We are settling in to the new space, After a week of furious construction, we now have:
now what we need are more volunteers so we can extend our hours. Wanna be a volunteer? sign up here!
We have successfully moved into our new home at Bloor and Lansdowne! 1292 Bloor st.
And what a move it was! Stalled cars, shattered trailer hitches, screaming crazies from the street corners. Our convoy of 6 bike trailers and two cars took over the streets with much satisfaction. We could not have made a grander entrance. Heartfelt and sweaty thanks to the folks who helped us move, those who volunteered their trailers and vehicles, and those who rode escort and managed traffic for us.
Now… To make this pile of boxes into a bike shop.
If you have experience with plumbing, carpentry, electrics, banging on nails, or cleaning scary basements. we need your help.
write to info@bikepirates.com
If you are good at scavenging construction supplies, here is a wish list of supplies, in order of necessity:
if you can give us any of these, write to donations@bikepirates.com
Pirate’s is officially closing it’s doors at 457 Bathurst Street this week. Our last official day of business was Saturday August 9th, but we will have the doors open for last minute help and bike pick-ups this Thursday, August 14th from 12-5pm. Mostly we will be in the shop cleaning, packing and selling bikes, so come by and lend a hand.
Packing and cleaning will continue all day Saturday August 16th. If you want to help please come by any time during the day, but we will not be open for DIY business! The tools will be in a box somewhere!
Come by and cry a tear or buy us a farewell beer.
(Pictured: My pal Eldon’s bike, stripped and miserable, being saved by the cops)
We are all reading the stories. We are all waiting for the final numbers. We are all shocked and disappointed. Not in the theives (shame on them) but on the city for letting it come to this. Taking action at this point, and trying to reunite 5,000 bicycles with their owners (after mashing them into trucks and loading bays, after taking them from crushed heaps in dilapidated garages) is absolutely ludicrous. Most likely the cops hope this makes them *look good*, finally taking down the bad guy, and making *all efforts* to get people their bikes back, but all in all it is too little too late. But their Bike Registry gets lots of press and they stand to make millions from the sales of abandoned bicycles on their ebay auction, so the cops will win in the end. Surprise surprise.
Dear friends and community members,
We are looking for a new home for the shop. After two fantastic
years in our space on Bathurst Street with an encouraging
landlord and supportive neighbourhood, we now find ourselves
in search of space to accommodate the work that we
do – DIY bike repair, workshops, parts storage, bike sales,
and a little bit of cooking. We need to find an adequate space
in an accessible neighbourhood which will also fit into the
budget of a volunteer-run non-profit group.
Potentially we are hoping to find two separate spaces – one
small storefront for selling recycled bikes and an infoshop,
and another workshop space where we can house our tools,
stands and collection of used parts, and where most of our
work would be done.
Our impending move has the potential to help us reach more
people in the community by expanding our hours of operation
(from two days a week to five) and by situating ourselves
within a new neighbourhood who may not have previously
made it into the shop.
We are asking for your helping in seeking out a new space!
Please let us know if you have information on a location that
might suit our needs!
Feel free to contact us at info@bikepirates.com or lunch@bikepirates.com
Steady as she goes,
Bike Pirates.
July 5th
457 Bathurst
7pm Bike Pirates
8pm Dufferin Grove Park
Group Ride to Dufferin Grove and bonfire
Free Treats and Eats plus prizes.
We are celebrating you so get in the spirit stocked and sparked!
….or Pirate Sundays! Throughout the summer Bike Pirates will be participating in the Pedestrian Sundays festivals in downtown Toronto. Two weeks ago was the start of the season, in Kensington, and yesterday was p.s. Mirvish Village, where we spent the day baking in the sun, handing out flyers, tuning some bikes and generally getting into the spirit of summer.
If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to soften the hard exterior of a pirate – the secret is ice cream.
Join us at p.s. kensington on June 29th.