7 Days to Go for Calgary Bike Swap: Resilience, Family, and the Gold Standard of Safety

As we count down the final 7 days to the Calgary Bike Swap and 37 days to Calgary Climate Week and 14 days to Edmonton Bike Swap, we find ourselves in a season of deep reflection. This time last year, the stakes were much higher than just moving bikes; Chris was being discharged from the hospital following a double bypass, returning home just 24 hours before we opened our doors.

That experience reinforced why we do what we do. We’ve built a life of service, respect, and kindness, and we are incredibly proud of the family that stands behind us. Our sons have become highly respected barristers and lawyer partners in their law firms, and our daughters-in-law are leaders in their fields—one serving as a Dean at the University of Alberta and the other as a Systems Dynamix Solutions Architect.

While they are busy shaping the legal, software, and academic landscapes, we’ve been relishing the “side task” of grandparenting. Keeping up with the grandkids is the ultimate way to gain our strength for the two big Saturdays ahead of us!

Our family’s professional background—rooted in law, engineering, and software—is why we never compromise on our swap standards. We know the value of a solid contract and the necessity of structural integrity. It is why we tech-check every bike and why we are so strict about safety: for example, we will always reject a frame repair involving epoxy, as it is never a safe option for a rider. We’ve been talking about rejecting bikes with cracked frames for years and other mechanically unsafe issues.

We don’t fundraise; we do what we do for the benefit of all society. Once the final e-transfers are sent in mid-May, we look forward to returning to our roots: teaching the only nationally recognized and standardized cycling education program in Canada – CAN-BIKE and expanding carbon sink applications to help Calgary thrive. See you next Saturday and the Saturday after!