Small Fixes, Big Impact

It’s a Thursday in June at La Fraternité School. Under the Montréal-Nord sun, dozens of young people wait patiently to have their bicycles repaired. Behind this initiative stands the Montréal-Nord Neighbourhood Roundtable and its partners from the Active and Collective Transportation Committee of the Social Development Plan, united by a shared vision: making sustainable mobility a driver of change in one of the most underserved and geographically isolated neighbourhoods on the island.

It’s Repair-a-Thon Day in Montréal-Nord. Around the repair stations set up in the schoolyard, a dedicated team is hard at work caring for the bicycles entrusted to them. Among them is Micaela, a mechanic with Hoodstock, adjusting brakes, inflating tires, replacing parts, and generously sharing her knowledge with participating students. “My goal is to help as many young people as possible benefit from this,” she says, fully immersed in the task at hand. Alongside her, several volunteers lend a hand. The result: around forty bicycles are restored that day, and just as many students regain the freedom and pleasure of getting around safely on two wheels.

Since 2023, the Montréal-Nord Neighbourhood Roundtable (TQMN), Hoodstock, and their allies from the Active and Collective Transportation Committee have been travelling across schools, parks, and public spaces throughout the borough, offering free bicycle repair workshops to residents. Repairing bikes, yes—but not only that. The initiative is also about sharing knowledge so that young people and adults alike can learn how to maintain their own bicycles and tires. On site, psychosocial workers also take the opportunity to engage with participants and identify any situations of vulnerability that may require support.

Beyond the Repair-a-Thon 

696. That’s the number of bicycles that have been restored through Repair-a-Thons organized across the territory to date. Behind that number lies much more than mechanical repairs. There is, first, the environmental impact: bicycles that stay in use longer, some diverted from landfill, and more trips being made without a car. There are also very tangible benefits in residents’ everyday lives: money saved, greater mobility and independence, increased physical activity, and stronger connections to community life. Proof that, by repairing bicycles, we are also helping to strengthen Montréal-Nord’s social fabric.

“A repaired bicycle means a young person can get to a job interview, do delivery work, meet up with friends, or help their family with transportation. Those are major changes!” In their words, one can sense the pride of Aziz Tabah and Antonin Debenest, who witness firsthand the concrete impacts of this collective effort. For the Montréal-Nord Neighbourhood Roundtable’s team, as for all the partners involved, the objective extends far beyond a single Repair-a-Thon workshop. The goal is to improve living conditions by giving participants the means to travel in ways that are more affordable, safer, and environmentally friendly.

For a better living environment

The committee’s work does not stop there. Beyond the Repair-a-Thons, partners are implementing a wide range of projects to shape mobility across the neighbourhood. “Cyclistes avertis and Toutes à vélo, which allow young people and racialized women to learn how to ride a bicycle,” Antonin offers as examples. These are just some of the initiatives forming part of the 2021–2026 Montréal-Nord Social Development Plan, the roadmap for making the neighbourhood a better place to live. They are also among the many efforts that the Greater Montreal Climate Fund is proud to support financially, helping to strengthen the environmental, social, and economic resilience of the community.