“That was fun,” said Milly Rogerson with a broad smile.
The Cassellholme resident had just completed her first ride on a trishaw, along with her granddaughter Alex McDermid.
“It was a lovely way to spend time with my grandmother,” said McDermid.
The trishaw is available through the Alzheimer Society and Cycling Without Age.
“The trishaw is a big bike. It has a bench in the front, and it has a seat in the back for the ‘pilot’, so basically that is the person who pedals the bike,” explained Linda Brown, of the Alzheimer Society.
The initial reaction from some Cassellholme residents when they were asked if they wanted to go for a bike ride, was one of confusion.
“They look at you like you are kind of crazy, and then we tell them, ‘You’re not peddling, you’re just going to sit there. I’m going to do all the work.’ And you show them a picture of the bike and then it piques their interest a little bit more,” shared,” Cassellholme Activities manager Mandy Gilchrist.
When the residents see the bike in person, they are excited to get on board, and wind up having a “blast.”
“They end up talking about it for at least a week afterward. It just brings them so much joy,” Gilchrist noted.
There is room for two to sit comfortably.
For safety purposes, the trishaw comes equipped with seatbelts and helmets.
“It has large wheels. It is a smooth ride, and it is just fun to get out,” added Brown.
“The bike is an electric assist because you have the weight of the two people and the pilot, so an electric assist is kind of needed,” Brown observed.
The Alzheimer Society purchased the bike a number of years ago, and it remains the only one available in North Bay.
“This trishaw bike was actually the first one introduced in northern Ontario. The initial cost of the bike was close to $15,000,” Brown stated.
“The bike that we purchased came from Denmark, so it is not like your regular rickshaw bike which some people look at buying. It is similarly made to the trishaw bike, but the one that we have is a very heavy model. It is very sturdy, so the maintenance on it might be a little bit different than the others just because the parts on it are sturdier than some of the rickshaw bikes.”
And of course, there is the added cost of regular maintenance.
“We bring it in every month to make sure that it gets serviced, so the bike is safe when it goes out; brake pads, gears, making sure that the seatbelts are safe, that nothing is damaged. So, there are some costs to it,” explained Brown.
Although clients with the Alzheimer Society are familiar with the bike, it is new to Cassellholme residents as of this summer.
“We were actually looking at purchasing a bike of our own so we thought this would be a great way to see how it is going to work with our residents. Is it something that people will enjoy? And the benefits of this program,” explained Gilchrist.
”So, we definitely jumped on board with the Alzheimer Society to use it once a week.”
Cassellholme has the bike on loan every Thursday at no cost.
The pilots navigate the bike along a route that extends from Cassellholme on Olive Street, to Thomson Park.
“We do a couple of loops around the park. And what is wonderful, is the city has paved all the paths over there. And it is so great just to get some fresh air and sunshine and see the kids playing in the park. It is uplifting for everybody,” explains pilot Brenda Walsh who is actively involved with the Cassellholme Family Council.
“Between Family Council and Activities (program), we’ve arranged for this trishaw to be here. It has been fabulous.”
Reaction from the residents is immediate.
“They smile and laugh. It has just been wonderful. It makes us feel good to see their reaction,” grinned Walsh.
“It just warms my heart and I love seeing older folks out there enjoying themselves and the family’s getting involved also.”
Chair of the Cassellholme Family Council, Monique Peters, also volunteers as a pilot.
“It is a new thing for us. It has been a good collaboration between Family Council and Cassellholme staff as well as the Alzheimer Society, and Cycling with Age” shared Peters.
Most Thursdays people are waiting at the door, excitedly waiting for their turn.
“We’ve seen dogs, and children and geese and deer out on our rides. And the residents just love it. We sing sometimes if they want to sing. A couple of times we’ve had some family members bring their phone and they listen and sing to the music,” Peters reflected.
“We would come around here, (the parking lot) and everyone would cheer, and we sang Happy Birthday to some staff who were having birthdays and it is just so fantastic. And I smile because I just love it.”
All pilots must undergo safety training.
“They must learn the rules of the bike on the road, but they also have to learn how to ride the bike, because it is a very different feel than a regular bike. You have the two wheels in the front and you’re peddling with people sitting on the front part of your bike,” explained Brown.
”You do have to have some experience in biking, and you do have to feel comfortable with the bike because it is a large piece of equipment. You have to feel confident to take it to different places. So, we have a person who does the training with the pilots.”
Training is normally completed within a few hours.
“Until they feel comfortable on it. We can loan the bike out to different long-term care homes, but we ask them to provide volunteers or staff, who are able to ride the bike. We will do the training with them and then they can use the bike for the full day and take the residents out for rides,” said Brown.
In order to become a pilot you are also required to pass a CIPC check.
“It is a vulnerability check because you’re riding with a vulnerable sector.”
It is an easy process to sign up a Cassellholme resident for a Thursday bike ride which lasts roughly 20 minutes..
“If anybody is interested in going for a ride on the bike with their loved one, they may even want to bring a grandchild or great-grandchild, a niece or nephew, to ride with their loved one living here at Casselholme. Just contact any of the activity staff on their unit and we will be able to set them up and schedule them,” explained Gilchrest.
“It is a very popular program. There are so many people who want to feel the wind in their hair.”
When the program wraps up for the season will be weather dependent.
“We’re hoping to be able to continue for at least the month of September but as time goes on and the weather gets cooler, our residents definitely feel that cooler air more than we do,” Gilchrist noted.
Some thought has gone into obtaining a trishaw for Cassellholme giving residents more opportunities to ride.
“These bikes aren’t cheap. So, on our part there would be some fundraising or tapping into our charitable committee or the family council doing some fundraising to be able to purchase a bike,” said Gilchrist.
Any individual, group, or business wanting to help with the purchase of a trishaw can contact Casselholme.
“And then it would just be a donation to our charitable committee and when you make a donation you can say you would like it to go to Activities, particularly the trishaw bike. Our hope is to get one for next year, but of course, we have to check the budget and all that good stuff,” said Gilchrist.
“It is a very beneficial program for our residents and their families, and we’re very excited for the opportunity to take part.”
Brown has enjoyed her time spent with riders from the Alzheimer Society.
“I have had the opportunity of going out a few times with some of the clients we serve. I have to tell you it almost brought me to tears because they actually came back and remembered things from the past and were telling me stories from their childhood and friends they used to play with. I don’t even know how to explain it, it was very emotional for me. And I felt very honoured to share those memories with them.”
