Elim Village partners with UFV for a second year to offer trishaw ride program to residents
Elim Village residents enjoying a ride along the Vedder River on the trishaw.
In early 2022, Elim Village Garrison Crossing partnered with the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) to participate in a unique program. Designed to get older adults out and about, enjoying nature in a healthy, community-focused way, this program utilizes a vehicle called a trishaw. A trishaw is a three-wheeled bicycle that accommodates a pilot rider with passengers situated up front, giving them a scenic view of the natural world around them.
UFV’s Trishaw Riding Initiative is associated with the global ‘Cycling Without Age’ (CWA) initiative that envisions a future where ‘every Canadian has the opportunity to feel the wind in their hair’, regardless of their age. CWA’s guiding principles of generosity, slowness, storytelling, relationships, and without age (equity and inclusion) guide the volunteer pilots as they cycle their passengers around.
During Elim Village’s first season of offering this unique service to Garrison Crossing residents, they received such immensely positive feedback and demand that Elim supplied a small grant to UFV through The Elim Foundation to help fund the continuation of the program.
Elim residents thrive outdoors—enjoying trishaw rides or walking through nature.
The Trishaw Riding Initiative now has over 10 trained UFV students who volunteer as pilots for their trishaw team. Each pilot receives training prior to embarking on their first ride, with training workshops led in tandem by UFV faculty and Elim staff.
Along with providing a fun and memorable experience for both students and residents, the Trishaw Program also supports an exciting new research opportunity. Student pilots and UFV faculty members are studying the impacts of intergenerational engagement on both the students’ and residents’ well-being. Many Elim residents have participated in the research process, revealing reciprocal benefits for everyone involved. So far, the researchers have learned that passengers enjoy the opportunity to be outside and participate in a unique activity while engaging with the younger generation of pilots. The pilots themselves have reported enjoying the opportunity to meet and chat with their older passengers.
UFV faculty have presented their research findings to a number of audiences, including the Canadian Association on Gerontology in Toronto. Research is ongoing, and both residents and their student pilots are looking forward to the continuation of the program this spring and summer.
Elim resident, Joyce Ross, says, “The trishaw is great! It’s nice to come down by the river; the scenery is just so beautiful here.”
Learn more about Elim Village Garrison Crossing, the various housing options available, as well as the array of unique amenities and services offered by visit their website, calling 604-769-0022, or emailing garrisoncrossing@elimvillage.com. Stay up to date with their latest offerings by subscribing to their mailing list.
Learn more about Elim Village Garrison Crossing:
Embracing family and faith at Elim Village Garrison Crossing
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