On December 27, 2022, Capital Bike received a hard-earned email from the Canada Revenue Agency: we were officially a Registered Charity!
We couldn’t be happier about this. Being a Registered Charity means that we can apply for new funds. It means that we can create giving campaigns to fund important projects. It means that people who believe in our work can support us and they get a significant tax break. Being a Charity opens the door to long-term stability, resilience, collaboration, and growth.
One fateful morning in June, The Whale, our big, hunky, newly-electrified cargo bike, was stolen from our office, leaving us shocked, dismayed, and heartbroken.
A few days later, the Whale was recovered but stripped bare of all its components and electronics. In 7 days, this incredible community donated over $4,000 to repair our beloved ‘Whale’.
There are no words to express the overwhelming gratitude that we felt as the sympathy and donations came flowing in our time of need.
On Thursday, August 17th 2023, Capital Bike hosted a special fundraiser screening of the documentary film, ‘The Engine Inside. Hosted at the Vic Theatre, this was a sold-out screening that featured a short presentation about Capital Bike as well as a raffle draw. The Locker, our free and secure bike valet, was offered for movie guests.
213/213 Tickets Sold
$3,895 Dollars Raised
58 Bikes Parked
Education
Bike Skills Courses
Our courses are offered in recreation centres, at community events, in summer camps, and through community partners like the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre, Hillside Mall, municipalities like Victoria, Saanich, Sidney, and more!
Everyone Rides Grades 4 and 5 is becoming universal cycling education for all children in Greater Victoria. Through this programming, we ensure that every kid who starts middle school has been able to learn safe biking skills.
27 Schools
129 Classes
3,185 Students Trained
Ride the Road Grades 6 & 7
This year, we piloted a new middle school cycling training program for grade 6 students at Monterey Middle School.
Meant to build on ERG4&5. Ride the Road Grades 6&7 is a comprehensive, multi-day course that teaches kids practical 5 riding skills in-class and in the playground, which culminates in a guided group ride around the school neighbourhood. The group ride builds familiarity and confidence to ride independently to school.
3 First-Time Riders
5 Classes
130 Students Trained
Songhees After-School Bike Club
In collaboration with the Songhees Wellness Centre staff, we created a 4-part after-school program, delivered in May 2023, which focused on building bike handling skills through fun games and activities. As a drop-in
program, between 8-15 kids participated weekly.
On Giving Tuesday, we asked our community to help us fund this program for next year – and you delivered! We raised over $4,400, ensuring this program will run again in 2024!
22 Participants
4 First-Time Riders
Go By Bike Weeks
Go By Bike Week continues to make a huge impact on riding in the region: 9,703 registered riders and 2,570 teams logged 39,133 total trips by bike. In 2023, 2,815 participated for the first time. Event participants clocked 453,111 total kilometres which resulted in 98,234 kgs of greenhouse gas emissions saved!
Commuter Challenge
The Commuter Challenge is our annual Bike VS Car race. it’s a chance to test out the conception that driving is faster than biking. We create a real-world challenge in rush-hour conditions and pit teams of two against each other in a race to the BC Legislature’s front lawn.
In 2023, for the first time, the Commuter Challenge acted as the launch of Go By Bike Week Launch; kicking off the 4 week countdown to Go By Bike Week. We had 20 teams made up of Councillors, Mayors, MLAs, sponsors, and local non-profits.
90% Bike Win Rate
Sticker Challenge
The Sticker Challenge is a free, self-directed event where families, colleagues, or individuals can discover and experience the region by bike! There were 63 Sticker Locations from across the region, including Sooke, Saanich, Langford, Colwood, Sidney, and Central Saanich. Sticker Challenge locations provided free prizes, gifts, and discounts for participants.
63 Sticker Challenge Locations
271 Participants
1,771 Location Visits
Truth and Reconciliation Day Ride
Starting in 2021, the Reconciliation Day Ride has quickly become our flagship group ride.
It is driven by a wonderful partnership with Xe xe Xmun eem-Victoria Orange Shirt Day and inspired by Diane Sam. Together, we work to offer our community a meaningful way to honour residential school survivors by fostering dialogue and shared understanding.
590 Participants
Engaging Women & 2SLGBTQI+ Folks
Creating space for under-represented communities is an important part of the mission of Capital Bike. Men are well represented in biking circles and it’s important to create space for other communities too.
This Fall, we created a ride specifically for women and 2SLGBTQl+ people. Attended by about a
dozen individuals, this was a ride with a chill vibe! A couple of accessible 5km loops through the trails and back streets of Vic West offered all kinds of great scenery.
Services
The Locker – Event Bike Parking
Since launching in Spring 2022, The Locker has quickly become a staple at local events throughout the Region. Our partnerships with local event organizers m e a n that the service w a s offered at 51
events in 2023, a 56% increase from 2022.
6,707 Bikes Parked
51 Events
Most Bikes at Single-Day Event: 616 (South Island Powwow)
Most Bikes at Multi-Day Event: 1,339 (Rifflandia)
Downtown Bike Valet
Through our partnerships with BEST (Better Environmentally Sound Transportation) and the City of Victoria, the downtown bike valet has grown exponentially in 2023. With currently over 32,900 bikes parked since March, we have had a 182% increase from 2022.
91 Average Bikes Parked per Day
42% E-Bikes or Cargo Bikes
32,912 Total Bikes Parked
We Couldn’t do it without you!
A HUGE ‘Thank you!’ to all of our Board members, Volunteers, Society Members, event participants, and supporters. We really couldn’t do any of this work without your support – by helping us out, by joining the Society, by coming out to events, by using our services. When you show interest and demand, you make all of our work possible. Thank you!
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