Single complaint shuts down Guelph charity bike repair operation

A Guelph retiree will not be deterred by one “Grumpy Gus.”

Mary Rife has been repairing bicycles in the garage of her Guelph home for 14 years. She began after her elderly parents moved in and her dad needed something to occupy his time.

After her parents passed, Mary continued to repair bikes and sell them, with all the proceeds going to charity, specifically, The Stephen Lewis Foundation.

Mary told The Mike Farwell Show, she doesn’t keep a penny.

“I take no money at all. Absolutely none. 100 per cent goes to The Stephen Lewis Foundation. I just do it as a hobby. As a senior, I do it keep my mind busy. It’s very social for me, I meet a lot of interesting people. It’s not a business, it’s just fun.”

Earlier this month, Mary said Guelph bylaw showed up at her house, and said they had received a complaint and came to inspect the property. They found she violated three statutes: operating a home business out of a garage, displaying items for sale on residential property and posting a sign on a residential property advertising a business.

Mary said she acknowledges that she is technically in violation of the bylaws but what she is doing shouldn’t be considered a business because she isn’t making any money personally.

She also said the bikes would only be on her lawn for a few hours each day and never overnight.

Mary has now taken the fight to city hall. She has applied for a variance that would exempt her from those bylaws and allow her to resume operations.

She said that simply filing it costs her $1,900 and if she loses, she won’t get it back. But, Mary is hopeful city officials will see that she isn’t a nuisance to neighbours and what she is doing is just charity work.

Mary hopes to hear the verdict in the coming weeks, allowing her to resume making repairs in the spring.