Prepare now for Springtime activities; gear may be in short supply

Shortages in gear for springtime activities As many prepare to get outside for spring activities, getting the right gear might be challenging. CTV's Rachel CrowSpreadingWings reports.

WINNIPEG — Spring is in the air and as many get ready to get outside, some favourite springtime activities might be extra challenging.

Pollock’s Hardware store is getting ready for the new season. The store's general manager Samantha Leclerc said they are seeing people prepare for backyard projects.

“What we are seeing a lot right now is people buying hand tools to kind of get projects done," Leclerc said. "Rakes and different equipment needed to kind of put in patios and things like that."

With the warm temperatures, Leclerc said many are getting ready to garden but there is more demand than supply.

“We have some varieties in, but some varieties we’re still waiting for," she said. "This feels a little bit late being the end of March, so definitely we’re seeing even our suppliers be kind of short with seeds."

The owner and manager of Jensen’s Nursey and Garden Centre said they are getting inquires for annuals but they won’t pre-order until April.

“Actually, a lot of inquires for indoor plants, which we do have," said Tammy Jensen. "Indoor plants and starting seeds and that kind of thing is just really way more busier than normal."

Jason Kelly from the South Osborne Bike Hub said finding bikes this year might also be a challenge. In a statement to CTV News, Kelly said even putting one together could be hard.

“We have been getting 15 to 20 inquiries a day for the past two weeks from people asking if we are open or when we plan to open. We've never seen such high demand at the start of the season, certainly never this early in the spring.”

The Wrench is a charity to help get bikes to those who can’t afford to buy them. Kate Sjoberg, the managing director, said finding a bike will be harder than usual.

“Some of our parts are three months away from arriving, some are 22 months," said Sjoberg. "That’s true across the cycling sector. Every retail shop is looking at that delay."

Leclerc said this is the time to prepare and find what you need now because there could be more shortages in the future.