LRSD students in the saddle

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/01/2021 (1984 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A partnership between Louis Riel School Division and the Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub — a.k.a. the WRENCH — has yielded 280 bikes for members of the division’s school community.

On Dec. 10, 185 children’s bikes were gifted to Victor Mager School (81 Beliveau Rd.) and 95 were gifted to the René Deleurme Centre (511 Ste. Anne’s Rd.) as part of the WRENCH’s annual Cycle of Giving and Moving On Up campaigns.

According to its website, the WRENCH is a registered charity “that creates stronger, healthier communities by removing barriers to building, repairing and maintaining bicycles — with a focus on educating youth.” The northwest Winnipeg-based organization strives to make bikes more accessible by providing programming, education and resources for community members, groups and organizations; supporting school and community bike shops; and promoting bike use.

Noting his gratitude for “this incredible gift for our school and our students,” Troy Reinhardt, Victor Mager School’s principal, said the bikes that were recently donated by the WRENCH will be used for physical education learning and after school programs, and — in some cases — go directly to families. He said the bikes will be used for outdoor classes in the spring to help teach students proper cycling techniques and safety, and “it will then be our great pleasure to gift the bicycles to our students on behalf of the WRENCH before they head home for summer break.”

“We have families in this community for who purchasing a bicycle is challenging at the best of times,” Reinhardt told The Lance recently, adding this is a great story in the midst of the challenges the school’s community has faced in light of the pandemic.

“To be able to provide bicycles to families like this is wonderful,” he said.

“Families in this neighbourhood don’t take anything for granted, and on their behalf I’d like to say how incredibly grateful they are with such a wonderful gift. Because of the current restrictions, the community won’t have the opportunity to express its gratitude, so I’d like to do it on its behalf,” he said.

There have been a number of key players and educators involved with this initiative, including Kate Sjoberg, the WRENCH’s executive director; Jim Silver, a professor in the University of Winnipeg’s department of urban and inner-city studies, and a research associate with the Manitoba office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives; and Danielle Quesnel, a community liaison worker at Victor Mager School.

Sjoberg said the WRENCH has a longstanding connection with LRSD, and she’s delighted the school’s community will now benefit from the use of so many bikes.  

“It’s tremendous to be able to do this, and so many Winnipeggers are now contributing these initiatives in so many ways,” she said, noting how WRENCH programming diverts lots of bikes and bike parts from Winnipeg 4R Depots.  

“It’s great to be able to put these bikes back on the road, and it’s been such a collaborative effort by so many people. Transportation equity is so important.”

Go online at thewrench.ca for more information about the WRENCH.

Go online at lrsd.net to learn more about the division.