If you passed by the Mona Campbell building on Monday (May 13), you likely saw a queue of smiling bikers patiently waiting for their tune-up appointments.
Bike Tune-Up Day was made possible through Dalhousie’s Workplace Wellness Grants Program. The program funds more than a dozen projects each year that promote workplace wellness. All faculty and staff are eligible to apply.
Jeff Myers, director of community partnerships and projects with the Faculty of Open Learning and Career Development, was one of the successful applicants this year. “Thinking about wellness initiatives, nothing makes me feel more well than biking to work,” he said.
Bike maintenance
Myers collaborated with Long Alley Bicycles to offer an afternoon of 20 minute, 1-on-1 appointments where mechanics checked tire pressure, brake pads and derailleurs, chains, and general nuts and bolts — regular checks after bringing a bike out of winter storage.
“It’s good to be back on campus,” said Derik Sauve, one of the mechanics.
A Dal alum himself, Sauve spent many hours at Dal’s own bike centre — a student-run initiative that offers repairs, hosts events and coordinates bike loans on campus. Sauve remembers tinkering with bicycles as a kid, and when he came to Dal he got involved as a bike centre volunteer, eventually becoming the centre’s manager. Sauve graduated with a Bachelor of Community Design (Honours), a program that explores creating and maintaining healthy and sustainable communities.
Commuters across campus
Bike enthusiasts across campus filled the tune-up appointments within minutes. Participants came from various faculties and offices, including the Faculty of Open Learning and Career Development, Faculty of Management, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Department of Physics, Dal Libraries, Office of Research Services and Ocean Tracking Network.
Olivia Fader, Dalhousie’s 2SLGBTQ+ advisor in Student Affairs, enjoys biking to campus from near the bridge. “I did chat with a few new commuters and was generally chuffed to be there,” she said of the tune-up clinic. “It felt lovely to feel a sense of community like that outside of my division.”
Biking in Nova Scotia
Attendees discussed the need for better biking infrastructure while discussing their commutes to campus and weekend adventures.
Advocating for infrastructure is one of the many pillars of the Halifax Cycling Coalition, a non-profit organization dedicated to education, advocacy, and consultation. Board members Joan Stonehocker and Peter Zimmer attended the day to share resources and handy cycling maps.
Bikers can look forward to two ongoing projects near Dal’s Halifax campuses: the extension of the Almon Street bikeway and flyover bicycle bridge on the Halifax side of the Macdonald Bridge as part of the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) All Ages and Abilities (AAA) Bike Network project.
To learn more about biking on campus, visit the Campus Bike Centre or Cycling information from Dal’s Office of Sustainability (login required).