On January 15, 2026, at Collingwood’s Simcoe Street Theatre, historian and author Ted Glenn will present a multimedia talk on his book Riding Into Battle: Canadian Cyclists in the Great War. The presentation is scheduled as part of two performances at the theatre on January 15 (2 p.m. and 7 p.m.); the evening performance begins at 7 p.m., and doors typically open 30–60 minutes before showtime. The event takes place in Studio 7 of the theatre — a 100-seat black-box venue at 65 Simcoe St.
Glenn will explain how the Canadian Corps Cyclist Battalion evolved from dispatch riders into a versatile force with a 23 percent casualty rate, a unit often referred to as the “Cinderella of the service.” Attendees can expect a slide show of archival maps, historical photographs and rare film clips that bring the soldiers’ experiences to life. After the presentation, Glenn will take audience questions; a book table will be available and a book signing may occur (check the venue for confirmation). Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online or at the Simcoe Street Theatre box office; prospective attendees should check the theatre’s website or call the box office for the venue’s door-ticket policy.
Glenn delves into the soldiers’ daily duties — from digging trenches and patrolling roads to shouldering rifles and gas masks while carrying about 40 kilograms of kit on their bicycles. In a passage republished in Canada’s History, he writes, “It was more like trying to mount a haystack than a bicycle.” The talk will highlight the cyclists’ shift from rear-line messengers to rapid-response infantry and scouts.
The cyclists’ greatest test came during the Hundred Days Offensive (August–November 1918), when their speed and flexibility were crucial in the fast-moving “war of movement.” Of the 1,138 men who served as Canadian military cyclists during the war, 261 were killed or wounded, a casualty rate of about 23 percent — a statistic that dispels the myth that cyclist units were safely behind the lines. Collingwood and the surrounding Simcoe/Grey County region have deep ties to the Great War and sent many of these athletes-turned-soldiers overseas, which gives the subject local resonance.
Ted Glenn is a professor and program coordinator at Humber College (Public Administration) and divides his time between Toronto and Grey County. Riding Into Battle was published by Dundurn Press in 2018 and has been praised for making dense military history accessible to general readers. With only 100 seats in Studio 7, early ticket purchase is recommended to secure a spot at what promises to be a compelling local history presentation.
