Graham Anderson, Loretta Laurin, Robyn Ashwell, Grace Soo and Kevin Cooper, all university students studying various aspects of sustainability at university, are the entrepreneurs behind the new social enterprise SHIFT Delivery Co-op.

The entrepreneurs were inspired by the controversial Hornby bike lane to develop a business plan for cycle-based delivery service for the downtown core. The new bike lanes are helping to develop the infrastructure of downtown Vancouver into a green one which supports the safety of cyclists, and since the cargo trikes are less than 1.2 meters in width, Vancouver's engineering department says they will be treated as bicycles and free to use the bike lanes. 

The partially electric powered, heavy-duty cargo trikes can deliver 600 pounds of supplies and function as a replacement for traditional delivery trucks, helping to keep the city's traffic and CO2 to a minimum. 

Kevin Cooper, one of the founding members, told me that his inspiration for SHIFT came from his background as a cycling advocate and the belief in the potential of bicycles to make huge change in the world. Kevin believes there is “loads of untapped potential to displace traditional delivery vehicles in dense urban areas with trikes like ours”. 

With more and more Vancouver businesses aiming to be carbon neutral, the market for zero-emissions delivery is sky rocketing. SHIFT hauls a variety of products including coffee, catering, office supplies, moving supplies, clothing, beverages, produce and much more! 

Frogbox, Mills Basics and H.A.V.E. Cafe are some of the local businesses who have expressed a strong interest in partnering with SHIFT. Frogbox would work with SHIFT to deliver moving boxes to residential locations, Mills Basics would use the trikes to deliver office supplies and H.A.V.E. cafe, a culinary training program in the Downtown Eastside, would employ the trikes for catering delivery.

The buzz about SHIFT is growing with the co-op recently making headlines around the lower mainland, and even internationally. SHIFT will be offering advertisement on the trikes geared towards like-minded businesses and their clients.

For contact information check out www.shiftdelivery.com