JASON SETNYK
Dozens gathered at the Cornwall Public Library as author and Parkinson’s advocate Lloyd Taylor shared stories from the road, his new book, and his message of hope and compassion.
Taylor, who lives in Toronto, is part of the Spinning Wheels team, a group of riders with Parkinson’s who have cycled more than 23,000 kilometres across Canada since 2022 to raise awareness of the disease. In 2024, he completed a 1,000-kilometre ride from Dawson City to Tuktoyaktuk, finishing at the Beaufort Sea.
“We are here to promote the book The Kindness of Strangers and the ride that goes with it, the Spinning Wheels cross-country tour to end Parkinson’s disease,” Taylor said.
He explained that the book’s title grew out of daily acts of generosity along the route. “Each chapter in the book is dedicated to someone I met, because every day we needed help of some kind and every day someone would step up,” he said, recalling strangers who offered beds, meals, or help repairing bikes.
While Parkinson’s is the backdrop — every rider on the tour lives with the condition — Taylor said the book is ultimately about the country and its people. “It’s really more about the unique kindness of Canadians,” he said.
The Spinning Wheels tour has passed through Cornwall every year, and Taylor said the community’s cheers and curiosity have become part of that larger story.
He also used the event to raise awareness about Parkinson’s, calling it “the fastest growing neurological disease in the world,” with no known cause or cure. Almost everyone, he noted, knows a friend or family member affected.
“There’s an embarrassment in tremoring in public, knocking over your coffee, stumbling as you walk,” Taylor said. “I want people to understand that we all know someone with this disease… it’s a struggle, but life goes on. I just hope people can be understanding and be kind.”
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