Join the ripple effect with Two Row by the Grand
This summer, a new collaboration will bring together members of the University of Waterloo and members of Six Nations to share a journey along the Grand River. Two Row by the Grand is a five-day, reconciliation-focused bicycle tour following the river from Cambridge to Port Maitland, taking place July 15 to 19, 2026, alongside the annual Two Row on the Grand, a paddling event that brings together over 75 participants over 10 days each July.
This pilot cycling initiative brings together three partners, Water Cycles Expeditions, Two Row on the Grand, and Six Nations Tourism, with a shared commitment to reconciliation and learning, grounded in the principles of the Two Row Wampum and the Silver Covenant Chain. The journey emphasizes peace, friendship and respect while creating space for shared learning about water, culture and stewardship.
Participants will travel by bike alongside the Two Row on the Grand paddling event, building community and relationships along the Grand River through shared meals, campgrounds and daily cultural and environmental teachings. The experience is designed to foster dialogue, reflection and relationship-building, with the people and places that shape the watershed.
Among those helping lead this inaugural journey are Collaborative Water Program (CWP) alumni Fridah Silas and Will Rauch-Davis. Their involvement reflects the importance of interdisciplinary, experiential learning and the role CWP graduates are playing in advancing collaborative approaches to water challenges. It also reflects the importance of collaboration and connection with the Grand River and Six Nations.
For Silas and Rauch-Davis, this is an opportunity to continue building connections across the watershed while supporting a learning experience rooted in reciprocity and respect. Their contributions to the collective leadership of this journey, working alongside members of Six Nations, highlights how CWP alumni are striving to apply their training in meaningful, community-engaged ways.
For Fridah, cycling has become a path to connect with community since moving from Kenya in December 2024. “I only learned to ride a bike last summer, and cycling around the Grand has quickly become my favourite way to connect with the natural beauty of the landscape,” according to Fridah. “Joining this ride alongside Six Nations participants is an invaluable opportunity to slow down and learn directly from their rich history of land and water stewardship. I hope to contribute an open mind and a shared passion for cycling and preserving this beautiful river ecosystem and the deep and diverse cultural heritage it has nurtured.”
Credit: Six Nations Tourism. Two Row on the Grand: paddling in two rows, one Indigenous row and one ally row, to embody the concept of the Two Row Wampum Treaty.
Will began his cycling journey to recover from knee injuries, but cycling soon started to offer him a path to build on his connections to the Grand River, which started during the field course for Water 602 in the fall of 2024. He became an active volunteer for Water Cycles Expeditions around that time, including many events where he connected with Ellie Joseph and Jay Bailey, the two co-founders of Two Row on the Grand. Will notes that he finds “myself gravitating towards the Grand or one of its tributaries during most of my rides with so many places near the water to relax and contemplate the river and reconciliation.” Growing up in British Columbia, Will spent most of his life around the Salish Sea, where home is near the meeting of the Illecillewaet River and Columbia River. He notes, “I have had the great honour of listening to elders across this nation, having also studied and lived in Mi’kmaqi. These interactions continue to provide insight and help to guide and inform the decisions I make in life.” Joining the Two Row by the Grand is a part of this lifelong journey, where he hopes “to continue and share these profound moments during our ride with Six Nations and all participants.” For Will, “meeting people and sharing stories, food, and adventure is a major motivation and opportunity for growth.”
This year will be a pilot that includes eight participants, including five members of Six Nations and three participants at the University of Waterloo. The full team will be introduced through a series of rider profiles developed by Six Nations Tourism in the lead up to the ride. The ride will be guided by Spring Carter of Six Nations Tourism and Dustin Garrick, a professor in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo and co-founder of Water Cycles Expeditions, which focuses on experiential learning and community-driven science and partnerships.
The pilot trip will help to develop opportunities for the broader watershed community to get involved in future years. This year, there will also be a free community day at Chiefswood Park on July 19. Open to all, the 2nd Paddlestock event will include a concert, children’s activities and more. The Waterloo and watershed communities can also provide support for a new scholarship fund to help reduce financial barriers and support broader participation from both students and Six Nations community members. The grassroots funding model will rely on community support and help members of Six Nations and the University of Waterloo develop this learning partnership in a good way.
Support for the initiative will help grow this work in the years ahead, creating more opportunities for connection, learning and collaboration across the Grand River watershed.
To learn more and support the initiative, please visit the website.