Helped promote health and wellness while raising funds
COCHRANE—As he left Cochrane last Friday afternoon for a 12 hour car ride back to Manitoulin Island, very tired and probably a little cold after having taken part in the James Bay EPIC Fat Bike Ride, Steve Redmond, constable with the Manitoulin detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) was emphatic about whether he would be interested in taking part in future rides.
Absolutely, I would be up for the challenge,” stated Constable Redmond, who is the court case manager and offender transport coordinator with the Manitoulin OPP.
Constable Redmond took part in the James Bay EPIC Fat Bike Ride March 7-9 up the James Bay coast from Moose Factory to Attawapiskat. The ride is designed to promote health and wellness while raising funds for youth bike programs across the James Bay coast. It focuses on positively engaging, influencing and mentoring youth through cycling and bicycle care.
Constable Redmond is a member of the OPP Cycling Team and four other team riders (all volunteers) from around Ontario took part in the ride. They travelled from Moosonee to Moose Factory, Fort Albany, Kasechewan and Attawapiskat. The participants rode 300 kilometres on fat bikes on studded tires.
“We gave away a total of 25 fat bikes to kids in five communities (having assembled the bicycles themselves), through New Hope Bikes which provided the bikes and paid for them,” said Constable Redmond.
“The ice roads were really interesting,” stated Constable Redmond. He noted the weather on Tuesday was really cold, with temperatures as low as -21°C with really strong winds. “Yesterday (last Thursday) it was between minus 12-14 degrees as we were leaving Attawapiskat and then the wind got really up.” Fortunately, the participants had the proper clothing on to handle these difficult conditions. The riders reached speeds of between 13-36 kilometres per hour depending on whether they had wind behind them.
“You know when you bike 100 kilometres each day you are bound to be tired,” stated Constable Redmond.
“I think we raised about $17,000 on the ride, but I don’t know if donations are still coming in,” said Constable Redmond.
“We were very well received in each of the communities,” stated Constable Redmond. “In Fort Albany, for example, they had a dinner ready for us at the Women’s Centre, which is part of the local school. The OPP commissioner was presented with sage and sweetgrass by members of the community. Also, in Fort Albany the deputy chief of the community and some of the councillors, and the vice-principal of the school met us 11 kilometres outside of the community and rode in with some of the fat bikes that they had received.”
“We received a lot of support along the way on entire ride,” said Constable Redmond. “Along the way we received a lot of waves from people and honks on their vehicles as they passed us,” continued Constable Redmond. “It was kind of a novelty for the residents in the communities, you don’t generally see fat bikes on the roads north in winter.”
New Hope Community Bikes partnered with the OPP, Ontario Cycling, and the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service, along with the communities on the west coast of James Bay to bring about this epic event.
“Our aim is to partner with each local community to initiate youth bike programs, safe cycling education, skills and resources,” a release explained.
