The organizers of the Discovery Routes’ ReCycle Bikes Program say they are making great progress in restoring donated bicycles to a safe and operable condition one month in.
The program currently has 33 bikes ready to repair prior to rehoming and the collection period will run throughout the summer. Discovery Routes’ Liz Irvin says an update will be given at the end of July on when bikes will officially stop being accepted. Meanwhile, the public can drop off bicycles they wish to donate at the North Bay YMCA. Discovery Routes will issue a $25 charitable tax receipt for each donation. Discovery Routes is unable to accept children’s bikes that are extremely rusty or broken as they are too costly for our organization to repair to a standard that is reusable.
Irvin says what began as a small, volunteer-driven program aimed at providing opportunities for youth to participate in local bicycle programs is growing. Since 2015, volunteers with Discovery Routes’ ReCycle Bikes Program have tuned up and distributed over 60 children and youth bicycles.
Discovery Routes Trails Organization and the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority are allowing ReCycle volunteers to use Laurentian Ski Hill’s lower lodge in the off-season as a site to store and repair donated bicycles. This extra repair space means the program will be able to collect adult bikes in addition to kids’ bikes and expand the collection period for used bikes throughout the spring and summer.
