Students from a West End junior high are being offered an eight-week course with a reward.
In partnership with The Wrench, a charitable non-profit that operates the largest and best-equipped community bike shop in western Canada, General Wolfe School is offering a bicycle repair and maintenance course.
Over two months, the youth, all in Grade 9, work on refurbishing a bike, which in return they can take home and call their own.
"The idea is to give students an opportunity to use their hands more, providing an experience within school that is beyond what usually occurs in the classroom," said Shawn Reimer, a math and science teacher at General Wolfe to the Winnipeg School Division.
The bikes, in need of repair, are provided by The Wrench.
"Some of these bikes came from The Wrench just last week," said Reimer. "This one here didn’t have any brake cables. Sometimes they’re missing pedals, things like that. They are bikes that, with a little bit of work, can get going again, but they’re usually not in a rideable state when they come to us."
The students, who for the most part have no experience maintaining a bike, say the course has taught them more than just maintenance skills.
"This class is really fun," Sam Joanette said. "It’s helped me learn things like how to change tires and how to fix brakes so that I can fix my current bike on my own and not sell it or trade it for a new one," said Sam Joanette. "It’s great, because I bike everywhere in the summer. It’s free, it’s easy, and it’s more direct than bussing or even driving."
The course is offered to three groups of eight students per school year, and each time, weather permitting, wraps up with a bike ride.
"We have some students who have never actually been on a bike before, so we’ll take them to the school field and ride on the grass," said Reimer.
At the end of the program, the students take home the bike they've fixed. They also receive a helmet and a lock.