Flood of community support for Sault Ste. Marie boy who had bike stolen
A Sault Ste. Marie mother and her young son are expressing their heartfelt gratitude to the community and a local sporting goods store for helping them recover from a distressing incident.
Roz Anderson said her eight-year-old son, Hudson, was riding his bike on Mother's Day weekend – when the unthinkable happened.
"Hudson was riding his bike up and down our own neighbourhood street," Anderson said.
"Unfortunately, he was followed by a man, chased by a man and forcibly taken his bike."
She called the police about the incident and then took to social media in an effort to locate the bike.
"I thought if it was on auction, maybe someone could make note of it," Anderson said.
"What I wasn't expecting was how much public support that we got."
Anderson's post soon garnered hundreds of shares and comments on social media.
Among those who saw the post was the manager of the local Sport Chek store.
"I thought to myself, what a poor experience for a kid," said Joe Carbone, the retail store's manager.
"A first bike or even a bike at any time, especially going into the summer, that's your mode of transportation."
Carbone said he reached out to Anderson with an offer to replace the stolen bicycle free of charge.
"I was happy to be able to help and that we were able to reach out and do the right thing for him," he said.
"Bikes are expensive and they're not easily replaced," Anderson said.
"I just couldn't believe it. These things don't happen everyday, right? So, something good happened out of something pretty negative."
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
As for Hudson, he said he can't wait to take his new bike out for a spin.
"I think it's amazing and this is really nice of you guys to do this," Hudson said to the staff at Sport Chek when picking up his new bicycle.
SportChek in Sault Ste. Marie gave eight-year-old Hudson a new bike for free after a man stole his while he was riding it. June 2/23 (Mike McDonald/CTV Northern Ontario)
"I wasn't expecting it."
A fundraiser had initially been launched to replace Hudson's bike. But now, the family now plans to use the money that was raised to purchase gift certificates for other children who have had their bicycles stolen.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Saskatchewan isn't remitting the carbon tax on home heating. Why isn't my province following suit?
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Caleb Williams goes to the Bears with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.
Body of Quebec man who died in Cuba found in Russia, family confirms
A Montreal-area family confirmed to CTV News that the body of their loved one who died while on vacation in Cuba is being repatriated to Canada after it was mistakenly sent to Russia.