Dr. Young-Leslie {use alt-text, humans} ElbowsUp! 🇨🇦🚲
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ethnographer.bsky.social
Dr. Young-Leslie {use alt-text, humans} ElbowsUp! 🇨🇦🚲
@ethnographer.bsky.social
5.7K followers 690 following 2.1K posts
Anthropologist, feminist, fietsster, research whisperer; settler in Amiskwaciwâskahikan aka Yeg🇨🇦
My research focussed on cultural responses to public health messages (MCH, HIV, COVID)
Mostly skeet on bikes, climate∆, #FeministSky, just transition, urbanism
Posts Replies Media Videos
ethnographer.bsky.social
Remembering Arch, who survived WWII to become my grandfather d/t a medical discharge, his sister Dora, who supported the war effort as a nurse, their brother PTE Donald Young Leslie who died age 23, in the battle for Vimy Ridge, France, and his twin Arthur, who served in the US army. #LestWeForget🇨🇦
Digital red poppy from the Canadian Legion. Dedicated in memory of Donald Young Leslie, 11 April 1894 - 19 May 1917. https://mypoppy.ca/ Photograph, outdoors, spring or summer. And aerial photograph of the Vimy Memorial in France, which commemorates Canadian soldiers lost in the WWII battle for Vimy ridge. A Red dot on the right hand lower face indicates the location where Donald Young Leslie is commemorated. Photograph, sepia tones. Shows a Canadian soldier in full military dress. Family photo presumed to be of Donald Young Leslie before his death.
November 10, 2025 at 4:03 PM
ethnographer.bsky.social
Aaand... today CBC called to ask for a cyclist's response to complaints from some apt residents re: loss of free on-street car storage (AKA "guest parking") & tight u-turn. I pointed out the 🚲lane *should* intersect the MUP just 5m away, b/c drivers will block bike lanes, whenever they can: #yegbike
Photograph, daytime, outdoors, autumn. Photograph is of a westbound bike lane on 103 Avenue in Edmonton. The lane ends about 4 m from a multi-user path which is a major part of the bicycle route infrastructure in the downtown core. A car is parked between the last painted bike symbol and the access to the multi-user path.
November 10, 2025 at 12:16 AM
ethnographer.bsky.social
That was a magical, heart-stopping series with a heart-breaking end. Proud of the Jays! ❤️‍🩹 I think Mayor Olivia Chow & the Blue Jays
organization should still put on whatever parade they had planned, just to honour those magnificent athletes & what wonderful sport it has been.
#BlueJays
Screenshot of a painting by Glen Rabena. Stylized Anishinaabe style art shows two blue jays with spirit lines in red connecting them to sky and ground.
November 2, 2025 at 2:53 PM
ethnographer.bsky.social
You could join the Riverdale Witches!
I've always thought Miss Gulch was badly rep'd in the original Wizard of Oz. She was just an emancipated woman, with career as a teacher in a rural area... like her suffragette sisters fighting for the vote, she rode a bicycle because it gave her freedom.
Photograph, outdoors, daytime, summer. A woman rides a bicycle on a brick path she is dressed in the manner of 1890s with a long skirt puffy sleeved jacket and boater hat.
October 31, 2025 at 8:24 PM
ethnographer.bsky.social
This morning's @coffeeoutside.bsky.social
8am, and bike commuters' Samhain celebrations are already underway in #Yeg!
#bikesky #yegbike
Photograph, outside, daytime, autumn. A man and a woman wearing Halloween costumes pose for the camera. In the background is a public park with bicycles parked. The man is wearing the costume of the character called David pumpkins. The woman is wearing a classic witches hat and cape.
October 31, 2025 at 8:04 PM
ethnographer.bsky.social
OMG!!!
What a performance by young Trey. His parents ❤️‍🔥must be bursting. This is a wonderful World Series, two incredible teams, amazing atheletes.
Game 5
7 innings
12 Strikeouts
1 run
Rookie World Series record for Trey Yesavage
#JaysInSix
🇨🇦🐦⚾
Photograph (screenshot) of Trey Yesavage, American baseball pitcher. On Oct 29, in the 5th game of the World Series, he broke the rookie pitching record: 7 innings, 12 strikeouts, only 1 run.
October 30, 2025 at 1:30 PM
ethnographer.bsky.social
There's colonial 'royalty' and then there's true Canadian royalty.

#PrinceHarry #JustinBieber
#JaysVsDodgers
@bluejaysaggr.com
Photograph of Prince Harry & Megan Markle, at the World series game, wearing LA Dodgers hats. Commentary on the photograph reads: uncommon wealth over, Commonwealth, it appears?!🔥 Explainatiin: The photograph and comment is shaming Prince Harry who, as a member of the Commonwealth and family which is the Canadian head of state, therefore should be supporting the team from the Commonwealth, the Canadian Blue Jays. Americans are not members of the Commonwealth. Screenshot of Justin Bieber wearing a Shane Bieber jersey at the World series game in LA. Implication of the photos together, is that this Canadian (Bieber) is supporting Canadians whereas the royal member of the Canadian governance system (Prince Harry), was not.
October 29, 2025 at 2:27 PM
ethnographer.bsky.social
Hey Alberta! There's a #PublicEducation party happening at the Ledge, right now!
#Abpoli #Red4Ed
October 23, 2025 at 8:24 PM
ethnographer.bsky.social
Posted on @Daveberta's FB feed this morning. Reminded me of what you were saying.
I think what many people are forgetting this year, is that in the previous election, many of the Cartmell types were *unelected* because Edmontonians were tired of their attitudes.
www.facebook.com/share/p/1Krf...
Screenshot of a Facebook post. From Daveberta.ca. Text reads: "I briefly logged into Edmonton mayoral candidate Tim Cartmell's Zoom town hall tonight because I was curious what his final pitch would be with 4 days left in the campaign. I logged out shortly after he spent what felt like a lot of time talking about how bad his Council colleagues have been to him for the past 4 years before he then started talking about how he's really good at working as part of a team. I have avoided saying much about them mayoral candidates in this year's election but even this was too much for me." Screenshot includes a photograph of Tim Cartmell.
October 17, 2025 at 8:41 PM
ethnographer.bsky.social
Right you are! I saw the USA flag, before I noticed the "designed in Australia". Thanks again.
Screenshot of the Cycliq website, with a yellow circle marked around an icon of the US flag and the words "United States". It is in the bottom left corner, white font against a black background. Above that, in black font against a grey background are the words "Designed in Australia", overlaid with a lime green circle.
October 15, 2025 at 8:25 PM
ethnographer.bsky.social
@limebikelitter.bsky.social
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I support micromobility. And kudos to our local Lime franchise for trialing winter bike rentals. BUT: Don't make me 311 you!

(Seriously, Lime need to give their staff & users better direction re: where to park them.)
#Micromobility #Urbanism+
Screenshot of a complaint to the city of Edmonton vis the 311 app. It includes a photograph of four Lime bikes, parked at metal bike lockup stations. There are no chains between the bikes and the stations. The text of the complaint reads: "Lime bikes BLOCKING public bike lock ups. The rented bikes do not need to be locked to something, but their staff keep parking their bikes where we need to lock up our bikes to prevent theft. (I know it's Lime's s staff because I've seen them, and users never park so neatly).
October 15, 2025 at 3:05 PM
ethnographer.bsky.social
Cranksgiving is coming (Sunday).
I'm deciding which bike to ride.

My vintage (1970) Sekine, aka Erminie Silverspokes, clearly wants to take some lanes:

#Bikesky #Thanksgiving #Yegbike
Photograph, daytime, outside. A bright blue sky on an autumn day, with elm trees in the background. The leaves are golden against the blue sky. In the foreground is a bicycle on a kickstand in the middle of a residential street. The bicycle is a white framed step through with a woven basket and flowers on the basket. There is nothing and no one else on the street.
October 10, 2025 at 10:18 PM
ethnographer.bsky.social
#Halloweʻen #CriticalMass #Bikesky
Photograph, outdoors. Photograph of a androgynous character in a white leather coat with black belt and black gloves, white scarf, black sunglasses white hair and red drizzle coming from the lips. Figure standing with a black bicycle. Background is blurred but shows a male figure with a yellow coat and vague buildings. Photo is from Edmonton's Halloween critical mass ride, 2024.
October 9, 2025 at 12:37 AM
ethnographer.bsky.social
Come to Edmonton for Nov 1st!
We do the best Hallowe'en rides:;
share.google/images/Vtd2s...
Poster. Orange background poster advertising Halloween Day of the dead critical mass. Images show a skull with a black suit riding a bicycle and a figure in a witch's hot and orange dress riding a bicycle.
October 9, 2025 at 12:33 AM
ethnographer.bsky.social
Darren Markland was a Renaissance man with a moral compass truer than Polaris. While forever grateful to have called him friend, I mourn the loss his death represents to the world, and grieve the pain that his wife, sons & close friends are experiencing. That this lodestar is gone just plain *hurts*
Photograph daytime outdoors: A man wearing a cap and lime green PFD paddles a canoe in the North Saskatchewan River. In the foreground is a bicycle balanced across the canoe. In the background is a bridge crossing the river. This guy is slightly cloudy with patches of blue. Reflected in the water are hints of urban buildings. Screenshot of text. Text reads: "Darren did not want a formal funeral. If you are reading this and want to honour him the way he would have wanted, do what he did every day: go outside, ride your bike, enjoy nature and do something kind for a stranger."
September 26, 2025 at 12:28 AM
ethnographer.bsky.social
Wise advise, pertains here as well, from a friend still on Xitter:

x.com/IngleWitch/s...

#FakeObitScam
Screenshot of a post on x from @IngleWitch. Text reads: "Don't engage posts with scams or malicious links weekly disguised as news or obituaries. A few days of dealing with these folks shows it's purposeful. Appealing to the posters better nature, or responding that it's fake is the engagement they're seeking. Report. Block. Move on" Dated September 24th 2025.
September 24, 2025 at 5:14 PM
ethnographer.bsky.social
Tears of joy.
Canada's Rugby 15s side *UNDEFEATED*
September 19, 2025 at 7:56 PM
ethnographer.bsky.social
Great ☀️ morning at @coffeeoutside.bsky.social
Happy camping-by-bike, Dave!

#yegbike
September 19, 2025 at 5:47 PM
ethnographer.bsky.social
You got me looking up other posters from the Peace Races :)
Eg:
Poster from the 1976 Peace Race. An illustration (sketch) of a stylized peloton of cyclists wearing multicolored jerseys against a backdrop of beige and green. Lettering reads Praha - Warszawa - Berlín. 29 Mezinårodni Zåvod Mîru. 8-12 Kvetna, 1976. Poster from the Peace Race of 1954. Illustration of a stylized cyclist in the foreground left, riding against a backdrop of beige and blue shaped like a wave such that the rider is at the front of the wave. A string of flags suspended over the rider for something right flags are from various Soviet countries. Lettering reads Warszawa - Berlin - Praha.
September 12, 2025 at 5:04 AM
ethnographer.bsky.social
At tonight's #YEG Ask Her forum on women's issues in the municipal election, I got to speak with @erinrutherford.bsky.social! I don't live in her ward, but I know her record on Council. She's been fair, forward thinking, & fiscally & environmentally responsible. Edmonton needs her to be re-elected🤞🏼
Photograph, interior. A selfie of two smiling women, one older, silver-haired, wearing glasses, the other younger, brunette, wearing a shirt with the slogan "PEACE FOR ALL". The younger woman is Edmonton City councilor Erin Rutherford.
September 10, 2025 at 3:05 AM
ethnographer.bsky.social
@coffeeoutside.bsky.social
Seriously? *I* (of all ppl) am first to Coffee Outside this morning?!
#Yegbike
#bikesky
Photograph, outdoors, summer, daytime. A woman in a yellow bicycle helmet stands in front of a monument of a police officer and a child. A bicycle leans on the monument podium. Photograph, daytime, outdoors, summer. Photograph of a monument with cirrus clouds and sunrise in the background.
August 29, 2025 at 1:20 PM
ethnographer.bsky.social
More shattering truth stories from @humansofny.bsky.social:

www.facebook.com/share/p/1R2P...

#Gaza
Screenshot of a Facebook post so stop three photographs: 1) Dr. Ahmed Seyam, a surgeon with Médecins Sans Frontiers / MSF, wearing surgical fatigues and looking very tired. 2) Dr Seyam, in a car with his young daughter. Both are smiling and happy and well-fed looking. 3) a badly wounded child with a large head bandage and bruised eyes, wearing what looks like a flack jacket.
August 28, 2025 at 2:56 PM
ethnographer.bsky.social
Dear Brandon (@humansofny.bsky.social), your FB stories featuring the Palestinian staff of @msf.org are beautiful -in the way of obsidian: crystal, smooth, dark, razor sharp. Thank you for making these heros' voices accessible.

www.facebook.com/share/p/16iL...
“My name is Weam. It’s a beautiful name for me, because my mother gave it to me. She died of cancer when I was eight years old-- so I love my name, because my mom loved it. It’s also perfect for me because it means ‘peace, love, and harmony.’ And everyone who meets me says that I’m positive energy shining everywhere. I’m a team leader for twenty-three pharmacists. ‘The pharma army,’ we call it. Ask anyone: we are the happiest team in the hospital. After we start our morning meeting, I’ll put on a bit of music for everyone. If they want to dance, they can dance. If they want to sing, they can sing. We are working 24 hours, seven days a week without stopping. They are under so much stress, all the time. There are always mass casualty incidents. And everyone in Gaza is living their own nightmare: with the bombings, the displacements, the hunger. So I’m just trying to make it easier for them. When I help others, it feels like I’m doing something right, that I’m still useful in this life. In Islam, if you speak a good word to someone else, it is also a good thing for you. So if someone smiles, and says: ‘Good job, you did it, you survived another day.’ This is a big deal for us. So I try to keep a smile from ear to ear. But on the inside, no. I am not happy at all. I haven’t slept for more than three hours since the war began. We are all screwed up in this world. Even if you are still alive in this moment, maybe in five minutes you will die. The smallest spark of light can be destroyed in the blink of an eye. How can anyone be happy when they are surrounded by so much death? But there is something that my mother said to me, right before she died. It’s the only memory that I have of her. She told me: ‘Weam, please keep that smile on your face. Because everyone loves your smile.’ So that’s what I’m trying to do. I’m trying. You will find that even when I’m crying, I am smiling.”
August 13, 2025 at 8:41 PM
ethnographer.bsky.social
Naomi Foyle's poem Salt, Snow, Earth has me riven, and riveted. Carol Rumens' analysis of the poem and the wider collection it is part of, is equally razor-lensed.

What are the odds indeed?

www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...

#poetry
Salt, Snow, Earth By Naomi Foyle Salt bites Snow. Snow slaps Earth. Earth pounds Salt. And so it goes, on and on and on round and round in every shade of hand — claw-teeth, hard palm, fist — Salt, Snow, Earth, Snow, Earth, Salt Bite, Slap, Pound. Slap, Pound, Bite A game to get the blood up. Heart pumping. Skin singing. No breath or time to ask Whose bodies are blanketed? Whose bodies blanked out? What are the odds white wins?
August 3, 2025 at 12:39 PM
ethnographer.bsky.social
July 22. Anniversary of the Jasper Wildfire. I'm in Thessaly, suffering the severe 40° heat wave and gritty Sahara winds. The ambient temperature (tising) and humidity levels (falling) are reaching the wicked fire weather inflection point.
White font on black background. Text reads: "Jasper; first anniversary. Thinking of my friends and family who evacuated a year ago, and specially those who've lost homes, livelihoods and dreams 💔. Also: fck Daniel Smith and the corrupt, perfidious UCP who sought to make Jasper's disaster and opportunity for political (& personal) gain 🖕🏼." Photo, daytime, outdoors. Mature woman looks down into the camera. She is wearing a t-shirt with text that reads: "JASPER. Still better than Banff."
July 23, 2025 at 10:01 AM