Rethinking Lifestyle

Since La Bikequerie opened in June of this year, we’ve received close to 200 bikes and counting! Now we’re in a position to offer volunteer opportunities to those interested in working on bikes for a good cause. On Saturday, October 29th, we’ve scheduled a pair of bicycle repair specialists for a day-long skill-building workshop at our location in La Broquerie, and you’re invited!

But let’s back up a bit – what is La Bikequerie? La Bikequerie is a non-profit community bicycle repair workshop in, you guessed it, La Broquerie. Its aim is to give new life to used bikes by repairing and redistributing them to the public at a low cost, or even in exchange for volunteer hours for those who can’t afford it. It’s a place for cyclists to access the tools and the knowledge they need to improve their own skills, work on their own bikes, and volunteer to repair donated bikes. Finally, it’s a gathering place for folks who want to support cycling in their own community and spend time with people of similar interests.

The response from the public has been overwhelming. Bikes are steadily coming in weekly, and we’re looking forward to a productive winter of repairing bikes and honing the skills of our volunteers. Spring promises opportunities for family biking days, kids’ bike swaps, and community bike repair days – all in an effort to advance cycling in La Broquerie and surrounding communities.

On Saturday, October 29th, we’ll be hosting two of Manitoba’s premier bike repair experts, Anders Swanson & Leigh Anne Parry, for a day-long workshop on bicycle repair open to anyone who wants to get involved. (Leigh Anne Parry is Project Manager, Administrator and volunteer extraordinaire at the Winnipeg Trails Association, and Anders Swanson is President of Vélo Canada Bikes and Executive Director of the Winnipeg Trails Association, as well as co-founder of the W.R.E.N.C.H. in Winnipeg) Both have extensive experience teaching people of all skill levels on how to maintain and repair bikes, and are specialists in the field of community bike workshops. We’re excited to have the opportunity to offer such high-quality training for the first time in Southeast Manitoba. The workshop runs from 9am to 5pm. Find out more and register at labikequerie@gmail.com or by calling 204-346-1515. Space is limited, so don’t delay!