About Us

Saskatoon Trail Alliance was established in 2018 to advocate for sustainable singletrack trails in Saskatoon. Saskatoon has an incredible trail network that has so much potential. Currently there is no structure in place for building, maintaining, and supporting the trails – we hope to change that. With the help of local volunteers we hope to move Saskatoon towards being the premier prairie single track trail destination in Canada.

Mission

To grow Saskatoon’s trail user community by building, caring for, and promoting sustainable single track trails.

Vision

Establish Saskatoon as the premier prairie single track trail destination in Canada

OUR BOARD

Saskatoon Trail Alliance is pleased to introduce our 2021 board members.

Ryan Graf - President

Hi! My name is Ryan Graf and I am the president and founder of the Saskatoon Trail Alliance.

I was born and raised in Humboldt Sk. I moved to Saskatoon in 2012 to attend the University of Saskatchewan and am now very happy to call Saskatoon home with my fiance and our two boys.

Mountain biking has become my escape from all the crazy and way to reset. I am very lucky to be able to share this passion with my family and hope that the work the STA does will ensure these trails are around when they are older.

My focus while on the board is to formalize an agreement with key stakeholders to ensure the foundations are laid for future generations. These foundations will ensure that the trails remain sustainable and welcoming for all trail users.

Stéphane Kiefer - Vice President

My name is Stéphane Kiefer and I am the Vice President.

My passion for biking started at a young age. My brother got into skateboarding and I guess I wanted to be different so I decided to pursue BMXing instead. Growing up in Humboldt I would spend hours everyday riding my bike around town, but with no trails or skateparks around we had to be creative and build our own stuff. I continued to ride as much as possible all the way through elementary and highschool. After highschool I took a few years off to go travelling, this led to a few more years off with university. I refound my passion when I started exploring the trails in Saskatoon. I enjoy hiking, running, and especially biking these trails.

I heard about the STA through Ryan. I have known Ryan since my elementary school days and when he told me he was starting the trail alliance I was very excited. I spent the last year on the board as a member at large but this year I moved into the Vice President position. I am excited to continue to develop and maintain the great trail network that we have in Saskatoon! I would like to see the trail alliance community continue to grow and represent all the single track trail users.

Craig De Gier - Treasurer

Hi, I am Craig de Gier and I am proud to be the SMTBA Treasurer. I started Mountain Biking in 1998, and I am a Chartered Professional Accountant in Saskatchewan. I grew up in Halifax, NS, where I lived most of my life except for a couple years living in Vancouver, BC. In 2017, my family and I moved to Saskatoon where we are now settled for the long haul.

I got involved in the SMTBA because over the years I was able to see the progression of trails in other areas go from raked paths through the woods, to purpose built and maintained trails. I believe that this is necessary to grow the sport in recreational, and competitive, categories. I want to help build this legacy here in Saskatoon, and I am happy to use my business and cycling background to help make this happen.

While on the board, I would like to see the SMTBA get trail maintenance permits with the City of Saskatoon and/or other land owners/controllers as appropriate. I would also like to work with the city to develop pump tracks and skills parks into various underutilized park spaces in the city. I want to make sure that our Mountain Biking infrastructure includes an appropriate variety of trails and skill development areas so that riders can progress from Novice to Expert/Elite levels as they desire.

Alexis Mcdonald - secretary

Hey, My name is Alexis McDonald, but you can call me Lexi. My passion for biking started 7 years ago when I met the love of my life and eventual husband, Spencer Cruikshank. We have 3 trail dogs, who also have a passion for biking. You mention the word bike at our house, and pandemonium ensues.

I used to be a runner and ran the trails around the city before I found biking. I now use an all mountain Giant Liv Intrigue to navigate the trails around Saskatoon and the surrounding area. My favourite trails to ride always start at the Sutherland dog park and from there I can navigate the city.

As the secretary for the SMBTA, I would like to see an an established relationship between bikers, hikers, and other trail users alike. We all use the trails and I want to hear what different trail users want. I’d also love to get more women involved in trail building and maintaining in a comfortable environment where we can learn how to use the tools and have fun. Oh, and look for our merch that will be to come!!

My love for biking draws me to the mountains, and I love going on trips to bike destinations. We have biked all over BC, Alberta, Sask, Washington and Iceland. I’m always up for more trips with friends!!

I am a very bubbly and happy person to ride with, so if you ever see me on the trails, introduce yourself and let’s ride!

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Hemant Naidu - Member at large

My name is Hemant Naidu and I’m excited to join the Saskatoon Trail Alliance as a Member at Large for 2021. I’ll be handling the social media coordination for the STA, and hope to keep everyone informed of all the great things we have in store for this year.

I was born in Kindersley, SK but grew up in Wilkie, a small farming community about 160 km west of Saskatoon. I received my Bachelor of Commerce degree with a major in Computer Science from the University of Saskatchewan in 1999. I immediately moved out to Guelph, ON for about 6 years before returning to Saskatoon in 2005. I’ve been in the tech industry for over 20 years and currently work as an Engineering Manager for a local tech company. I met my wife Michelle shortly after coming back to Saskatoon, and we now have 2 boys (7 and 10 years old) and a curmudgeon of a chihuahua.

I’m fairly new to mountain biking and kind of got into it by accident. I wanted an easy way to explore the river area to take photos and video so I bought a mountain bike. In doing so I stumbled upon the vast trail network and immediately became obsessed. It didn’t take long for me to pass this love along to my family, and we now enjoy shredding the singletrack together. We now also suffer from a storage problem as our 2 car garage is half filled with bikes.

With our family making regular use of the trails I wanted to become more involved with the great community that builds and maintains this network. Being a member of the Saskatoon Trail Alliance seemed like a great way to make that happen. With the traffic on the trails increasing regularly, I hope to help bring awareness to everyone on how we can make this network enjoyable for everyone, regardless of whether you’re riding a mountain bike, running, or hiking.

JAmie Sisson - Member at large

Hello, I am Jamie Sisson and have been living in Saskatoon for 12 years. I’m a member at large with the Saskatoon Trail Alliance for 2023.

I started mountain biking in 2016 after a trip to Moab, Utah with some friends. I spend most weekends riding all over the province including the Saskatoon river trails, Blackstrap, Buffalo Pound and Little Red River.

I’ve been considering joining the Saskatoon Trail Alliance for the last few years and decided this was the year. Saskatoon has a great network of trails and I wanted to get involved to help further promote the trails and help with planning and maintenance. Joining the STA will also foster new relationships with all the great people that use the trails.

Théo Dow - Member at large

Hi, my name is Théo Dow. I am a member at large with the board for the Saskatoon Trail Alliance.

I have lived in Saskatoon for 12 years, and I’m delighted to call it home. Since moving to Saskatoon I have slowly grown my understanding and appreciation of the single-track trail system to the point where I currently use them almost daily. Trail running is my passion, but I also enjoy biking, hiking, and bird-watching on the trails.

I chose to join the board for the STA because I have a great appreciation for the work they do and I wanted to help give back to the trails and the community. Having a well-maintained trail network accessible to all users right in the city is a wonderful way to experience nature close to home. I am very grateful to all members of the STA, and I’m looking forward to contributing to the greatness of the trail network as a member of the board.

James Fehr - Member at large

My name is James Fehr and I’m a Member at Large.

I’ve lived in Saskatoon or on acreages in the surrounding area my whole life. I’ve always loved cycling but didn’t get into it in a serious way until my mid 30’s when I joined my first bike club and could finally afford some expensive bikes. I hated winter back then because it would put a stop to my cycling fun so for several winters in a row I found the cheapest vacation package I could which happened to be to Phoenix, AZ. I would rent a cheap hardtail and ride all day long for a week straight. Besides a sore butt, I also got hooked on riding singletrack and decided I needed to get into this kind of cycling a lot more, but with full suspension and a more comfortable saddle! I got my first full suspension mountain bike about six years ago and a fat bike shortly after that and have been riding the trails all year round ever since. I knew about some of the singletrack in Saskatoon but once I started exploring I realized there were a lot more trails than what I had previously known about.

I joined the Trail Alliance as soon as they were formed and came out to the majority of the trail work days to give back and help maintain the trails I love riding. I decided to get more involved and join the Board because I enjoy doing trail work and I would like to see us do more extensive trail maintenance work and also do it more frequently. See you on the trails!

Carly Ethier - Member at large

Hi! My name is Carly Ethier and I am excited to join the Saskatoon Trail Alliance as a Member at Large. I am also Ryan Graf’s fiancee 🙂 .

I was born and raised in Saskatoon, SK, and still live here with Ryan, our two young boys, Beckett and Kaycen, and two cats.

Mountain biking has become a big part of my life since meeting Ryan. Before having children, we spent most of our evenings on Saskatoon’s trails. It has become a hobby that I never would have explored if Ryan didn’t introduce me to the amazing trail user community and trail system we have in our city. I am so happy that I get to share in this passion, and pass that along to our boys.

My goal in joining the Saskatoon Trail Alliance is to help support planning and organization of events, learn more about our trail system, meet new people, and improve my biking skills!

While on the board, I would like to see a formal agreement signed with the City of Saskatoon and Meewasin, organization of more consistent trail maintenance days, promotion of our organization to more trail users and the general public, and make trails more user friendly for families and beginner mountain bikers like myself.

About us