the spoke. grows up
We welcome our new social work practicum student, Tara. Tara is working with us to ensure that our program delivers the most value possible to youth participants. She's already connected with many youth and families, and our waiting list is quickly growing again. Read more about The Spoke »
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Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton, in partnership with EBC and funded by Next Gen’s MEAET microgrant, has designed and built a pedal powered apple crusher. It's official launch came at the Devonian Garden’s Fruit Grower’s Festival last weekend. Check out OFRE's website--they're a fantastic organization, and watch a video of the apple crusher in action! VIDEO »
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What's New
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Annual General Meeting
Our Annual General Meeting is Sunday, September 30, from 1-4pm, at Parkallen Community League Hall (11104 65 Ave).
Please attend to learn about EBC's past year, and help plan the direction for our upcoming year, including voting on our budget and electing 6 positions to the Board of Directors. Light snacks will be provided.
If you know of someone that is passionate about livable cities and the impact of transportation options on quality of life, please nominate them to run for our Board today.
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New BikeWorks Manager
We're happy to announce that we have a new BikeWorks Manager. Alex Hindle, our longtime staff, has moved (just in time for winter), but we know that our new BikeWorks Manager, Coreen, will do a superb job. Any shop-related inquiries, including volunteer questions, can continue to be sent to Coreen at in...@edmontonbikes.ca.
It's a very rare day that I don't ride a bike. In fact, bicycles as fun & transport have been interwoven into my life for more than a decade. As well as being a long-time BikeWorks volunteer, mechanic & instructor, I also design clothing, do all sorts of arts & crafts, and photograph and write (about bikes). Recently, I've gotten into more long distance riding, and have ridden a metric century almost every weekend this summer on a steel framed bike as old as I am. I'm super-excited about my new role at EBC and can't wait to meet all the BikeWorks volunteers, and hear your opinions on what makes us awesome as well as how we can improve, and how we can spread the velo-love.
Coreeen
BikeWorks Manager
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Advocacy
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Cyclist Town Hall Meeting: Whyte Avenue Corridor Bike Paths
As Edmonton’s cycling hub, the Whyte Avenue Corridor is in dire need of dedicated infrastructure to increase safety and make cycling more comfortable for cyclists of all abilities.
Come to this town hall meeting and help galvanize public support for Whyte Avenue Bike infrastructure, and form a working group to refine a proposal to make to the city. Cyclists should decide what infrastructure would best improve cycling safety and comfort along the Whyte Avenue corridor.
Agenda:
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Edmonton Bicycle Commuters' Society: presentation on bicycle infrastructure
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Conrad Nobert: Ideas for Whyte Avenue Bike Infrastructure
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Ben Henderson, Edmonton City Councillor
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You: open forum/town hall meeting. What bicycle infrastructure do you think would make Whyte Avenue safer and more comfortable for cyclists?
When: September 25, 2012, 7:30pm
Where: Queen Alexandra Community Hall, 10425 University Ave (near Calgary Trail and 76th Avenue)
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Isaak Kornelsen Memorial Ride
Thank you to the hundreds of people that came out to the memorial ride for Isaak Kornelsen, and to everyone that made a donation to EBC in memory of Isaak. It was an amazing tribute, and we hope to turn this tragedy into the momentum for positive change.
One of our volunteers, Andriko, photographed and also created a video clip of the memorial ride, which you can view on YouTube. |
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Bike Racks on Buses
Did you know that EBC, through an Alberta Ecotrust grant, purchased half of the bus bike racks in the program's initial pilot? ETS is now making progress in outfitting its entire fleet with bikes on buses. We're meeting with ETS in the week of September 24 to demo some potential designs, and we want to take your feedback with us.
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Education
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Bike Boxes
The City of Edmonton has finished adding bike lanes to 116 St from 87 Ave to Saskatchewan Drive. At the 87 Ave intersection, they've added a bike box. You can read Elise Stolte's story in the Edmonton Journal about them, as well as find more information on the City's website. The City has also created a tremendously entertaining video to educate drivers and cyclists on how to use the bike box. Watch it on YouTube. |
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The Spoke
the spoke. ( http://thespoke.ca) provides workspace, knowledgeable volunteers, and the tools for youth to rebuild bicycles that would otherwise end up in our City’s landfills. Youth are given the opportunity to repair a bicycle using the tools in the shop and the skills they have gained during weekly sessions facilitated by volunteer mechanics.
the spoke. aspires to foster a sense of belonging and self worth by way of providing a positive and engaging community space and hands on work experience. Volunteers work with youth, providing mentorship and skill sharing. Youth will be given the opportunity to build relationships with peers and volunteers in a safe and positive environment centered on the values of cooperation and mutual respect.
Once graduated, these participants will have the chance to facilitate future sessions with new youth from the community. This transition intends to foster confidence, self-esteem and life skills; encouraging and supporting youth to be leaders and role models in their community.
Know of the perfect candidate?
the spoke. has re-launched and is currently running a full session. We are accepting nominations for the next session, beginning November 7th, 2012. The best part is that there’s no cost! All that’s required is a commitment to participate and a love of cycling!
Interested? Drop us a quick line about your youth and let us know what makes them the perfect fit for the spoke, or if you'd like to donate to the program or volunteer yourself. Contact sp...@edmontonbikes.ca. Sessions are 6 weeks long, every Wednesday night from 6-8pm, and are free, but registration is required.
the spoke. is generously funded by the Stollery Charitable Foundation, the Urban Spirits Rotary Club, and the Edmonton Community Foundation. It is an EBC project in partnership with the Neighbourhood Empowerment Team (City of Edmonton, Edmonton Police Service, The Family Centre and the United Way), operating out of our new, additional downtown location in the McCauley & Norwood neighbourhoods, BikeWorks North (9305 111 Ave).
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Services
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Trailers needed for Campus Food Bank Trick or Eat
Every year, EBC participates in the University of Alberta Campus Food Bank's annual Trick or Eat food drive on October 31 for Halloween. We cycle around with bike trailers, retrieving food from other volunteers (who go door-to-door on foot) and ferrying it back to campus for sorting. This year, Sustain SU is also partnering with us.
If you have a bike trailer that you'd like to lend us for the event, or you'd like to ride yourself with your trailer, please contact us. It's both terrifc fun and for a great cause (and there may be some candy). |
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Latitude 53 and Visualeyez
Latitude 53, one of Edmonton's best galleries and an incredible contemporary art centre, recently presented Visualeyez 2012, the thirteenth edition of Canada's annual festival of performance art. EBC provided visiting artists with complimentary rental bikes. We'll continue renting out bikes from both BikeWorks North and BikeWorks South ( http://edmontonbikes.ca/bikeworks) until the snow flies. See our rental page for more information, including costs and availability. |
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Membership Benefits
We are currently actively pursuing several partnerships with like-minded local businesses. If you manage a business and are interested in working together, please get in touch with us. We'll be updating our website soon to include our partners and associated offers. In the mean time, here's one to get things started:
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C Returns: Choose "Edmonton Bicycle Commuters" as your referral source when signing up for an audit and EBC will receive $25. Submit your C Returns receipt to us for a $25 credit at BikeWorks for new or used products or services. Everybody wins!
Are you looking to green your home? C Returns can help improve your energy efficiency and reduce your carbon footprint. This means you can spend more time cycling instead of looking for certified, experienced auditors, researching and selecting appropriate retrofit devices, getting and evaluating bids, supervising construction, and applying for rebates. Our non-profit does it all for you - minimizing hassle, maximizing impact. Whatever your ambition, or budget, we can help you achieve your light, mid or deep green renovation goals. Register for a home energy assessment ($400 until the end of August) at CReturns.com. Spread the green.
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Events
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Tron Ride
Date: Sat, Sept 22
Time: 7:30pm
Location: BikeWorks North (9305 111 Ave)
Website
Fire up the light bikes and dust off your identity discs cause you are in for a night of retro-futuristic bike fun! We'll secure our glow sticks before riding into the retro future and exploring E-Ville's finest 1980's futuristic haunts while evading Master Control.
After the ride, we'll return to BikeWorks for refreshments, 80's video games, LED frisbee, and a screening of the original movie starring the young Dude (Jeff Bridges).
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Car Free Day
Date: Sat, Sept 22
Time: 11am-3pm
Location: 102 Ave & 104 St (Downtown Farmers’ Market)
Website
Come play on Edmonton's largest hopscotch board and enjoy other free activities: Bike tune ups and cycling tips, face painting and kids crafts, bicycle try-it library, YMCA kids' zone, learn how to load your bike onto an ETS bus, and take the 1-day-a-week pledge. |
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EBC Annual General Meeting
Date: Sun, Sept 30
Time: 1-4pm
Location: Parkallen Hall (11104 65 Ave)
Website
The AGM is where we review the past year and set our direction for the next. Hear reports from our President and our Treasurer, as well as our Annual Report, and vote on next year’s budget. We will also be having elections to fill 6 positions on the Board of Directors. If you are interested in helping to set the direction of our growing organization, or know someone that can lead us towards a better city for cycling and walking, please visit our nominations page. |
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Copyright © 2012 Edmonton Bicycle Commuters' Society, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you signed up on our website or in your membership application.
Our mailing address is:
Edmonton Bicycle Commuters' SocietyPO Box 1819 Edmonton, AB T5J 2P2 Canada
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