Overview

As a sustainable business, our first priority is to our employees and ensuring living wages. After that, we know that keeping prices fair is the key to consumer confidence. Both of those are admittedly challenges in a globalized economy. Nevertheless, once we take care of balancing wages, prices and fiscal obligations, a portion of the profits left over will be dedicated annually to community-minded initiatives. We might not have unlimited resources, but we know that giving is more rewarding than receiving, and plan to continue that tradition. Since 1977, our small family business has played an active and sustainable role in our Prince Edward Island community. Our father and founder Gordon MacQueen knew that while the key to gaining and keeping customers was reliable service and fair prices, supporting other endeavors was almost equally important to furthering both the sport/recreational activity of cycling and all the side benefits it provides for a more sustainable planet, better physical and mental health, and an engaged local community not enslaved to toxic car culture.

Dad hired a Vietnamese refugee as a mechanic in the late 1970’s when the Bike Shop was just fledgling. He was literally a trailblazer with the Rails to Trails movement, one of his more obsessive projects that today serves countless Islanders and visitors alike. He served on the board at the Credit Union, supported the Island Nature Trust, was involved with Citizens Advocacy, coordinated numerous duathlons and bicycle road races, operated a BMX track, supported Charlottetown youth by opening Wheel Zone, mentored and trained countless bicycle mechanics, and in his later years was an enthusiastic donor to the QEH Foundation where he thought the support could make a real difference for a majority of Islanders’ health. And that’s just a fraction of his meaningful community contributions. He didn’t give back for recognition or public relations; he did it because uplifting others and being a useful member of society is the right thing to do.

Today PEI poverty statistics are overwhelming. Health care budgets have been slashed, we have mental health crises, addictions, affordable housing problems, gentrification, unsustainable land and water use issues, and questionably rational allocation of taxpayer dollars to fix those problems. Sometimes it feels like there’s not much we can do to right the course of globalism and return to a healthier, more sustainable local community, one with food sovereignty and where spending circulates more between small local entrepreneurs and residents than to transnational companies that don’t have the same vested interest in conserving the Island’s unique environment or culture. But we’re not giving up. It might be a drop in the bucket, but we’ve collectively decided on a company strategy for how we plan to continue to support the most vulnerable segments of our community on PEI, in line with our family goals and life projects, and we’ve outlined it here.

Criteria for Eligibility
We will give special consideration to those community organizations whose goals and objectives are consistent with our sustainable philosophy. Contributions in the form or cash and/or product/services to the community should fall into one of three categories: charitable organizations, community involvement/awareness or public relations. The amount of funding will be considered on a case-by-case basis, subject to budget limitations. The number of members who will benefit and the impact of the activity or project will be taken into consideration in each case.
We will consider community contributions for:
▪Bicycle charity events (recreational and competitive)
▪Bicycle education events
▪Bicycle infrastructure awareness events
▪Bicycle infrastructure development
▪Bicycle technician/service training events
▪Bicycle accessibility for low-income families
▪Bicycle swap meets
▪Technical advice for customized bicycle builds to serve vulnerable adults or youth
▪Environmental conservation, especially surrounding bicycle transport initiatives
▪Sponsorship of competitive youth riders together with our suppliers
▪Promoting your related event on our in-store bulletin board or social media channels
MacQueen’s does not make charitable contributions for/to:
▪Political/partisan endorsements
▪For-profit businesses or events
▪Religious organizations
▪Individuals seeking funds for personal endeavors
▪Merchandise promotions

Oversight Responsibility & Requests

We receive hundreds of requests a year, so have developed this policy to more efficiently and rationally handle the increasing demands for donations from our community and streamline those which most closely match our organizational goals.
Annual submissions for consideration should be sent by Dec. 31 and selections of successful recipients for the calendar year will be made collectively by management in January. Successful submissions will be notified by email of their approval.
CEO Kristen MacQueen is responsible for overseeing, approving and documenting donation requests in our systems.
-Charitable donations and sponsorship requests must submit a Donation Request using the information & criteria below to info@macqueens.com
-All copy and artwork are to be approved by MacQueen’s prior to publication.