The ride today saw Bill join us for his first ride. David, Ken, Martin and Norm gave Bill’s spiffy new Canondale nods of approval - checking the brakes, gears, spokes etc.
Under cloudy skies with a 35% chance of rain, the Peloton left from Hatley Gardens heading towards Mechosin. There was some chat about how the ride has changed in the few short years that the Peloton has been riding this route - the amount of new housing that has sprouted up between Happy Valley Road and the Goose has resulted in more troublesome road crossings. Not so long ago, it was quite safe to slow down at a road crossing do a quick left/right check and give the “clear” call. Today, it is wise to come almost to a complete stop and look left/right twice before giving the “clear” call or just as likely the “car” call.

Upon arrival at Mechosin, the decision was to patronize the Broken Paddle rather thanMy Chosen Cafe. Despite the overcast cool conditions, we opted to enjoy the outdoor table. Bill very kindly "volunteered" to pay for all our coffees and teas since it was his inaugural ride. Thanks, Bill.
Conversation was diverse - reaction to the end of Tent City with speculation on when it might return, perhaps moving venue to the home of the Lieutenant Governor! From there, the focus moved to the proliferation of Pot “Dispensaries” - there was an exchange of ignorance of how dispensaries provide prescriptions with little or no quality control over what is being “dispensed”. From there the issue of inter-provincial trade was discussed in some depth - how professional accreditation is determined by provincial bodies which seem to act as rigid barriers to the mobility of people between provinces. We learned that some American companies find it advantageous to keep their operations within the states and ship from there to individual provinces - this arrangement is less convoluted than have a Canadian base and navigate the vagaries of inter=provincial trade barriers. Hope was seen with the reduced but yet to be eliminated barriers to the shipment of wine between provinces.
From there it was not a big leap to the issue of why people find it so hard to find a family doctor in Victoria - possible causes were that most couples are two career families - if one is a doctor, the couple is unlikely to invest in a family practice when the partner may have to be more mobile in their career choice. Hence the preference to practice in a walk-in clinic or hospital. Many new medical graduates come from “minority” groups in Canada and want to stay in communities where they will be able to maintain ethnic/cultural connections. Fifty percent of medical graduates are female; they are unlikely to invest in a family practice when they are very likely to take maternity leave for a few years. The goal of every BC resident having a family doctor seems unattainable at the moment.
When we saddled up outside the Broken Paddle we were joined by Tom A and Hans who rode back to Hatley Gardens. Good to meet up with a couple of speedsters!

In cycling news:
Since the Rio Olympics are in full flight, a couple of Olympic stories. Road cycling at the Olympics is not for the faint hearted

Next, who is the most successful British Olympic athlete of all time? He isn’t even English! He is Sir Chris Hoy a cyclist with no fewer than SIX Gold and One Silver Medals
Note: There is no English team at the Olympics, rather it is a British Team. Andy Murray is another Scot who has added to the British Olympic tally!

And for something completely different - the Brompton is now part of the permanent collection of New York’s Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum.