A group of adventurers who want to reconnect, restore, and rebuild our communities after months of disruption will cross Canada on bicycles this coming summer on an adventure that will highlight remarkable local people.
The group is seeking like-minded adventurers to join all, or part, of the journey as we bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, the trip will cover nearly 8,000 kilometres over four months, but riders who are unable to do the full ride are invited to join for a day, week or stage of the tour.
The core group will leave Victoria, B.C., in mid-May, with a planned arrival in St. John’s, NL, by mid-September. Picking up co-tourers along the way, the group will avoid major highways when possible, and head to the secondary roads to learn more about the rich mosaic that makes this country unlike any other.
The full route can be seen here.
The tour is not a race – the point is to discover our country at the speed of life. This is about the journey. We will meet with Canadians in small communities across the country, get to know them a little better, and tell their stories. Beyond the exceptional memories, we aim to fuel a movement – a national conversation on who we are and to celebrate the ordinary heroes who make us unique.
Communities along the route will choose remarkable local people to be highlighted in a blog and/or video. They may be people who have overcome illness or adversity, benefactors, or health care or public safety employees. Seasoned journalists Doug Firby and Lisa Monforton will be the chief storytellers.
Further information about the tour are available on the ConnecTour website.
I am sure we will see you guys at some point on the route, we are taking some of the same roads at some points, but leaving a bit earlier, starting in Sooke BC on May 1 for us!
Have a good trip. If you are riding through Calgary let us know. Tanya will be home and may be able to host you. She is joining us in June when we pass through Calgary but not for the BC section
We might see you on the way at some point! We're leaving from Victoria around May 8 but we're heading to Revelstoke first, so maybe from Calgary! Thanks for sharing your route. Looks like a great project, will follow you on the web for sure!
Hi Danie. Have a good trip! Keep in touch and hopefully we will cross paths somewhere down the road. Rick
Your trip looks amazing and you're following a similar route in places to our trip across Canada in 2016-2017, albeit we went east to west. Do you have all your campsites planned for the trip? If it's helpful I can send you details of all the places we stayed from St John to Vancouver?
Hello,
I just noticed your post. I hope to cycle across Canada this summer (Covid permitting), I am not
having much luck finding campsites. Would love to know more about your cross Canada tour and
specifically where you camped. Thanks, Theresa
Hi Theresa,
We started from Toronto and headed west to Vancouver. We then went down to San Diego, east to Florida and then up to Maine where we reentered Canada at Calais. We went to Nova Scotia, PEI and Quebec back to Tortonto. Then we flew to Newfoundand and did a loop of the Avalon Peninsula. I have a map of the whole route and can easily make more detailed maps of sections if helpful. I can't work out how to post the image on here but I'll see if I can do that in a private message to you. I can also send a complete list of campsites we stayed at.
Thanks
Chris
Hello Chris,
Your route sounds like a wonderful plan! Curious to know how long that route took. I would be grateful to see the route you took and a list of campsites would be greatly appreciated.
I am trying to avoid cycling East to West as I hear the headwinds are quite strong in the Prairies. I was hoping to take the train with my bike to Vancouver and then cycle East, unfortunately Via rail is not running beyond the Quebec border so I may cycle West from Ottawa or East to PEI.
Thanks for your response.
Regards, Theresa
Hi Theresa,
It took us 2.5 months to ride from Toronto to Vancouver, via Salt Spring Island (think I forgot to mention that we went there!). The headwinds in the Prairies can be nasty but they're not as bad as people make out.
PEI to Ottawa took us 3 weeks.
I'll send you a message with the details.
Cheers, Chris
Hi Chris
Am also wanting to do this crosscountry tour and would benefit greatly from a copy of your list of camp sites. Thank you in advance
Kerryjane
Hi Kerryjane,
No Problem, I'll send you private message as I can't add attachements here.
Cheers
Chris
Hi Chris,
I'm kinda tempted to also ask you for your campsite list and route. Would you mind sending it in a private message as well?
very grateful,
thanks!
Hi Danie,
We didn't go via Revelstoke - we went south to avoid Highway 1 - but I'll send the campsites and route we took and hopefully they may help with your planning.
Cheers
Chris