We’re so excited to introduce our newest beer: Winding Ways 🚴♀️
This delicious beer was inspired by the synergy of Banana Cream and delicious Graham Cracker Crust. Combining Toasted Biscuit Malts, Banana Flavoured Esters, and Savoury Baking Spices 🍌
Winding ways was made in support of The WRENCH. $1 from every beer sold will be donated directly to The WRENCH to help them continue to serve our community.
Label artwork was graciously donated by Natalie Baird. The Winding Ways label was inspired by her work on the Jubilee Underpass bike path mural- which she completed in her participation with the WRENCH’s Wheels of Courage Program.
Winding Ways will only be available at OGC, 1596 Ness Avenue, and with a very limited amount available don’t wait! Hurry down to pick up your cans today.
SPECIAL NOTICE: The WRENCH will be closed on September 30 to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This includes Thursday Open Shop.
WRENCH at the Forks is now CLOSED FOR THE SEASON! Thank you for your patronage!
Thursday Open Shop continues at 1057 Logan for repairs, part sales and Bike Builds from 12-5:30pm- see below.
Open Shop services are available by appointment only. Please note: we are experiencing high demand for our services. Appointment times are booked on a first come, first served basis, and are often full.
What you need to know:
All appointments must be booked in advance. Schedule your booking here onlineor call us at 204-296-3389, ext. 0.
We reserve the right to prioritize services for those with more need.
Services offered during Open Shop include; Bike Repairs, Part Sales, Bike Builds ($40 for a bike, including a bike lock).
Location: 1057 Logan Avenue in the basement of the Animal Services Building.
The WRENCH is hiring for four positions for candidates under the age of 30 years old. Over eight weeks, successful applicants will learn the skills needed to become a WRENCH instructor including bike mechanic and teaching skills with WRENCH lead mechanic and Shop Coordinator Anders Annell. Anders has 15+ years of bike mechanic experience and has taught programs at the WRENCH since 2016. Successful applicants will also support current WRENCH programs and services including Open Shop, Earn a Bike, After School Leaders, and more.
Following the eight week training program, participants will have the opportunity to apply for instructor positions with the WRENCH- both contract and employee positions.
Those who successfully complete the learning program can also expect to successfully demonstrate many skill sets required to work in commercial bike mechanic positions.
Candidates will be required to undergo criminal record and child abuse registry checks. Please note that paid work with the WRENCH following successful completion of this program is not guaranteed.
Successful candidates for this paid training opportunity are likely to already possess the following skill sets and attributes:
Strong desire to learn and collaborate with others.
Cycling experience- and some affinity for cycling.
A love of community and working/collaborating with others.
Personal initiative.
Ability to follow through on commitments.
Note that no prior bike mechanic experience is required to successfully participate in this program.
This opportunity is made possible through funding from Canada Summer Jobs.
We especially welcome applicants who identify as belonging to marginalised groups- please make this clear in your cover letter if this is the case.
Please send your resume and cover letter to programs@thewrench.ca by Oct 13, 4:30pm.
Become a Bicycle Mechanic with the WRENCH! Are you between the ages of 14-21? Want to learn to be a bike mechanic? After School Leaders is for you! After School Leaders (ASL) is a free advanced Bike Mechanic Training program that combines leadership training with hands on skill building. You’ll leave the program with two bikes you have built yourself and practical skills you can use in your own life, and for employment- a number of ASL grads work at the WRENCH and other bike shops in Winnipeg. ASL runs Mondays and Wednesdays, 4-730pm till mid January at 1057 Logan with a healthy meal each time. We can provide bus tickets too, if transportation is a barrier. Spots are filling up fast for the Oct 4 start date. Contact us today at gregory@thewrench.ca to join! Big thanks to the Student Achievement and Inclusion Division, Manitoba Education for their generous support!
Winter is coming. Get ready! This is a step by step instructional on readying your bike for safe winter riding. Bring your own bike, or learn on one of ours. This workshop will be led by Anders Annell, long time WRENCH Shop Coordinator and master mechanic. You’ll have access to a WRENCH bike stand and all of our tools. Please note: This workshop requires proof of vaccination in accordance with MB Public Health Guidelines. Accessibility statement: Accessing our shop requires descending a narrow staircase of 15 stairs. Accessing the washroom, once on site, requires going back up the stairs. By donation onsite- we take all forms of payment except for bitcoin. You must sign up for this workshop. Link is above!
Thanks for thinking of us! We re-cycle bikes back into the community after a bit of a tune up and safety testing.
Drop your bike/parts off at any of Winnipeg’s 4R Sites; and we will retrieve it, along with other donated and discarded bikes when we do our collections.
Term Position: Starting as soon as possible, until March 31, 2022, with possibility for renewal.
$17-19/hr
Full time (35-40 hrs/week)
Health benefits available after probation period.
The WRENCH is a registered charity that creates stronger, healthier communities by removing barriers to building, repairing and maintaining bicycles – with a focus on educating youth. We envision a world where everyone is empowered to experience their community by bicycle.
The WRENCH is seeking a Mentor for our Wheels of Courage (WoC) program. Wheels of Courage is a free, 9 month volunteer program at the WRENCH for young people (ages 15-30) who love bikes and want to use them as a tool for personal growth and social change. WoC participants gain exclusive access to a diverse array of skill-building workshops as well as support and funding to develop their own Community Projects.
Working under the direction of the WoC Program Coordinator, Mentors are part of a team who support skill building and focus participants’ interest in bicycles towards meaningful, hands-on service opportunities for the broader community.
Mentors will assist participants in identifying issues of concern in their communities and then taking action through self directed Community Projects.
Responsibilities
Creating customized mentorship plans with individual WoC participants
Providing support as needed for WoC participants to achieve their goals with the program. Occasionally this may involve systems navigation.
Directing and coordinating participants learning activities, both online and in person; and connecting participants with professional skill building activities
Training participants in bicycle mechanics
Supporting participants to identify community needs and priorities
Supporting participants as they develop and implement their community projects
Liaising with schools and service organizations to identify and create meaningful volunteer opportunities for participants
Facilitating communications between participants, the WRENCH, and partnering organizations
Record keeping including gathering metrics and feedback, and documenting activities
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have:
Familiarity with the community bike shop model.
Relevant Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Two years of related experience working with youth.
Experience in asset based community development and grassroots directed programming.
Experience with trauma informed practice.
Experience counteracting intersectional oppression to improve community programs.
Knowledge of community based youth serving organizations in Winnipeg for the purposes of partnership and broadening support for participants.
Preferred Skills
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
A strong interest in other people and diverse perspectives. Experience working with a variety of organizations and groups.
Strong interpersonal skills. Ability to quickly establish rapport with individuals from a broad range of disciplines and backgrounds.
Ability to self-direct, adapt to a changing environment, prioritize and meet deadlines while concurrently managing multiple projects.
Ability to exercise sound judgement, anticipate/assess situations, and take proactive steps to create positive outcomes.
Ability to ride a bicycle as traffic on major roadways.
Intermediate bicycle mechanical skills or willingness to learn.
Application deadline: September 15, 2021, 430pm. Please note- only qualified candidates will be invited to interview. Applicants are encouraged to get their documents in quickly- interviews with qualified candidates may begin prior to the application deadline.
Please submit resume and cover letter by email to:
Kate Sjoberg, Executive Director, The WRENCH at programs@thewrench.ca
Traditional Trails connects cyclists to places through conversation, interpretation and storytelling about Manitoba’s history and Indigenous place making. Led by Momenta Inc., expect to have fun, take care of each other, be respectful, join in and have fun.
Cyclists should arrive with a bicycle, helmet and water bottle. The route will begin and end at the Forks and will take place along the Assiniboine and Red Rivers. The total distance will be approximately 10km with stops along the way.
Participation is Free. See you there!
***** NOTE: 12 PARTICIPANTS PER RIDE ONLY. Sign up is required- Sign up here *****
Participants must bring this completed waiver to the tour:
Two daily guided bike tours on the following Sundays:
July 18, 25
August 8, 15
11:00am-1:00pm
2pm- 4pm
Meet at the WRENCH Forks location!
Traditional Trails is supported by Manitoba 150.
Adrian Alphonso, Director of Clear Paths at Momenta Inc. Adrian is a Band and Community Member of Waywayseecappo First Nation, is passionate about Indigenous perspective cycling programs, and leads on Treaty One Territory land, to honour truth and reconciliation. At Momenta, Adrian delivers inclusive, accessible cycling programs with the goal of inspiring a connection to the land. He has devoted his life to a journey of discovering. He is a commuter, a coach, a professional stunt rider (Trials), a bicycle technician, a passionate guide and devoted his life to a journey of discovering.
Lise Brown, Facilitator and Owner at Momenta Inc. Lise Brown, BRS, RSW began her career at camps in Manitoba as an outdoor educator and guide. Lise completed a Bachelor of Recreation and Masters of Social Work in 2007 at the University of Manitoba, and is a Forest School Practitioner and Trainer. Lise combines these areas of practice to provide clinical direction, facilitate groups and counsel individuals both in urban and wilderness environments with a focus on physical and emotional safety, successful participation, fun, meaningful activity and group cohesion. Lise is on the Forest School of Canada Facilitator team with the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada and sits on the board of the Association for Experiential Education.
WHEELS OF COURAGE (WoC) is the WRENCH’s community leadership volunteer program! Today we’re introducing you to one of the projects currently on the go and the WoC participant who is managing it. VERO WARKENTIN is a recent returnee to Manitoba and signed on with WoC after spending the summer working as a mechanic at the WRENCH.
Vero has recruited some fellow Wrenchers and local artists to create beautiful artbikes that will be raffled off, with proceeds going to another Logan Ave. organization — drop-in and resource centre Sunshine House, Inc! Keep reading for a Q&A with Vero.
Q: How did you come up with your project idea?
A: In 2019, I volunteered for the Rainbow Railroad Gala and loved every part of it: the mission, the people, the party, the camaraderie. I was determined to help for the next year. When the pandemic began, the need to support vulnerable communities was magnified. I wanted to create an event that would both support and foster the 2SLGBTQIA community with bikes, and building colourful, proud and magnificently artful bikes was a no-brainer. I’ve been creative my entire life, and that spark has been seen and fanned by incredible artists and teachers in the past. This project is my turn to inspire. For me its less about my own ability to create art, and more about my recognition of the artists in my life and directing the huge impact art can have.
Q: Who are the artists you’ve enlisted?
A: So far, we have a collection of artists, mechanics and artist-mechanics giving their time to this project. Keira Friesen is a potter and mixed media artist who incorporates organic and natural forms in her work. Kevin Celestino is a WoC mentee, fellow Wrencher and visual artist. Leslie Parisien is a fellow WoC mentee and Wrencher, and sometimes textile artist. Sarah Thiessen is a creative jack of all trades, creating visual art, sculptures and performance art to delight and dazzle.
Q: What is an artbike?
A: An artbike is kind of how it sounds: a bike, but art! You could say it’s a type of kinetic sculpture. A bike that is still rideable that looks like a dragon, or has been yarnbombed, or has been painted, or welded up to be a giant man powered parade float — these are all artbikes. It also doesn’t have to be a special occasion bike. You could ride a sparkle unicorn bike with streamer tail to the office every day. I know I would.
Q: Why did you choose Sunshine House as the beneficiary of the funds you are raising?
A: Sunshine House is a vivid space that supports the community as they are. It makes room for whole people with all of our complications, experiences, expressions. At the base of it, bikes are like this too: freedom on wheels, for everyone. It’s a great pairing, and I’m so excited about the possibilities for our Pride Ride in June, the wrap up celebration after the raffle is completed in May.
On Sunday March 21st, 2021, WILD RIDE made its debut as a part of Cinematheque’s Bicycle Film Fest! WILD RIDE was produced by The WRENCH’s Just Cycle Program at Marymound School. Director Christine Fellows worked with students to create the stop motion film; with original music by Christine Fellows and Jason Tait. Just Cycle is generously supported by Canada’s Youth Justice Fund.
Enjoy!
Date produced: March 2021 Director: Christine Fellows Artistic Collaborators: The students of Room 12 at Marymound School, WRENCH staff, Marymound staff Music: Christine Fellows and Jason Tait Audio mix: Jason Tait Post-production assistance: Alicia Smith Running time: 2:49
