GUELPH - Mary Rife has spent the last 14 years repairing bikes out of her garage and then selling them to raise money for charity. But her operations were halted earlier this month after someone complained to the city's bylaw enforcement for the first time.
Last year alone Rife repaired and sold nearly 300 bikes out of her home, raising over $25,000. She estimates she's raised over $100,000 in the last four. No one has ever complained, until now.
“My neighbours aren’t upset, so I don’t know who complained,” she said. “I wish I knew because then I could go and explain what I’m doing. Maybe they thought I was trying to raise money for myself. I’m not; 100 per cent of everything goes to charity.
“I’m retired, I don’t need any money. It’s just something to do,” she said. “I could watch TV all day, or I could do something useful.”
When the city received a complaint, an inspector came out and said she was technically violating three bylaws: having a home occupation in her garage, having a permanent display, and a sign indicating bikes for sale on her front lawn.
“You can have it in your house like (people do with) hairdressing and music lessons, but I am certainly not going to fix bikes in my kitchen,” she said.
She typically displays the bikes for just a few hours a day before tucking them back in her garage, so while it happens daily, it’s not all that permanent. In fact, she takes pride in keeping her yard beautiful and tidy.
If the bikes are on display, people won’t know what’s going on if there isn’t a sign indicating they’re for sale, she said.
To avoid being fined, she’s been legally shut down since Oct. 19. However, she intends to apply for a minor variance to the bylaw so she can continue operating. Her tentative hearing date is Nov. 14. The application cost her $1,900 out of pocket, which she likely won’t get back either way.
But she’s confident the community support will show the variance is needed and she’s not doing any harm.
“Developers do it all the time,” she said, adding that the developers of the subdivision near her house applied for 11 variances.
After being given the go-ahead by city staff, the application for the variance will be presented to the Committee of Adjustment for approval, likely on Nov. 14.
“If I had 100 people come and say 'what she’s doing is shit,' then it would be shut down. But I’m hoping it goes the other way,” she said. “I’ve already had emails of support from people I don’t even know.”
Last year she sold 296 bikes. The year before it was 292. This year she’s really hoping to sell over 300.
All the bikes are donated, and repairs and purchases are by donation; there is no set fee because she’s not running a business.
The endeavour initially started when her parents moved in with her and her restless dad, Bob McNeish (or Biker Bob) needed something to do.
“He was bored to tears,” she said. So he started fixing people’s bikes for charity. Rife joined him, and it grew from there.
For the last few years, all donations have gone to the Stephen Lewis Foundation, a non-governmental organization that assists with AIDS and HIV-related grassroots projects in Africa.
“I’m disappointed that one single person could be a detriment to the hundreds of people that come here for help, that one single person could shut that down,” she said.
However, she added she’s “entirely grateful” to those who have donated hundreds of bikes over the years that could have otherwise ended up abandoned or in the landfill.
“I’m entirely grateful. If the City of Guelph didn’t support me and donate bikes, I couldn’t do this. It’s people out there who are actually continuing this,” she said.
