Local bikers seek divine help at second annual Blessing of the Bikes
By Lethbridge Herald on April 30, 2025.
Herald Photo by Joe Manio
All Saints Roman Catholic Parish pastor. Fr. Kevin Tumback, blesses rider Norm Racine and his Kawasaki Nomad 1600 during the Second Annual Blessing of the Bikes.Joe Manio
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Enjoying the freedom of the open road on motorcycles has its risks, and motorcycle enthusiasts need all the protection they can get, both physically and spiritually. For their safety and well-being, over 100 riders gathered at the Evangelical Free (E-Free) Church of Lethbridge last Sunday, for the second annual Blessing of the Bikes.
“God cares about all aspects of our well-being: physical, psychological, social, emotional, and spiritual.” says E-Free pastor Jeremy Light. The Blessing of the Bikes speaks to all those aspects as well: we ask God to provide physical safety, remind each other of the spiritual reality of God’s presence, celebrate social connections by eating together and riding together, which then helps with mental and emotional health as well.”
Among those gathered were families of the bikers, including children too young to ride yet, and other supporters. Father Kevin Tumback, pastor of All Saints Roman Catholic Parish, participated in 2024 inaugural blessing and returned to support the bikers and to assist the E-Free pastors in blessing them.
“There is nothing like the sun, the wind and the road, but safety has to come first.” says Fr. Tumback. “I have been blessing bikes for over 25 years, it is a Catholic thing to bless a motorcycle, car, truck…we bless vehicles.”
Organized by the Southern Alberta Bikers Association (SAB), the bikers gathered ranged in age from young new riders in their early to late-twenties to veteran bikers in their 60s and 70s. Twenty-eight-year-old Brianna Nielson has been riding since September.
“I came today to get to know people and go for a group ride,” says Nielson. “I haven’t had any problems yet. Hopefully it stays that way.”
Bikers face many hazards and challenges while riding, including limited visibility, road conditions, weather challenges, speed and sharp turns, lack of protective barriers and other drivers.
Unlike cars, motorcycles don’t have a protective shell, so riders are more vulnerable to severe injuries in collisions. Distracted, aggressive, or inexperienced drivers can pose a threat, as they may fail to yield, follow too closely, or misjudge the speed and distance of motorcycles.
“It’s important that the public know that the bikers are back out there, from Spring through Summer,” says SAB president Dallas Harty. “On Friday we had three or four accidents. It seems like it’s becoming a more common occurrence. We’ve all got to share the roads.”
In Alberta, there were five motorcycle fatalities in 2024, all of which occurred in June. Over half of motorcycle fatalities result from collisions between two or more vehicles, while 38 per cent result from single-motorcycle events.
In 2024, 242 motorcycle and moped riders died in Canada, according to Transport Canada. This is the highest number of deaths recorded in over 20 years and a 24 per cent increase from 195 deaths in 2019. Motorcycle accidents are 30 times more likely to result in fatalities than automotive accidents.
The inspiration for the Blessing of the Bikes came from Medicine Hat, when Lethbridge riders attended a bike blessing event there. Harty says when the Lethbridge biker community showed interest in holding a similar event here, SAB members Trent Regier and Terry Friesen were instrumental in organizing the 2024 inaugural event.
“Trent and Terry really took the bull by the horns and made this happen,” says Harty. “Last year we had just over 42 riders. To have more than doubled that this year really fills my heart with joy.”
After breakfast and a short non-denominational ceremony in the church, E-Free pastors and Fr. Tumbach individually blessed riders and their bikes. The riders then departed on a communal ride to Taber, Vauxhall, Picture Butte and back.
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What about the mental and emotional health of those homeowners who have to endure the unlawful roar of these muffler-less behemoths. Where are the police?