Saskatoon high school bicycle program offers freedom, opportunity for students

When Caitlyn Kirkpatrick noticed that some of her classmates had problems getting to school, she decided to do something about it.

A Grade 12 student at Bedford Road Collegiatein Saskatoon, Kirkpatrick called up Care andShare, a local charity that has a bicycle program for elementary students.

She managed to round up seven used bicycles, then managed to get helmets and bike locks. It was a cheap, simple way to help teens get to school.

"Bus passes get costly," she said. "So, I thought, why not promote cycling at Bedford?"

However, there was a catch. The students had to fill out an application, listing why they needed the bike and how they could use the bike to do good in the community and pay it forward.

"At Bedford, we're a very close community," said Kirkpatrick. "And we often try and promote good in our school, and to promote healthy, active lifestyles."

Bike stories

The stories of the students in the program are inspiring.

Sisters Christine and Joelle Romeah arrived in Saskatoon two months ago, as refugees from Syria.

The pair don't have much experience on a bike. Since women traditionally don't ride bicycles in Syria, most of their cycling time was spent circling around their old house's flat roof.

"This bike will help me show more about Saskatoon and the neighbourhood," said Christine Romeah. "I will help my parents to get some things from the store, because we haven't got a car yet."

Meanwhile, other students are using the bikes as a way to get a job. Grade 12 student Kineesha Johnson is graduating this year, and needs a way to move around the city.

"For me, it's not as hard, because I like to walk around," she said. "But having the bike would help."