Flying Squirrel builds community, breaks stigma
More than a business, Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Company is building a community of motorcycle enthusiasts and beyond.
The flagship Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Co., named after the 1920s motorcycle, was established in Toronto in 2005 with business partner Alex de Cartier. Jim Vandekas, the owner and operator of the Creemore location, was committed to opening a satellite location in Creemore because it is a popular destination for riders.
Like the Queen Street East location, Flying Squirrel is a café, retail store, event space and community gathering place for motorcyclists.
Creemore is one of three locations opening in 2024.
Vandekas, a six-year veteran of the Canadian Forces, has been coming to Creemore since 2008 with his club, BMW club of Ontario. He also leads international trips and last year he took a group through Greece, where Vandekas lives part of the year.
Vandekas said Flying Squirrel has become a home base for motorcycle riders, and positive masculinity and mental health.
“Mental health is the overlying theme of who we are as individuals,” he said, adding that he found a sense of safety in the community.
“It’s fulfilling to have a human connection and be vulnerable,” said Vandekas. “We’re about community, and welcoming all.”
In 2014, Vandekas founded Moto to Heal.
Around that time, he said, the death of his father plunged him into a deep depression.
“I became a horrible person toward my family but therapy helped me identify triggers and opened my eyes to the road map of not dealing with your mental health,” said Vandekas. “With men there is a stigma about talking about feelings.”
“My passion is to create awareness that we can rely on each other,” he said. “My motorcycle saved my life. Your bike is medicine.”
When he was experiencing dark thoughts, he said, “I could just ride.”
He said operating a motorcycle requires very intense focus that leaves the brain with very little room for thoughts to wander.
Riding his motorcycle brought him clarity and Vandekas found that when his mother died he was better prepared to deal with the grief.
Many months in the planning, Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Company is now open in Creemore at 2 Francis St. E. The Official Grand Opening is planned for Saturday, June 15.
The community space is not just for motorcyclists. Vandekas is also an avid cyclist and hopes to draw the wider community with specialty coffee and a rotating Mediterranean inspired menu of sandwiches, salads and treats (including gluten-free options).
Flying Squirrel has already hosted a couple of impromptu rides with the local motorcycle community and is planning to participate in upcoming local events, including a Canada Day barbecue on June 30.
The retail store is displaying a motorcycle of the month as a way of telling stories about the bikes and the people who ride them, along with an apparel section, indoor and outdoor café seating and there is a plan to show films about motorcycle culture.
Flying Squirrel Motorcycle Company, located at 2 Francis St. E., is open seven days per week: Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
