Image: Chilliwack Restorative Cycle / The governing board of directors behind Chilliwack Restorative Justice and Youth Advocacy Association (CRJYAA) announced Monday night (Dec. 9) it will close its brick and mortar retail bike shop on Main Street later this month.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Chilliwack bike shop

Downtown Chilliwack bike shop set to close

Dec 10, 2024 | 6:46 AM

CHILLIWACK — A secondhand cycle shop in Chilliwack that provides lower-cost bikes for families and individuals while raising funds for the work of Chilliwack Restorative Justice is set to close in less than two weeks.

The governing board of directors behind Chilliwack Restorative Justice and Youth Advocacy Association (CRJYAA) announced Monday night (Dec. 9) it will close Restorative Cycle, a brick-and-mortar retail bike shop on Main Street, later this month.

In a news release from the organization, the non-profit says CRJYAA had been operating the secondhand bike store in downtown Chilliwack since September 2023.

While the entity plans to continue selling used and donated bikes to help support its restorative justice programs, the final day of operations at the retail store at 9282 Main Street will be Saturday, Dec. 21.

“Thank you to the staff and volunteers who put so much time and heart into the retail bike shop over the past year and a half. Closing the store was a very difficult decision,” said Edna Warick, board chair. “We look forward to selling bikes again in the near future, whether that’s at a new location or following a different business model.”

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In addition to retail sales and service, the store functioned as a venue for youth mentoring and after-school programs, including bike repair training.

The purpose behind opening the store was to grow sales of donated bikes for additional revenue and offer volunteer opportunities for folks in the community.

Starting in 2007, CRJYAA began raising funds through an annual bike auction. In 2020, the auction moved online.

In September 2023, CRJYAA opened a brick-and-mortar bike shop under the Restorative Cycle name. The shop found its first home in the basement of Cheam View United Church on Spadina Avenue in downtown Chilliwack. The church building was slated for demolition and the bike shop operated there until May 11, 2024. The bike shop later found a new location two blocks away at 9282 Main Street. By the end of May, it had reopened.

Due to the costs associated with operating the store at this location, CRJYAA decided to pause the bike shop program until it can find a new location or employ a more efficient business model. In the meantime, the organization plans to focus on providing opportunities for healing and mentoring through its restorative justice programs in the community.