For the second year in a row, Neighbourhood Small Grants has made the Free Bike Repairs Project possible. This year, we fixed dozens of bicycles in downtown Courtenay. The bicycles were either being used in an unsafe condition by people or had been discarded or abandoned. We set up 4 times in July and August, sometimes, overwhelmed with the number of bicycles to fix.
Every week, we would bring 3 or 4 fully functioning bicycles to give away to anyone who needed them. This summer, we gave away 12 free bicycles to people in need of safe, reliable transportation. The second year brought a wave of expectation and joy, as people who used these services last year were excited and eager to have their bike fixed up, receive a free bike, or simply hang around and chat!
