Two Wheel View - Changing young lives from the seat of a bike.
Team Ward 9 was fortunate to be able to spend some time with two amazing local organizations doing important work to empower and engage youth in cycling - Two Wheel View and Youth en Route.
First up, we meet with Laura Istead, Executive Director of Two Wheel View, and got to meet some of the incredible staff and volunteers at their Inglewood Community Hub.
Check out the video of our time together, and learn more about the awesome team helping to make biking more accessible for all Calgarians.
Two Wheel View
Two Wheel View has been in operation for over 20 years, having moved to Inglewood (from their previous home in Sunalta) in 2022. Through a variety of programming aimed at helping youth, young adults, and those traditionally under-recognized in cycling, Two Wheel View works to provide development programming that uses the bicycle as a tool to build resiliency in young people.
Their programs include:
Earn-a-Bike Program
A 10-week after-school program for youth ages 12-17 to learn bike maintenance and safety while building community. At the end of the program, participants get to keep the bike they worked on.
GAP Program
GAP is a skills-based training program for at-risk young adults 18-24 to learn bicycle mechanics, retail, and customer service employment skills.
Full Cycle
A school-based bicycle program for Indigenous youth of Treaty 7 aimed at reducing risk factors and fostering healthy communities through cycling education.
Gender Equity Mechanics (GEM)
Safe and inclusive community-driven events and volunteer opportunities for folks often under-recognized in cycling and bike mechanics - women, trans, femme, and non-binary folks.
In addition to their programming, Two Wheel View is a registered charity, operating a social enterprise bike shop out of their Inglewood Hub space. All revenue generated through the sale of bikes and accessories goes back into funding their educational programming.
Two Wheel View accepts donations of used bikes, bicycle parts, and monetary funds. They are also always looking for volunteers - get in touch if you have anything you’d like to pass along to the next generation.
