KUGLUKTUK/TALOYOAK
The Polar Bike Project is spreading. Based in Kugluktuk and started by new arrival Alison Harper more than a year ago after she moved with her husband to the hamlet in 2014, the project will see bikes delivered to another Kitikmeot community.

Canadian Coast Guard member Michael Crummy prepares to load 38 bikes onto the CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier, which can be seen in the background, June 30. - photo courtesy of Canadian Coast Guard

Call it a special delivery. The Canadian Coast Guard Ship Sir Wilfrid Laurier, a light icebreaker, and its crew plans to spread the joy in late August.

"This year, the CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier is delivering 38 bikes to the small town of Taloyoak. On June 30, the donated bicycles were loaded onto the ship in Victoria, B.C.," said communications advisor Michelle Imbeau. "Michael Crummy is the organizer of this charitable campaign for the Coast Guard in B.C. This is the second year in a row that CCG has transported donated bikes to the Arctic during its annual trip where the ship conducts ice breaking and aids to navigation operations near Northern communities."

This summer, the ship will continue to help out on Parks Canada's search for the HMS Terror.

Imbeau spoke for Crummy since he was on vacation.

Back when Harper accepted her first delivery of bikes to the community of Kugluktuk, she told Nunavut News/North that she and her husband were "huge mountain bikers."

When she started cycling around the community, she gained a following of youth who were fascinated by her bike.

"They were loving the bike. They'd never seen a big fat tire mountain bike before," she said.

Soon, she was out cycling on Saturday afternoons with a contingent of Kugluktuk youth.

It became apparent, though, that many youth in Kugluktuk did not have bikes.

A conversation with a Calgary friend who owns Ridley's Cycle and one Facebook post on her personal page soon exploded to an unforeseen conclusion Sept. 5.

Thanks to bike donations and the shipping generosity of Buffalo Airways, Harper was able to give away 65 bikes last September, and 20 this Canada Day.

"I am extremely excited to see that the project is expanding and making its way to a smaller community. There are going to be more bikes that will be purchased to go along with the bikes so that we can hopefully match the 80 that were given away last year here in Kugluktuk."

Plans are also being developed for an eastern connection, so that bikes can be delivered to other areas in Nunavut.

Harper's goal is to have bikes delivered to every Nunavut community.

"As for the eastern connection, we are still in the planning stages but we will be delivering bikes to one to two eastern communities in Nunavut next summer," she said.

"Our plan and goal with the Polar Bike Project is to deliver bikes to two to four communities each year starting with the smaller communities first. We want to get to every community that we can over the years to come. All of this will be made possible by building relationships with companies and the community. It is all about bringing bikes up to Nunavut for the kids."

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