URKAi Inc

As you know, both Kendra and Andrew, proud owners of Urkai only sell products that we love, use and trust with the transport of our son.  But there is more to the story than just loving a product, we care about where, how and who makes our bicycles.  So we wanted to share this video of the bakfiets.nl being made by craftpersons in Holland. Note that the video (in Dutch) starts after the frame was made because it occurs in a separate factory which is about 50 km away, but still in Holland.

Video: Bakfiets.nl being made in Holland

A month ago, we challenged ourselves as a company, to complete 7 days of giving because we didn’t want to pour our hearts and souls into a company that didn’t have any.  We needed to create greater purpose for ourselves as owners, and for the people who choose to work with us.

As we progressed through our planned 7 days of giving, we began to see its true power because we saw a need – and a way we could help - that we hadn’t before.

Earlier in the year, we heard a story about two children, ages 11 and 14, who had lost their mother who then moved in with their Grandmother.  It resonated with us not only because of the children but their financial hardship – they couldn’t afford the cost of the taxi to visit their dying mother so volunteers stepped in to help. Something just kept on nagging us about this situation. There is complete loss of innocence of children when they have lost a parent, and to have neither parent in their lives, and a phenomenal Grandmother holding the last shred of their family together, just meant we had to do something. 

But what could we do? 

We decided to let go of our initial plans for day 6 & 7 days of giving and dedicate ourselves to finding a way to help.  Initially, we contacted the palliative care residence where the mother had passed away and asked if they could contact the Grandmother to see if she would be open to receiving a care package and some gifts for the kids. A few days later we heard the news that she had accepted our offer to help. 

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For Day 5, we really wanted to do something that was a part of us, that we could all share in. As a husband and wife team, we have been wanting to do something very personal, and didn’t require anyone else on our team to join in.

Less than 3 years ago, shortly after giving birth, I (Kendra) had massive complications. I went in for a simple procedure, kissing my newborn and husband, and ended up losing more than half my blood – with my husband and newborn son watching in despair, and woke up, realizing I had almost died, and I was unable to move. My complications were beyond just blood loss, and I would face months of crippling pain, I began by only taking our son around the block, and was then able to get further. If it weren’t for a few blood transfusions, I would never have been able to get out of bed as quickly as I did, or pick up our son. All of those kind souls, who donate blood, so that others can live, is an incredibly generous gift.

So today,  Andrew gave blood. It will end up being a Christmas tradition, and I am hoping next year, I will be cleared to donate blood too.

We really wanted to think outside the box for this one.

Do you love getting Christmas cards? How many people still do it? We seem to receive more mass e-mail greetings than anything else, nothing wrong with that. But what if, you are alone, you might have just moved, or maybe, you just don’t have anyone to share the holiday’s with.

We decided to send a card to each occupant of old houses, and condo’s we have lived in. I know, sounds a little weird, but, we thought it might brighten someone’s day. Maybe, just maybe, it will inspire someone else to do the same. The Holiday’s aren’t just for family, it really is about reaching out to strangers, neighbours, and colleagues.

Cleaning up a local park

It is sometimes the simplest things that get overlooked. This park in St. Lazare is used everyday, almost all year round, by all the kids in the neighborhood. The sand has been covered for months with leaves and pine needles, in fact, it had been covered all summer too.  The kids complained that there was no longer sand to play in.

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The Hudson Christmas Parade

Since Andrew is a Rotarian, and the city of Hudson asked if the Rotary club of Hudson/St. Lazare would like to participate in this years Christmas parade, we jumped on board and decided to organize, participate and co sponsor it.

Having never participated in an event such as this, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, nor did we realize how much work it was.  We have a new appreciation for those who build floats from scratch!

The Rotary, whose motto is service above self, rely on donations, members volunteering and business sponsorship to support their humanitarian projects both locally and abroad.  The Hudson/St- Lazare club is relatively new, and gaining more members and visibility in the community was the club’s main agenda. Not many know that the Rotary does a great deal abroad and locally.

The weather was not looking too good, so we tried our best to weather proof the decorations (the bikes, being designed in Holland by Azor, are, after all, built to live in the rain).

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The small town of Hudson, Quebec, for those that don’t know anything about it, used to be affluent and a popular summer get away, now, sadly, there are few businesses, and poverty is increasing.  The box in the local IGA is tiny, and always empty, most don’t realize just how much poverty there really is. It breaks your heart, how can anyone be their best, have energy to find employment, or do well in school, when they have nothing to eat.

Our goal was to only go shopping to fill the actual box up, which we did.

Hope everyone donates a couple of cans this season, every can makes a difference!

We had a blast not only delivering bikes in Toronto, but meeting new people in Kingston and Toronto. Do you want us to come back? or maybe come to your town, just ask!!!!

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Why a meet up? What other way would you be able to test drive a Bakfiets! This is a social, engaging way for us to meet people, teach people how to ride one, and show how you can use it for everyday life. Old Port Montreal is stunning, a great place to have a coffee and walk around, or in this case, ride a Bakfiets. This was the easiest place in Montreal for us to meet other families (and park our van), and be flagged down by a few individuals who stopped and asked about the Oma. Plus, it is a great excuse to have a picnic and enjoy this part of Montreal.

The Urkai van is very white and still looks rather naked! If you see this van parked, there is a Bakfiets and other bikes being ridden around the area. Tweet us, Facebook us, and well, test one out.

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Who doesn’t fall in love with this part of Montreal, it is spectacular!

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