SAFE Summerside is proud to be working towards bringing Cycling Without Age (CWA) to the city! Here is an interview that aired on CBC Island Morning on Dec 15, 2022:
| Last Updated: May 18, 2024 |
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QUALITY OF LIFE PROGRAM
Cycling Without Age is a rare program. It touches a community like no other. It is a quality-of-life program that can also improve sustainable and active transportation options. This international program (in 52 countries) trains volunteers called “pilots” who bicycle seniors (and others who may have limitations to restrict their ability) on specialized bicycles from manors around their community.
Cycling Without Age provides a quality of life experience to people who cannot bicycle independently. For us, we see this program also supporting Community Connections and also other groups of people (such as families with children with autism who are looking at creative ways for their children with autism to experience the world). This program offers such an experience. Please contact us if you think this program will help you, your family, and the community.
The program can best be summed up in the words of the founder, Ole Kassow: “It is surprising how a very, very simple bike ride can have such a profound impact on quality of life”:
Here are some links on YouTube by simply typing in "Cycling Without Age." Pick a few videos to see the program in action. Whatever video you select, we are sure you will agree that CWA is the kind of program that brings about real change in the lives of people and communities.
SAFE Applied to Become an Affiliate with Cycling Without Age
"When you believe in something so much, it hurts," this is how Ken Trenholm, Spokesperson of SAFE Summerside, talks about the Cycling Without Age program. SAFE Summerside applied to be a Cycling Without Age Affiliate in December 2022. We have reached out to all four Atlantic Canada chapters of Cycling Without Age, including the almost-beginning program in Stratford (PEI), to learn about their programs and to ask for their guidance.
"When you can picture in your head seniors being more connected to nature and their community, and volunteer pilots setting up once a week visits and developing a 'real' relationship with them . . . the longer you hold this image in your head, the more the program moves from just being a WANT to being a NEED. We need this joy and quality of life improvement program in our community. Just picture someone in a wheelchair experiencing bicycling for the first time! Or, someone in the manor feeling isolated. It is time to give back to the people who gave so much; join us as we try to breath life into this program."
Ken Trenholm
Spokesperson
SAFE Summerside
Andrews of Summerside/Parkhill
I have been the Director of Care here at Andrews of Parkhill for the past two and half years or so. During this time, I have the opportunity to care for some of our city’s aging population.
As you may, or may not already be aware of, Parkhill has two homes located on Schurman Ave in Summerside. One home is dedicated for Community Care, with currently 54 residents. The second home is dedicated for more independent residents, with a current population of 34 residents. The age of our resident’s ranges, from as young as 42 to as old as 102.With our home being Community Care and Independent living, most residents are mobile and enjoy getting outside when they can. One obstacle I personally see, preventing residents from enjoying their time outside, is the lack of safe roadways. With our location, we are between Summerside’s two main roads, Central St. and Granville St. This often prevents a “road block” for our residents, and confining them to a smaller area to enjoy their time outside.
I have been speaking with Mr. Ken Trenholm regarding S.A.F.E Summerside and Cycling Without Age.
I really believe Ken has the ideal solution, not only for Parkhill, but for most of Summerside’s resident’s to be able to enjoy their time outside, without additional safety concerns from traffic.A lot of the residents of Parkhill enjoy going for walks and with Ken’s idea of “Cycling” for our residents via a Trishaw, I know they will enjoy that activity. It will give a lot of them a sense of freedom, improve their quality and social aspects of their life, and may even bring back lots of forgotten memories from their younger years.
I truly believe our city should do everything possible to make S.A.F.E Summerside and CWA a reality for the residents of Summerside.
Matt Speight LPN
Director of Care
Andrews Senior Care
Community Connections Inc.
We feel this is a fantastic concept and think our clients would benefit from this program. To an organization like ours, this program is about more than age. It’s about inclusion.
Community Connections Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides a range of employment, residential, and support services to adult persons with disabilities. With an emphasis on persons with intellectual disabilities, the organization supports clients and families who reside in the region of East Prince, Prince Edward Island. The organization is based in the city of Summerside.
The purpose of the organization is to work with persons with disabilities and their families; to assist individuals to develop to their full potential; to support them to access and use community resources; and to empower them to contribute and participate in a meaningful way within their community. The Cycling Without Age program will help us with all of the above.
To think of a client that has been in a wheelchair their entire life or a client that has never been able to drive a bicycle due to physical limitations being able to experience a bike ride along our city’s trail system is beyond exciting. It is a game changer and would truly make our community more inclusive.
Our day program building is only 0.17 km from the current bicycle path on Greenwood Drive and could easily have a path added on the street behind our building to connect the trail.
John Smallwood
Executive Director
Community Connections Inc.
Wedgewood/Summerset Manor
This correspondence is to affirm the enthusiastic support of Wedgewood Manor, on behalf of Health PEI, to partner in the Cycling Without Age initiative.
The attributes of the SAFE initiave are apparent:
- Strong, enthusiastic leadership
- Concrete program parameters
- Clearly articulated risk management model
- Demonstrable outcomes from jurisdictional experience
- Flexible program design and sustainability plan
- Platform to further empower resident family members as partners-in-care
- Re-engaging seniors back into the communities they built
- Bringing joy and happiness to residents, their families and care team
Andrew MacDougall
Executive Director
Community Health & Seniors Care.
ENDORSEMENTS OF CYCLING WITHOUT AGE
Age-Friendly PEI Supports Cycling Without Age
People of all ages and abilities have the right to safe and supportive living environments that allow them to flourish, both physically and mentally. S.A.F.E. Summerside's Cycling Without Age initiative will promote social inclusion for everyone in Summerside and surrounding areas by increasing safe access to active transportation. This initiative helps to meet the criteria: social participation, outdoor spaces, transportation and respect and social inclusion, which are 4 of the 8 domains of an age-friendly community.
Marcy Bouchie
Coordinator
Age-Friendly PEI
Autism Society of PEI Endorses Cycling Without Age
I believe all individuals have the same sense of adventure, however some may
require added assistance and/or accommodations to experience that adventure. Cycling Without Age is the direct accommodation allowing individuals to experience adventure and mobility resulting in increased autonomy. For example, Individuals with Autism who have balance and/or perception challenges. Cycling Without Age would allow individuals to work around the barriers in effort to promote and improve an individual’s sense of adventure and autonomy.As we know, Autism is a lifelong disability. Cycling Without Age will allow young and aging populations of Islanders to develop a strong sense of community while learning a new mode of transport that promotes healthy living. This project will also promote efforts and
opportunities for individuals to enhance their own goals for personal independence. Other personal goals being directly influenced would be: Improving balance, Levels of endurance, Social Skills/Communication, Peer-Family interactions and levels of overall personal confidence.
This program supports community inclusion and will assist to develop ongoing
relationships between volunteer “Pilots”, non-profits groups, manors, and the community. It is time for everyone to experience the same sense of mobility and adventure, together.
Nick Diamond
Community Relations & Family Programming Coordintor
Autism Society of PEI
PEI Parkinson's Support Group Endorses Cycling Without Age
We are very interested in furthering the goals of securing safe Active Transportation routes that link places of interest within the City of Summerside and purchasing Trishaws that would greatly enhance the mental health of some of the most vulnerable groups among your residents.
We became aware of the healing nature of Trishaws within the senior population [and] are encouraged to hear about the possibility of improving the quality of life of people living with Parkinson’s Disease, seniors and people living with disabilities and hope that you will give S.A.F.E. Summerside’s proposal consideration.
Irene Doyle
Chairperson
PEI Parkinson's Support Group
OUR SEARCH FOR FUNDING
The two key financial challenges to beginning this program in Summerside are:
(1) Trishaws
The Trishaw costs up to $12,000 (includes GST). They are built in Denmark and distributed worldwide. We originally priced one Trishaw, the Nihola Taxi. Then after talking with Andrews, Wedgewood, and Community Connections, there was interest in a Trishaw that would transport people in wheelchairs as well. So, we priced a version that could also transport people in wheelchairs (Flex 2). The Trishaws are e-powered.
We see this as a “pilot project" with each organization housing two Trishaws: one that transports wheelchairs and one with the capacity to transport two people.
We are accepting donations. E-transfer
(2) A Safe and Connected Network
The second financial obstacle is because of the extra width of the trishaw (and the fact we are transporting a vulnerable population), a safe and connected network is necessary to connect people living in manors to their community fully.
While a fully connected Network is the goal of SAFE Summerside (www.safesummerside.ca/ThePlan), ensuring everyone riding a Trishaw is safe must be prioritized. In this light, we see the need for short AT Pathways that are protected (from the motor vehicles) with appropriate width (9.8 feet, 3.0 m as per recommendations of draft PEI AT Network Plan, pages 21-2) that take Trishaw users to the nearest safe connector. In short, it is not enough to “have” the trishaws; we need safe infrastructure, so the seniors, staff, and volunteers are comfortable using them.
The Confederation Trail gates will also need to be removed or open in order for the larger Trishaws to successfully navigate without issue.
NOTE: The above images are found on the CWA website - we have added a "floating" effect to each one to symbolize the freedom and outdoor connection this program provides.