SATAN’S CHOICE: A NEW GENERATION, A NEW PURPOSE, A NEW LEGACY

By Mr. ‘X’ ~ John Mutton, Former Mayor of Clarington Satan’s Choice is a name woven into Ontario’s motorcycle history. It represents a tradition, a brotherhood and a story that stretches back generations. Today, a new generation is adding its own chapter. I believe that chapter deserves to be heard. What interests me most is the people involved, the lives they are building and the good they are doing in their communities. I have a personal reason for asking. I know Harley Guindon. I have watched him work to build a different life, and I have encouraged him along the way. A legacy and a new chapter Bernie Guindon is an important figure in the history of Satan’s Choice and Ontario motorcycle culture. His story is well known, and the club’s legacy has endured for decades. Now Harley Guindon and a new generation have an opportunity to honour that heritage while creating something that reflects who they are today: people with families, businesses, friendships and a commitment to their communities. For me, that is what makes this story worth telling. A lunch at the Albany Club In October 2021, I invited Harley to lunch at Toronto’s Albany Club. It was an opportunity to recognize the hard work I had seen him put into his life and business. Harley later described the lunch in an Instagram post dated October 7, 2021. He recalled asking why I would risk bringing him there. My response, as he recounted it, was that he had spent five years changing his way of thinking and becoming a legitimate businessman; past mistakes should not forever tarnish someone who had worked hard to change. His public reflection on that meeting meant a great deal to me. What I wanted him to understand was simple: recognition and respect are not reserved for people with perfect histories. They can also be earned through effort, accountability and a sustained commitment to doing better. I was recognizing a friend whose determination and progress I respected. A new generation, under an old name Harley has spoken publicly about reviving Satan’s Choice with his father Bernie’s blessing. There is something meaningful about a son carrying forward a name connected so closely to his father, while helping shape its future in his own way.In Oshawa, Harley G’s has become a visible part of his business and community identity. Councillor Brian Nicholson has also commented publicly on Harley G’s and its presence in Oshawa. I see this new chapter as an opportunity to highlight fellowship, entrepreneurship and community service—qualities that deserve attention wherever they appear. From Reputation to Community Responsibility We now have several public examples worth examining. In an August 27 Facebook post, Harley G’s Oshawa promoted its backpack drive for local children. The appeal sought backpacks, pencil sharpeners, binders, scissors, lunch kits and school-safe snacks, with donations accepted at its Simcoe Street South location. It was a straightforward request for the community to help students begin the school year prepared. In October, Harley Guindon publicly promoted Christmas food and toy collections for Oshawa. A separate post by Barrett Thompson announced a holiday donation initiative associated with Satan’s Choice Rivers Edge MC. These posts document charitable appeals and stated intentions; they should not be confused with independently audited donation totals. And in Sudbury, local reporting described members of the revived Satan’s Choice serving food to people at the Energy Court homeless encampment. Feeding neighbours who need a hand is a generous, practical act, and one worth celebrating. Taken together, these examples show a willingness to show up for others. They tell an encouraging story about people using their time, resources and connections to make a difference. When I sat with Harley at the Albany Club five years ago, I believed that people deserved a chance to build a different future. These community initiatives are among the examples that deserve to be part of that conversation. A Code Worth Living By There is another aspect of motorcycle club culture that I have always respected: the importance placed on integrity, loyalty, respect and standing by your word. A handshake should mean something. A commitment should mean something. And when you give someone your word, you should be prepared to stand behind it. These are principles I believe are essential to what Harley Guindon and the new generation of Satan’s Choice are working to achieve today. Having spent much of my life in municipal and provincial political circles, I cannot help but draw a comparison. Imagine how much better our political institutions would function if every elected representative approached public service with that same commitment to personal integrity, mutual respect and keeping promises. We spend considerable time talking about codes of conduct, ethics rules and accountability in politics. Yet the most fundamental principles are remarkably simple: tell the truth, respect others, honour your commitments and stand by your word. Oshawa. Those values should never belong exclusively to any club, organization or profession. They should be the foundation of how we conduct ourselves everywhere, including in the halls of our legislatures. And perhaps that is one of the most important messages in the new chapter of Satan’s Choice: a legacy is built not simply on the name you carry, but on the principles you choose to live by. From Ontario to the World What makes this new chapter of Satan’s Choice particularly remarkable is how quickly Harley Guindon’s vision has grown. What was initially envisioned as an Ontario-based motorcycle club soon expanded across Canada, then across North America and, according to the club’s own account, now includes several chapters internationally. But to me, the significance is not simply how many chapters open or how many members wear the Satan’s Choice colours. It is about the values that travel with them. If the principles of respect, integrity, loyalty and standing by one’s word that Harley is working to instill become the foundation of every new chapter, the potential positive influence reaches far beyond Oshawa. Every community with a Satan’s Choice chapter could benefit from members who embrace those principles and demonstrate them through their actions. That is the opportunity before Harley and the new generation: to build something international while maintaining the personal values and community spirit that inspired its revival. A club can expand through its membership. But its legacy grows through the respect it earns. Building a legacy through action A legacy is built through the things people do, often quietly and without expecting recognition. That is why these efforts matter. The new generation of Satan’s Choice has an opportunity to become known for supporting children, helping families, feeding people in need and being good neighbours. The examples we are already seeing are encouraging. I am pleased to recognize this positive work, and I hope it inspires more of the same. I know Harley as a person, a businessman and a friend. I have seen the work he has put into building his future, and I believe that work deserves to be recognized. The next chapter is ours to write. And that is how a new legacy grows.