Photo Courtesy of Cycling Without Age Medicine Hat

By Gates Guarin

Cycling program puts Medicine Hat on the map

Cycling Without Age brings new possibilities to those with limited mobility

Apr 6, 2022 | 4:46 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Residents in care centres will soon be able to reconnect with their community through a cycling program aimed at breaking social isolation.

Cycling Without Age was created in Copenhagen back in 2012. The program makes it possible for seniors or those with limited mobility to explore their communities on a special three-wheeled electric bike, known as a “tri-shaw.”

Medicine Hat will be the first city in the country to begin the program with three tri-shaws. The city will receive two of the bikes this spring, with a third due to arrive shortly after. Cypress View Foundation will maintain and house these bikes, and will also serve as the test facility for the program.

The Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta provided a grant to help purchase the first two bikes, and Pembina Pipeline sponsored the third.

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Hilary Hamilton, activities coordinator at Cypress View, says residents are eager for the bikes to arrive.

“When you think that people with mobility difficulties are not always given the chance anymore to go riding on bikes, they’re going to love this,” Hamilton says. “They are so excited.”

Julie Lacasse, program coordinator for the Medicine Hat chapter, echoes the residents’ excitement.

“How exciting it is for them to, in the summertime, to go out and do something different,” Lacasse says. “It’s just a different activity, and it’s at no cost. It costs no money to them. So it’s a very exciting opportunity to do something different.”

Hamilton says family members will also be able to ride along with residents.

The bikes have a two-seat passenger carriage in the front, and a volunteer “pilot” who sits in the back. Passengers are able to chat with pilots riding along, helping them reengage with the world around them.

A committee of volunteers is in the process of long-term planning, and pilots are currently being recruited in the hopes they can be trained and begin riding with passengers later this spring. The Medicine Hat chapter aims to have six fully operational tri-shaws by summer 2024.

Those wishing to volunteer can email program coordinators at CWAmedhat@gmail.com.