaunts around Stratford and multi-day cycling trips. Pat is the Board's ATAC Representative.

KATE SWIFT has been cycling for close to five decades, starting on the family’s hand-me-down kid’s tricycle. After moving to the Pacific NW in 1995, she enjoyed the paved shoulders and off-road trails of Washington State and the classic Seattle to Portland event hosted by the Cascade Cycle Club. Since moving to Stratford in 2017, she has enjoyed many rides with the Cycle Stratford club, including test runs of proposed PCCT routes. For her, a great day of riding includes an early start with a big breakfast, and a long ride somewhere scenic with a stop in the middle. Bonus points if there’s a swim at the stopping point and more bonus points if someone else cooks afterward!

She joined the board in April 2020 and is a member of the Safety subcommittee.