Bike Fest: Learning in Motion

When a Grade 1 student’s bike needed diagnosing, volunteer mechanic Ben Adler rode it to the far end of the High School parking lot, came back, and got to work, explaining every step to the wide-eyed student watching beside him. Minutes later, the student took off, cheering, joining friends on the track with a bike that worked and a clearer sense of why. That’s what Bike Fest is built around.

Learning Side by Side

The Elementary School’s Bike Rodeo has been running for five years as part of its Outdoor Education Program, a mix of riding and safety skills, obstacle courses, and a genuine belief that active transportation is a lifelong habit that starts young. Three years ago, it joined forces with the High School’s bike mechanics clinic, and Bike Fest was born. This year, folded under the Elementary School’s Nature and Outdoor Connection Month, it brought both campuses together once again.

High School Social Science Teacher and Sustainability Coordinator Luke Welton welcomed Ben and Zen from Boutique Tout Terrain, who generously volunteered their time and expertise. Their company, Étique Fabrications, is a Montreal-based custom bike-building business founded on the principle that high-level cycling should not come at a cost to the planet. Relying on local manufacturing, repairability, and recyclable materials, their philosophy is that a bike is not just a machine; it is a choice about how you move through the world. That day, students gathered around their station to watch, ask questions, and learn.

Nearby, older students mentored younger ones at the jump ramp, coaching as they tried, and tried again. “The magic of Bike Fest is seeing our Elementary and High School students learn and play together side-by-side,” Laura Officer, Elementary School Coordinator of Teaching and Learning, shared.

Designed With Purpose

The Hardware Hackers are a community learning pod with a simple mandate: take what the school would otherwise throw away and turn it into something useful. This year, that meant transforming scrap wood from Science Department projects into adjustable tables, trivets, coasters, and hot plates. Proceeds from the sale went to the One Drop Foundation whose mission is sustainable access to clean water for communities in need. 

“Toby M. and I came up with the idea to make an adjustable table using a tripod as the base. We were surprised it actually sold, and happy that the money will go to a good cause.”

— Chloe E., Grade 9

A Community Effort

Parent Mahdi Salem, known as DJ Midas, kept the energy high, live mixing on his board. At the mechanic station, a steady stream of brake repairs, wheel alignments, and bearing work continued, each one a small lesson. Younger students rode around the track while older ones braved the jump platform; underneath the St. George’s tent, healthy meals were served, made possible through The Joey and Odette Basmaji Foundation. Everything was happening at once, in harmony.

The Grade 1 student who cheered when their bike was fixed did not know about torque or gear ratios. They just knew their bike was broken, and then it wasn’t, and someone had taken the time to show them why. Not every lesson happens in a classroom. Sometimes it happens in the High School parking lot at Bike Fest. That stays with you.