Meet the Blue Route Staff!
Katherine MacLellan (she/her) is the Active Transportation Planner and Designer at Bicycle Nova Scotia. Katherine studied International Development at Saint Mary’s University, which peaked her interest in built form. She received her Master of Planning at Dalhousie University, where she developed a passion for complete community design, and transportation planning. When she graduated from grad school, her first job was working for the Halifax Regional Municipality with the Active Transportation Team. This opportunity was a gateway to pursuing a specialization and opportunities in Active Transportation. While working with the AT Team, Katherine gained a better understanding of the process, barriers, and opportunities for supporting and promoting active transportation in communities – and looks forward to applying this knowledge, and to continue her learning in the more rural and small town context of Nova Scotia.
We asked Katherine some questions about cycling to get to know her a little better.
Q: What kind of bike do you ride?
Trek FX 2 Hybrid (Gravel/Commuter) is my everyday bike.
Q: What is your cycling origin story?
Growing up my family travelled with our bikes and camper trailer every weekend to Highland Dance Competitions across the Maritimes. On our days off and with our ears ringing from bagpipes, my parents would gather all four daughters and set out to explore the Rails-to-Trails. My favourite part was riding the tandem bike behind my Mother, although I am sure she would speak to the relief she had when I was finally old enough to ride on my own bike, and she no longer had to drag around 30 lbs of dead weight.
Q: What has been the biggest changes to cycling in Nova Scotia that you’ve seen or that you’ve been a part of over the past 2-3 years?
I think the biggest change has been a shift in attitude and perspective. Every day more and more decision makers are seeing the value in funding active transportation, all from the great work of activists (both in government and non-profit) that have been working in this sector for the past 20 years. I feel grateful for the work that has been done before my time, and I am excited to keep pushing the envelope and moving towards a more sustainable future.
Q: What excites you about the Blue Route?
The opportunity or potential is what excites me most. The blue route connects communities across the province by another means of transportation. People deserve options in how they move and transport themselves, and I think the blue route has potential to do just that.
Q: Aside from Cycling, what are you passionate about?
I spend my free time volunteering with the Shubenacadie Canal Commission. I was motivated to join the commission in 2018, after 6 years of being a River Guide on the Shubenacadie River. There was a lot of learning and growing on the Shubie in my early twenties, either from the unpredictable rapids or the people I met along the way. When it came time to move on, I wanted a way to give back to a place I called my second home.