A group of convicted offenders are serving their time while serving the community as part of a partnership between the Calgary Police Service, Alberta Corrections and the Kiwanis Club of Calgary.
The inmates are repairing old bicycles while developing skills which will help with their reintegration into society as part of a program which has been in place since 2000.
The Calgary Police Service supplies unclaimed bikes to the prison where inmates provide the necessary repairs.
The fruits of their labour are provided to children in need in the Calgary area. The Kiwanis Club of Calgary Chinook has donated 5,000 bicycles to deserving children through various local agencies since 1997, the majority of which were repaired by inmates through the partnership which started in 2000.
“It started off with 15 bikes and it grew to 30 that year, and now, 17 years later, we’re on bike 5,000,” said Darlene Kerr, a representative of the Kiwanis Club of Calgary Chinook. “To be able to help that many families and kids in the city, it just overwhelms us.”
“If it was possible, I think we could give away 10,000 bikes a year in this city,” adds Kerr. “We get so many requests and we just can’t keep up with the demand.”
The reaction of the children receiving the bicycles and helmets can be a heartwarming moment for everyone involved.
“It’s such a source of joy for the children,” said Louise Bursa, a healthy families home visitor with Pathways, an organization which supports local children and their families. “Quite often (the families) can’t afford bikes for their children at all. They can’t get new ones or used ones, and it’s just like a miracle for them to have these bikes.”
Alberta’s Justice Minister says the program is beneficial for the children, the offenders, and the environment.
“Children in need benefit by getting recreational equipment, bicycles are kept out of landfills and offenders are put to work while being accountable for their actions,” said Minister Jonathan Denis, Alberta Justice and Solicitor General.
