To cap off Go By Bike Week, an e-bike expo was held at Junction Park and O’Siyam Pavilion in Downtown Squamish on Saturday, June 3.
From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., locals got to explore different types of e-bikes and ask questions of experts. About 20 to 30 people were in attendance around noon and an event organizer said there had been fairly consistent traffic throughout the day.
A couple of Sea to Sky retailers were also in attendance, plus other local ambassadors who were showing off the e-bikes' different varieties and capabilities.
The expo comes on the heels of the B.C. government announcing a new e-bike rebate program that doesn't require users to ditch their vehicle to be eligible.
However, those interested in the rebate who haven't yet applied will likely have to settle for a waitlist, which was introduced June 2 due to the "incredible response" to the program, with more than 8,000 people on the list, according to the province. There has been no indication of how long it may be before those on the waitlist could see their rebate.
The rebate offers three different tiers, depending on net income:
- $350 for those that make $51,131 a year and over
- $1,000 for those that make between $38,951 and $51,130
- $1,400 for those who make under $38,950
The rebate program's other stipulations include a requirement that the e-bike cost more than $2,000 before taxes and come from an authorized B.C. retailer. No Limit Motorsports, Specialized Squamish and Dropbar Cycles are the three Squamish-based retailers currently listed on the rebate website.
Two of the local retailers said they’ve already seen an uptick in e-bike interest since the rebate's launch on June 1. Andy Pickard of Specialized Squamish said about a half-dozen customers came in recently to check out the store's e-bike inventory, adding that Specialized hasd both commuter and mountain biking e-bikes in stock.
One customer who left with an e-bike was in and out of the shop within 10 minutes.
“[The rebate was] probably just that little extra he needed to convince him,” Pickard said.
Despite being the new kid on the bike block, Alex Hinkson of No Limit Motorsports said they too have already garnered interested customers.
“We're just freshly opened as a bike shop as of this week, so it's pretty new for us in general,” he said. “But … there's definitely been a few customers here and there.”
After applying and learning how much you qualify for, you can purchase an e-bike and then send in your claim for a rebate.
For more information, visit BCEbikeRebates.ca.
@squamishchief Squamish hosted an e-bike expo with local retailers, partners and ambassadors. #squamishchief #gobybikebc #gobybikeweek #gobybikeweek2023 #ebikingadventures ♬ Electric Feel
