the three organizations we are in communication withSAFE 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
2022
  • December 6: Submitted a funding request to the Rotary Club of Summerside (read letter)
  • December 8: Amended our letter of concept to include 6 Trishaws
  • December 10: MacQueen's Bike Shop reported they can be a distributor (waiting for final shipping costs)
  • December 15: CBC Island Morning interview
  • December 19: Added Endorsement from Age-Friendly PEI
  • December 21: Added Endorsements from the PEI Parkinson's Support Group and the Autism Society of PEI
  • December 22: 644 local residents (unique IP Addresses) have visited this CWA page (only has been online for two weeks), making it the highest-viewed page on our website
  • December 22: Met with Dan Kutcher, Mayor of the City of Summerside
  • December 23: Began communications with the Province re: if communities in PEI can access the available federal funding currently or does our bilateral agreement needed to be amended
  • December 24: We have revised our proposal based on the federal funding no longer available (funds are exhausted). For example, instead of linking Wedgewood as far as Elm Street, we are linking it only as far as the Wedgewood Staff parking lot. Thus, streamlining the cost of this program.  

2023

  • January 3 - 31: Meetings with MLAs and interested City Councillors to discuss CWA and AT
  • January 6: Interviewed by Journal Pioneer 
  • January 10: Already 10 volunteers have signed up as volunteer pilots (wait until the program starts!)
  • January 21: SAFE approved as an official Cycling Without Age affiliate. 
  • January 26: Discussion with Jane Hu, Executive Director of Cycling Without Age Canada
  • February 15: Meeting with PEI Cupcakes, confirming they will begin fundraising to help purchase one Trishaw
  • March 2: Meeting with Wedgewood Manor Provincial leads, program discussion, and interest in the program confirmed
  • March 20: Presented our All Ages All Abilities Network Plan (and briefly CWA) to City Council. 
  • April 4: City Council voted unanimously to support this motion: "To accept the report as presented by Ken Trenholm and SAFE Summerside and to direct the CAO to work with Ken Trenholm and SAFE Summerside to bring forward an Official Active Transportation Network Plan for the City of Summerside for Council's review, consideration, and potential adoption". An Active Transportation Plan is key to the development of the CWA Program.
  • November 11: Rotary Club submits an application for the purchase of six Trishaws to the PEI AT Fund.  Two each for Community Connections, Wedgewood, and Summerset. Approx funding proposal breakdown: PEI AT Fund (50%), Rotary (40%), Community Connections (3.3%), and Wedgewood Manor (3.3%), Summerset Manor (3.3%).

2024

  • May 18: We are waiting for the Treasury Board to get back to us on the status of our application.


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Cycling with Age users

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.  

 volunteers bicycle to manors and take seniors into the 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.   

Cycling with Age users

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
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.

Andrews Senior Care
Matt Speight LPN
Director of Care
Andrews Senior Care

 

Cycling with Age usersCommunity 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.

Community Connections
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

Health PEI
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.

Age-Friendly PEI
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.

Autism Society of PEI
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.

 

PEI Parkinsons Support Group
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.

Cycling with Age users

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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and note if there is a specific location you would like to fund (ie, Wedgewood, Summerset, Andrews of Summerside/Parkhill, or Community Connections).

Cycling with Age users

 (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.

Cycling with Age users

Cycling with Age users

 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.