A new way to experience the park

Tuxedo

The Forks

Locals and visitors alike have been flocking to Assiniboine Park for decades. Now, there’s a new way for those visitors to learn about the history of the park.

Last July, Bee2gether Bikes launched an electric Surrey tour throughout the park, where visitors could learn a little about the park as they rode along in the open-air electric, hitchhiker-style pedal-assist bicycles. Now, the long-running tandem bike rental business has added a “stretch limo” Surrey to its fleet, allowing up to 15 adults and six children to take a tour at once.

“People really develop an appreciate of something when they realize there’s history behind it,” said Chad Celaire, owner of Bee2gether Bikes and Tours. “The tours we offer capture that, we hope. Without history, you don’t really have the park. We want to serve to carry that on.”

Celaire founded Bee2gether Bikes in 2007 with his wife, starting with a few tandem bicycles and a Boler trailer, which they set up at The Forks, and one goal: “to allow families to spend quality time together, which is why we used the tandem bikes.”

“When we realized there were other bikes that held even more people, we thought that was even better,” he said. “In this day and age, lots of people, myself included, we go out and we’re glued to our phones and we miss opportunities to capture the essence of what beauty is in nature. It’s hard to go on this bike and be stuck to your phone, even if it’s one hour or 30 minutes.”

A few years later, the company set up shop at Assiniboine Park, then added Birds Hill Provincial Park.

“We’ve kept rolling ever since,” Celaire said, noting Bee2gether’s fleet numbers over 100 bikes of different varieties. “People will just come and (rent) a bicycle to take their family out for a ride. Some people will go for a picnic, surprise their spouse for a date. Some people have gotten engaged or used the bikes in their weddings. Some have ridden down the aisle in the bikes at their wedding.”

Last year, the opportunity to pick up a pedal-assisted Surrey bike presented itself, which proved fortuitous.

“We were thinking that we’d always wanted to use these bikes as an opportunity to show people the history of the park, and also at The Forks, too,” Celaire said. “We felt like this is going to reach a market we haven’t been able to reach. A lot of time seniors come to Assiniboine Park, and a lot of times they have limitations. But this opens up an opportunity for them to see the park.”

A typical tour will take about 90 minutes, and feature approximately 22 points of interest. Cost is $26 per person, or $20 for children (age 2 to 7). With a crew of knowledgeable tour guides committed, Bee2gether Tours is now booking for the summer.

“We’ve got a wonderful staff,” Celaire said. “They’re retired, and they love to get to meet so many different people.”

Theo Schulz and his wife Jacquie are among those tour guides. The couple, who have been married over 50 years, live a short walk away and use the park year round.

“I love this park. I remember it from when I was six years old, when it was City Park,” Schulz said. “It’s fun. Once you know where the brake is, there’s no stopping.”

Schulz said he tailors each tour to the clientele, hoping to provide a personalized experience for each group.

“If you have a grandmother with three kids, I’ll focus on the playground,” he said. “Or if it’s a bunch of seniors, they know who Bill Norrie is, they know who built a bunch of these things, that’s a different kettle of fish. Sometimes, people just want to talk to each other, so I just let them talk. It’s their tour. They’re here to enjoy the park.”

With an expanded fleet and guides ready to go, Celaire is hoping to provide not only an entertaining outing, but an educational one, as well.

“It’s getting people back to nature, to appreciate the beauty that’s right in front of them,”he said. “We want younger people to experience the history of the park, to appreciate that history.”

For more information, or to book a tour, visit bee2getherbikes.com