Stolen bike back in hands of cross-Canada traveller

Winnipeggers have come through in a big way for a man who had his bike stolen in the city while on a cross-Canada journey.

Fergus Watt, 69, had his bike stolen on Tuesday from outside the Mountain Equipment Company shop on Portage Avenue. On Friday, it was back in his possession after a Winnipeg Transit operator spotted the thief trying to get the bike on the bus.

“The person who had the bike had been trying to take the wheel off and couldn’t, so the tire was kind of slashed,” said Watt’s wife, Michele Chadwick, who posted about the stolen bike online.

“So, the Winnipeg bus driver was like: ‘well, this doesn’t make any sense,’ so he confiscated the bike.”

She’s not sure how the driver managed to get the bike back, but it ended up in the Winnipeg Transit lost and found. At that time, another employee posted a picture of the bike online, not knowing about her search.

She said that’s when several people from the cycling community contacted her after making the connection.

“Sure enough, it was the bike,” she said.

She’s pleased her husband will be able to continue his journey on the bike he initially purchased for the endeavour, but said she’s more than pleased with the Winnipeggers who worked to get the pedal-powered tool back.

“I’m very impressed with the Winnipeg bike community and Winnipeg Transit for rallying together to find this bike,” she said. “Since this theft has happened, I’ve noticed just how many postings there are every day for bikes stolen, so Fergus is super lucky that the bike has been found.”

morgan.modjeski@freepress.mb.ca