Community Program Encourages Hijabi Muslims to Cycle in Toronto

September 1, 2023 

Community program, Hijabs and Helmets is working to provide an inclusive and supportive community for Muslim women and allies to learn cycling in Toronto, Canada. It supports newcomers, locals, refugees and asylum seekers in the city and helps to build a sense of community and friendship. 

Hijabs and Helmets was launched in 2019 after a programmer from Access Alliance noticed a lack of women wearing hijabs cycling in the city. The program was therefore created to promote cycling amongst the Muslim community in Toronto, creating a safe space for women and girls to learn new skills and explore the city. 

“This shouldn’t be something that’s so rare, this should become a normal part of Toronto’s cycling scene,” said Fei Tang, a manager at Access Alliance who came up with the idea for Hijabs and Helmets. 

Hijabs and Helmets is run by Scarborough Cycles which operates under Access Alliance. Access Alliance is a health and community hub that addresses systemic issues faced by refugees and other newcomers to Canada. The program gets most of its funding from Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) Foundation, which owns Toronto sports teams including the Maple Leafs ice hockey team and the Raptors basketball team. 

Now with increased popularity, Tang says that all Access Alliance’s organized rides – whether specific to the Hijabs and Helmets program – have hijab-wearing cyclists participate. Most people who join the program have been in Canada for less than five years. The group serves Toronto's Taylor Creek area, in a city that has a high proportion of newcomers. 

Recent data shows that Canada’s population increased by more than a million people for the first time in history in 2022, almost entirely due to a surge in immigrants and temporary residents. According to the city, there were 2,900 refugee claimants in Toronto’s shelter system in May – an increase of 440% compared to September 2021. 

Recognizing that many visibly Muslim women navigate and face cultural and social barriers in order to engage in cycling, Hijabs and Helmets strive to create a safe space. It works to make it easier for Muslim women and girls to integrate cycling into their daily lives without having to compromise their individual lifestyles, beliefs and commitments. Under Scarborough Cycles’ anti-Islamophobia and pro-active lifestyle framework, the program intends to make cycling more inclusive by empowering hijab-wearing individuals to rightfully feel comfortable and safe as they bike. 

Alongside cycling, the program offers nature walks, workshops and more to create a sense of community among its participants. Access Alliance intends for the program to expand into other sports and vocations. “We want to promote diversity and try to make our society more and more welcoming to immigrants from all walks of life,” said Tang. 

Last year, the program received additional funding to purchase accessible bikes so newcomers with disabilities are also able to join rides. “We are fully prepared to teach them. We’re fully equipped and skilled, and we have all of the resources available to teach non-riders to get them rolling,” said Marvin Macaraig, a health promoter and the coordinator of the Scarborough Cycles program. 

MLSE Foundation was the 2017 Beyond Sport Global Award recipient of the Sport for Sustainable Cities and Communities Award. 

Source: Reuters, Daily Hive