Tell Us Your Story. What motivated you to start your business? Why are you passionate about what you do?

PEDAL/Our Community Bikes envisions a community without oppression where bicycles are accessible to all, regardless of perceived ability, employment status, income, race, gender, or sexual orientation. For the past 31 years we have been building bikes and community in Vancouver, bringing together mechanics, cyclists, and everyone else who could benefit from pedal powered transportation. In 1993 there were no other cycling advocacy organizations in town, and there was no easy way to get a free or low cost bicycle. Our founders saw that gap and worked hard to fill it, transforming what started as a labour of love initiated by a small group of bicycle enthusiasts into the full service bike shop and non profit organization that we are today. We are passionate about bikes, and sharing that passion with as many people as possible, because we have seen the transformative power of bike-love. We have seen time and again that increased access to bikes, and education is highly empowering, helps strengthen bonds, and builds community engagement.

Describe and demonstrate, including metrics, your community support. How do you support and uplift your community, and how do they show that support in return? Minimum 25 words, maximum 2500 characters.

Since 1993 PEDAL Society has been promoting the use of bicycles as a healthy, affordable and environmentally sound form of transportation. We offer education in mechanical skills to empower people and to enable their access to community services and opportunities. This is done through our three programs. Our Community Bikes is our bike shop, it also functions as a cycling education and resource centre. We ensure access to cycling through affordable refurbished bikes, and opportunities to learn to maintain your bike in safe riding condition. The shop serves a diverse cross section of Vancouver, and helps disperse resources by collecting donated bikes and giving them out at low or no cost through our other programs. Our educational programs empower people from diverse backgrounds to learn bike mechanics and cycling skills. This includes specific access nights for women/trans/queer individuals and deaf/hard of hearing people, as well as youth programs. Our Community Bike Club is our primary youth outreach program which provides a variety of maintenance and riding workshops, summer camps, and a free weekly youth drop-in program which includes an earn-a-bike component. Young people from all over the city participate in Bike Club, and often continue volunteering with us after graduating from the program. Our Pedals for the People (PFTP) program provides free bikes, parts, and repairs to people who face financial barriers and otherwise struggle to access self-actualized transportation. The bikes given away through PFTP are donated to the shop and then refurbished by volunteers, and checked by our staff mechanics. PEDAL/OCB is proud to play a part in the circuit of gathering unwanted bikes, restoring them to good function, and by doing so passing these bikes on to people who may not otherwise be able to access one, thereby keeping rideable bikes on the road and out of the dump.

Why do you deserve to win the Business Impact award?

PEDAL/Our Community Bikes deserves to win the Business Impact Award because our work directly contributes to improving the various living conditions around us, and winning this award will help us continue building bikes and building community. We believe that our efforts exemplify the qualities of a business that makes a significant positive impact on society, the economy, and the environment. Our comprehensive approach to empowerment, inclusivity, sustainability, and community engagement makes us a deserving candidate for a business impact award.

Tell Us About Your Culture. How are you creating a sustainable and healthy workplace where everyone feels welcome? Provide examples of leadership you show in interactions with clients, vendors, contractors, staff and others.

PEDAL/Our Community Bikes creates a welcoming and sustainable workplace through our inclusive mission and values that explicitly focus on using bicycles as a tool for social change to combat oppression and increase opportunities for all. We strive to provide an equitable workplace regardless of ability, race, gender, sexual orientation or age, and offer various funds and incentives to support staff members from groups who have historically been underrepresented in the cycling industry. We highly value accessibility and respect, as demonstrated by our Community Agreement that all visitors are asked to read before using the shop and services, which helps establish clear expectations for inclusive behavior. We strive to make sure all shop users feel welcome, and prioritize providing refurbished bicycles, affordable maintenance, and DIY repair options, to make cycling accessible to low-income individuals and those facing financial barriers. Our focus on pedal power as an environmental support is also directly linked to creating a healthy workplace, as we cycling is a more environmentally sound form of transportation, and contributes to mitigating climate change effects. We do not limit access to tools or repair knowledge based on perceived ability, and we create opportunities for people with disabilities through bike mechanics as occupational therapy. As a bike shop we strive to create an environment where all people feel safe, included, and respected, an we acknowledge that we operate on unceded Indigenous territories and express commitment to the ongoing care of these lands in collaboration with host nations by raising funds in support of Indigenous land defenders, and promoting Indigenous cycling initiatives.