Welcome to Bicycles for Humanity, Thunder Bay Chapter

A bike can change a life! Yet for millions of people on the lowest incomes, a new bicycle is financially out of reach. Meanwhile, millions of perfectly good bicycles lay unused in North America, Europe and elsewhere in the Western world.

Bicycles for Humanity Thunder Bay is an independent local group of volunteers with a love for bicycles and a passion to help others.

Click to Play The Movie Trailer

This is a documentary filmed in Namibia in 2010 by Dr. Steve Klassen and Paul Morralee showing the positive impact that our bikes have made on peoples’ lives.

The complete DVD can be purchased from B4H

Latest Updates as of October 2011

200 bikes were collected during our October bike drive. Thank you Thunder Bay!

We will be shipping 500 bikes on 5^th November. This will be our 8^th container.

Winter mechanics’ session will start mid November at our new location.

B4H & BEN Namibia in media

Featuring a story about how bikes are being used to help combat AIDS in Namibia; listen to the CBC Recording Here

Bikes Donated: Over 4500
Bikes already sent to Africa: Over 3500

Bikes in storage awaiting shipment: over 370

Bikes to local projects: 500

Recycled for parts: over 1000

Goal for 2011: 500 bikes to Namibia

Wheelchairs: 50

Eyeglasses: over 2,000
Soccer balls: 60

Other projects we are connected with:
Shoes for Nicaragua (Nipigon Rotary)
Books and computers for Global Consciousness Circle
Caring Hands (Uganda)

Friends of Mabureh (Sierra Leone)

Needed:

- $10-12,000/container for shipping costs
- mechanic volunteers are wrenching on Wednesday nights and Tuesday mornings, for more information contact Randy or send an email to B4H through 'Contact Us'.

Very Important Reminder!

Soccer balls, basketballs, jerseys, books etc are welcome donations to pack between the bikes!

Check the GET INVOLVED page if you have a passion to help us with the project.

If you have a bike or have questions or would like to be added to our mailing list please e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 620-4769 during office hours.

We are all Volunteers

Biclycles for Humanity has more than 100 volunteers in Thunder Bay. All or most of the volunteers have full time jobs and are able to spare their time working tirelessly for Bicycles for Humanity. Work has never been easy but it has also never been a one man show except for a few occassions when Dr. Klassen worked alone in networking.

Thunder Bay Landfill Bike Rescues

We are very thankful to everyone at the local landfill site for their assistance in helping us rescue and recycle unwanted bikes from their location. They have let us put up a sign to let people know where to leave their old bikes rather than throwing them into the dumpsters. A big thank you to Randy Fox who goes to check the facility several times a week and transports the bikes to our storage facility. Between May and September 2011 well over 200 bikes have been rescued.

Donations Welcome

Donate your bike, parts, tools as well as glasses, educational supplies, wheelchairs or sports equipment to pack between the bikes. As B4H does not have a permanent space yet, Habitat for Humanity Restore (660 Squier St) and Redwood Opportunity Centre (532 N, Edward St.) are two places receiving bikes and other donations. If you cannot bring the items to these sites, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 622-3737 (Klassen Family Practice) and we will make other arrangements for your donation.

Financial donations are needed to help offset the $20.00 per bicycle transportation cost to Africa. Donations towards the shipping qualify for tax deductible receipts. Please make contributions to: AIDS Thunder Bay, 574 Memorial Avenue,Thunder Bay, ON P7B 3Z2 and indicate support for Bicycles for Humanity. Thank you!

Earn a Bike Program

Our program was inspired by a sister organization called Bikes Not Bombs.

Essentially, the idea is that individuals are welcome to come and help volunteer toward our primary goal of assisting communities in Africa. We are aware that there are many people in our own community that would use a bicycle but may not have means to buy one. Any volunteer is welcome to identify that they would like to be part of the Earn a Bike Program.
One of the experienced volunteers then works out a plan with the individual to repair that bike for their own use.

The following is a link to the program started by Bikes not Bombs.