This shop has bikes at half price and helps people get jobs

There’s a bike store in town that is still something of a secret, but you can pick up a serious deal while making a direct impact on someone’s life.

Bikeways at 1216 St. Paul St., is part of the Pathways Abilities Society in Kelowna, a non-profit that’s set to celebrate 70 years of offering various employment opportunities across the community.

The store sells all kinds of gently used and refurbished models: from starter and kid’s bikes to mountain bikes and cruisers, all the way up to high-end road bikes.

And at the same time, it creates meaningful paid employment for people with diverse abilities.

“This is a social venture, it’s an employment opportunity for many, many people with diverse abilities," Bonnie Fraser, the employment manager and volunteer coordinator, told Kelowna10.

“They’ve come through us over many years getting training on how to refurbish the used bikes."

These employees work under the guidance and mentorship of support staff, many of whom are volunteers.

The society has a contract with the city to take care of all unclaimed lost and found bikes from the RCMP and BC Transit, as well as through bylaw. They also take donations, many through the special holding pen at the landfill or just through the door at Bikeways.

Each bike undergoes refurbishment and a multi-point checklist before being put out for sale in the show area or on the rack outside.

“The prices are exceptional," Fraser said. “Typically, most bikes sell for less than 50 per cent of what you’d pay for new in a retail situation.”

While some customers ride off with a refurbished bike, Fraser said others take full advantage of their extensive stock of parts to build their own at home.