Saanich Coun. Zac de Vries showed off his fashion design skills at a recent council meeting by wearing a cycling T-shirt of his own creation.
At the Dec. 2 Committee of the Whole meeting, de Vries sported a suit jacket with an “I cycle Saanich” shirt underneath. Fellow councillor Rebecca Mersereau shared a photo of his creation on Twitter and the response from Saanich cyclists was positive.
I made a thing!
— Zac de Vries - Saanich Councillor (@zac4saanich) December 4, 2019
Who else 🚲 #Saanich? https://t.co/KyV7crGNQp
Many replied asking where he bought the shirt so they could get one too. But the shirt is a one of a kind; de Vries made it for himself as a fun way to promote cycling in the District.
Where is my shirt? Hahaha I want one so bad!
— Elise Velaz (@EliseVelaz9) December 3, 2019
The prototype was well received and now de Vries is considering making more – “the sky’s the limit with this,” he said.
Cycling has been de Vries’ primary mode of transportation for as long as he can remember. He even cycled competitively while in university.
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While de Vries loves long rides – he’s ridden the Coquihalla – he’s passionate about riding in Greater Victoria too. He’s found that cycling has been a great way to connect with Saanich residents because it’s a social activity and because he understands their road safety concerns.
Before joining council, he would ride between 50 and 150 km in the area every day, so he’s been on most roads in the region. Even so, when people have concerns, he’s always open to taking a ride with them to see things through their eyes.
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He noted that while Saanich has good cycling infrastructure, council is working to accelerate plans for more through the Active Transportation Plan.
De Vries welcomes calls from anyone interested in going for a bike ride, discussing cycling infrastructure in Saanich or talking about his “I cycle Saanich” T-shirt side-hustle.
@devonscarlett
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