Members from the cycling advocacy and education group, ‘HUB Cycling Tsawwassen Delta’, recently donated more than 170 rechargeable bike light sets and reflectors to migrant greenhouse workers employed by Houweling Nurseries and Westcoast Vegetables.
In addition, Tony Dales of The Rusty Nut Cycle and Mobility, Cap’s South Shore Cycle and Karon Trenaman of ICBC donated bike accessories.
Good visibility on the road is extremely important, particularly in the darker winter months. The bike lights and reflectors will help ensure each worker is seen by vehicle drivers, so they may travel throughout Delta in as safe a manner as possible.
Hub Cycling also asks all vehicle drivers to drive with care as they share the road with vulnerable road users.
Cycling provides the main mode of transportation for these essential food production workers. Bicycles are often obtained from Delta’s annual ‘curb side spring clear out’ of used goods. And some bikes are received as donations from locals. They are often patched back together by the workers - along the same lines as how cars are fixed by Cuba’s ‘magician’ car mechanics.
These hard-working migrant workers leave home (generally for eight-month work stints) to earn money to support their families back in Mexico and Guatemala. This year, due to COVID-19 risk, the workers must be extremely careful to follow all COVID-19 safety protocols in their close quarters at work and in bunkhouses. Each worker also quarantines in Richmond for 14 days - prior to arriving at the greenhouse.
When the pandemic ends, the local ‘migrant farm workers soccer league’ will resume. And we anticipate the very successful annual barbeque/soccer tournament coordinated by Delta Police will be held again. At that event, HUB Cycling, with assistance of Dave Houston of ‘South Delta Bikes Mobile’, intends to provide bike maintenance and distribute used bikes and bike accessories - obtained from our community.
In the meantime, please consider donating bikes, helmets, or inner tubes/parts - directly at any of our local greenhouses. Workers bike or walk a far distance to get to town or a bus stop. Many of Delta’s greenhouses will be expanding their workforce in the next two weeks.
This past year has seen a huge increase in people cycling on Delta roads and the growth in E-bikes has been nothing short of phenomenal. Bike maintenance providers and bike dealers were pushed to their limits this past summer trying to service the explosive growth in cycling. HUB Cycling, with assistance of Delta City Council and Delta Engineering, are making tangible progress in creating safer cycling infrastructure. Many future cycling initiatives are in progress or are being discussed. For information on HUB Cycling Tsawwassen Delta, please visit our website at bikehub.ca/delta.
