November’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Chris Taylor to support Helping with Bikes, which provides used bicycles to those in need.

“We receive donated bikes,” explains Chris, “and refurbish them for families and individuals that are making new beginnings in our community – refugees, families fleeing abuse, recovering addicts, people impacted by fire or other disasters.”

Helping with Bikes is part of Helping with Furniture, which has helped re-establish more than 1,500 households in Ottawa. From its modest workshop and small team of dedicated volunteer mechanics, Helping with Bikes provides more than 200 fully refurbished bikes per year to clients of Helping with Furniture.

“We truly believe that bicycles change lives, and are a simple solution to some of the world's most complicated problems,” says Chris.

Chris is retired from a career in environment and safety regulation, and is the Founder, Chief Mechanic, and Trainer at Helping with Bikes. He estimates that while working he commuted about 60,000 km by bicycle.