Induction of Marybelle into the Mississauga chapter of Cycling Without Age

 After picking up Marybelle from Brantford last fall I had written to Ernie Porthouse about my plan to have a small ceremony when we were officially adding Marybelle to CWAM and he promised that he would be pleased to attend the same.

As it happened, the over-winter parking at The Shores of Port Credit wasn't available so Marybelle spend the winter in my garage.  Having made the decision to retire in the fall of 2025 and started the process initially by putting the practice property and building up for sale, we were on a timeline for a spring closing when the offer stipulated a March 31st closing.  Having to declutter over 30 years of accumulation, equipment and furniture from the hospital was no mean feat but with little room left in my garage, I ended up pitching a small temporary shed beside the house to hold some of my precious possessions that wouldn't fit anywhere else.

Having Marybelle close at hand over the winter allowed me to make the upgrades to her gradually.  I had to sew another canopy to replace the bulky hood she came with and add some of our personal touches like the saddlebags in which we stored the helmets, first aid kit, emergency tools and extra blanket.  This year we also attached a removeable padded grab bar across the laps of the passengers which conveniently also was able to carry my new bike cam with which we are now recording all our rides with the intention of using the footage in a winter exercise program for seniors under the name of "Virtual Cycling Without Age - Mississauga".

After trial rides as well as some actual rides with seniors, we settled on a date that was amenable to the local Councillor for Port Credit, Stephen Dasko, who is an ardent supporter of our program.  As the 15th of July approached, I sent out invitations to our friends, benefactors and volunteers to attend this ceremony which we held at the Brueckner Rhododendron Gardens close to The Shores of Port Credit where Marybelle was to be stationed.

True to his word, Ernie and his wife Laurie attended the induction ceremony and Ernie gave us an emotional recount of how the trishaw came into his life to help connect his active lifestyle with the sedentary one of his aging mother who, by this time, had moved into a retirement home.  

In preparation for the occasion, Ernie sent me the following write up on the life of his mother and what the donation of the trishaw to Cycling Without Age - Mississauga would have meant to her.  It was written by her grand-daughter who lived with her and knew her intimately.

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Marybelle Porthouse

The Story of Marybelle: A Legacy of Grace, Freedom, and Creative Spirit

To know Marybelle Porthouse was to know a woman of quiet strength, artistic grace, and a delightfully independent spirit. Born in Norfolk Township on June 3, 1935, Marybelle’s early life was shaped by the simple, vivid rhythms of the Ontario countryside, from watching her father ice skate on a frozen pond to baking mud pies decorated with fresh garden flowers. As a young girl growing up in Hamilton, she possessed an inquisitive and brave nature, often wandering the city on her own, watching neighborhood weddings, and spending her summers walking along the beach strip. That natural grace caught the eyes of others early on; as a teenager, she modeled for local dress and hat companies, bringing an effortless elegance to downtown Hamilton's fashion scene.

As she grew into adulthood, Marybelle turned her sharp eye for beauty into a lifelong passion for floral design. She attended the University of Guelph to formalize her training and spent years working as a highly skilled professional florist. She took immense pride in her craft, eventually stepping into the role of an educator to teach floral arranging during night school at Orchard Park Secondary for several years. She was a woman who valued a hard day's work, but found her ultimate fulfillment in being a mother and a grandmother.

Though Marybelle was a gentle and passive presence by nature, she possessed a fierce inner spark and stood her ground firmly when it mattered most. She raised her children, Joni and Ernie, with a foundational piece of advice that defined her outlook on life: "If you can think it, you can do it." She loved waltzing, big-screen movies, a good laugh, like the time she accidentally spilled hot candle wax into a brand-new police hat and she even braved the bitter cold of a travel adventure to Russia in 1973. Above all, Marybelle defined happiness as true "peace of mind," believing that the best moments in life were those spent sitting around a table, conversing and sharing with the family she loved.

Having her namesake trishaw navigate the scenic Waterfront Trail at Port Credit is a profoundly beautiful reflection of her life. Just as Marybelle spent her life creating beauty with flowers and encouraging her children to chase their dreams, "Marybelle" the trishaw will now glide past the waters and greenery, bringing a sense of freedom, independent spirit, and pure joy to local seniors. Through this gift, her memory will continue to serve others, putting the wind in their hair and smiles on their faces for years to come.

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Although Ernie was not sure he would ever be able to ride the trishaw again because of the memories that came flooding back to him, he managed to do a few rides around the gardens with VIP passengers (my grandsons... lol and then our spouses) after I was able to demonstrate Marybelle's recently enhanced capabilities by giving a ride to Councillor Dasko and Ernie on the trishaw around the park.

Thank you Ernie and Laurie for your fabulous donation to our chapter.  We will keep Marybelle's memory alive through enhancing the sunset years of many more seniors and disabled in Mississauga.