Icy Challenge Benefits Indigenous Youth

For the first time, members of the Toronto Police Service cycling team took part in the Bear Island Ice Road Challenge to raise money to introduce cycling to Indigenous youth.

The Ontario Provincial Police, New Hope Community Bikes and Temagami First Nation on Bear Island co-organized the ride.

This year, it raised funds for the Indigenous Bike Program, which provides youth with access to cycling education, community bikes, and the tools needed to maintain those bikes independently, as well as support to develop their own bike shop.

“The ride was awesome,” said Superintendent Justin Vander Heyden, of the ride 400-km north of Toronto in late February. “Even though our TPS team takes part in many worthy causes, this was our first fat bike ride, and it was a lot of fun. At times, it was very challenging, but it also created incredible and impactful memories.”

Vander Heyden and Staff Sergeant Murray Barnes recruited four riders to be part of the TPS team which raised over $7,000 of the $35,000 raised.

The 22 Division Unit Commander acknowledged that the 64-kilometre ride was challenging, even for experienced riders.

“None of us on the TPS team had done something like this before,” Vander Heyden said. “This is exclusively a winter activity on a frozen lake. Because of that, the tires have to be studded to avoid losing traction. It is completely different from road riding.”