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Special Thanks
to
August 4
Delta Hotel
St John's
August 3
Brian Rolls
Chance Cove
August 2
The Friendly Folk!
Gander
August 1
Anon. Donors
Grand Falls - Windsor
July 31
Art & Florence
Deer Lake
July 25
Mrs Tong
whilst in
Charlottetown
July 24
The girls! Tourist Info Centre
Moncton
July 22
Brett
Fredericton
July 22
Krista Morency
Comfort Inn
Fredericton
July 22
Info Center G Unit
Perth-Andover
July 20
Clarion Hotel
Edmunston
July 16
Simone Bittman
Genevieve
Sarah
Montreal
July 15
Magasin Sauve grocery store,
Lalonde family
Curran
July 14
Kay
Gary Lunn
Ottawa
July 13
Delta Hotel
Carolyn
Ottawa
July 12
Christy
Code Mill's Inn
Perth
July 11
Doug
Booster Park Campground
Marmora
July 10
Chris
Cedar Park Resort
Solina
July 9
Colleen
(& Lord Stanley's Cup)
Toronto
July 8-10
The Burns
Toronto
July 8
Sara Harowitz
Toronto
July 7
Hayley
Toronto
July 7
Lauren Burke
Debbie Burke
Adrienne
Thorold
July 6
Kat and family
Guelph
July 6
Heather and Daniella Sorichetti
Fergus
July 4
Wilson and Gail,
Happy Hearts campsite
Tobermory
July 4
Bryan, Terry, Cathy, Nicole, and Cam
Tobermory
July 1
Delta Hotel
Sault Ste. Marie
June 30
Wawa Subway
Wawa
June 29
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Adamson
family |
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Richmond
June 24
Kristie, Kaysha, and Stephanie and crew, KOA Kampground
Thunder Bay
June 24
Alf
Thunder Bay
June 23
Bob
Davy Lake Campground
Ignace
June 22
Dryden Camp
and RV Site
Dryden
June 21
Bob and Friend
(Thank-you! from Sam)
Kenora
June 21
The Kenora Miner Newspaper
Kenora
June 18
Danielle
Greenwood Inn
Mario (Denny's by Sandman Hotel)
Winnipeg
June 17
Dorothy,
MacGregor Family Foods,
Genvieve and roommates
Winnipeg
A big Thank-you to
 |
Richmond
Sockeyes |
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for covering riders'
camping/motel fees
Brandon - June 15
Maple Creek - June 6
Medicine Hat - June 5
Bow Island - June 4
Castlegar - May 30
Keremeos - May 26
Manning - May 25
June 14
Grenfel Co-op
Larry
Fleming
June 13
Twilite Drive-In
Wolseley
June 12
Leah
Radisson Plaza Hotel Saskatchewan
Regina
June 11
Aaron and Kelly
Regina
June 10
Cal and Tracy
Moose Jaw
June 8
Don & Anna
Scott
Swift Current
June 5
Joe
Bow Island
June 4
Brian & Shelly
Chris, Brendan
Russ & Glenda
Lethbridge
June 2
Sheila and Amanda
Park Place Lodge
Fernie
June 1
Kevin & Kelly Franck
Cranbrook
May 31
Patrick Donker
(inspiration!)
Balfour
May 30
Sandman Hotel
(discount) and
Eric Parker
Castlegar
May 29
Ramada Inn
Grand Forks
(Thank-you Dave!)
The Boundary
Creek Times
Mountaineer
for the article
May 28
Dave and Heather
Midway Mobile
Home & RV Park
Midway
May 27
Best Western Sunrise Inn
Osoyoos
May 24
The Tongs &
Monique Chiasson,
Heritage Inn, Hope
May 23
Accent Inn
Vancouver
May 22
Motorcycle Ride
For Dad
Victoria riders,
CHEK 6 NEWS
Tess Van Straaaten,
Our Families
Richmond
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Pedalers For Prostate
"I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep"
- Robert Frost
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New Ventures
- Late April - May 2011: Richmond, BC to Mexico: Sam and Brian are off on another cycling adventure. This time they are cycling from Canada to Mexico to raise funds for Easter Seals Childrens Camps, where Sam has been working and volunteering. To find out more, please see their page on the Easter Seals web site.
- April 10, 2011: Richmond, BC Giver of Hope Video - Sam is nominated for VoluntHero Award - Please vote here!
- March 2011: Richmond, BC: We are seeking more riders to raise funds for The Prostate Centre and other worthy causes.
- February 2011: Richmond, BC Sam is named as a Richmond Review "30 Under 30 - Community Leader" for raising funds for the Prostate Centre via the cross-Canada cycling adventure - (read full story)
Cross-Canada Adventure Completed!
- September - December 2010: Richmond, BC - The riders are actively doing interviews and presentations to various community groups about their experiences, as they continue to raise funds for The Prostate Centre. They have put well over 1000 photos from their trip on-line so that supporters and friends can share more of their experiences, and will be adding selected photos to the blog posts (it was impossible to do this whilst on the road). We will be updating this web site with many photos and news stories from the trip in the coming days. The cross-country ride went from Mile 0 in Victoria to Mile 0 in St. John's. A further three day cycling trip from Tofino to Victoria is planned, so as to complete the entire distance from Pacific to Atlantic coasts. This is not the end for the Pedalers For Prostate, only the end of the beginning. Future projects will be announced, as Team P4P continues to push (and pedal) to raise $25,000 for The Prostate Centre. So far, over $12,400 has been raised to help fight cancer! Thank-you to all of the donors so far, and please help the riders get even closer to their goal!
- August 6: Vancouver, BC - Sam and Brian flew from St. John's to Toronto, and from Toronto to Vancouver Airport (YVR), arriving just after noon. They were met by a small crowd of cheering supporters, and Fairchild TV.
Newfoundland and Labrador
- August 5: St. John's (NL) - Rest Day
- Terry Fox memorial, Cape Spear (most eastern part of North America!) and dip our bikes in the Atlantic!
- August 4: Day 75 - Chance Cove to st. John's (NL) - The Finish Line!
Sam reports, "It's a strange feeling, waking up one morning and realizing that everything you worked for the past 1.5 years for will soon come to an end. Woke up in the misty hills of Chance Cove and, realizing we were very short on water, hustled to main highway hoping we'd find something to eat along the way. It was amazing how the day turned out; at first I was told that it was going to be a rainy and miserable end to our trip, but it turned out to be a glorious occasion of warm weather, the nicest we've had in Newfoundland.
We entered St. John's at around 3:15pm but did not actually get into town until 4:00pm because of our photoshoot at the sign as well as the fact that St. John's has a long-winded way of getting people into their downtown core! What was fitting though, is that as we were on the highway entering St. John's, I hit 8000km on my odometer, which was a pretty special occasion that I have been working up towards (our original route plan said this would take us 7998km, so that is pretty darn precise!!!).
We made it - and now we relax in a Delta Hotel, the only chain that has offered us accommodation more than once (this is their third time donating a room! We are SO grateful for them!)."
- August 3: Day 74 - Port Blandford to Chance Cove (NL)
Sam reports, "As Brian said, it rained last night. But that was not the end of it - it rained ALL NIGHT. I was hiding in the tent, thinking that is was the safest bet at staying dry. However, sometimes even the best of chances aren't enough. We pitched our tents last night in a gravel area which was off the side of a road. With rolling bumps clearly from larger trucks which had pulled over in the past, I ensured that we set up our tent in the flattest spot possible to save our backs a little damage. Unfortunately, the flattest area also happened to be somewhat of a divet. It rained, and rained and rained. It rained so much that there were puddles underneath me - not just outsite the tent, but inside as well!!!"
- August 2: Day 73 - Gander to Muddy Brook (NL)
Brian reports, "When we rolled into town, we were surprised to see the streets of Gander lined with people! Were they awaiting our arrival into their town? We could only wish.. We had stumbled on their town's annual celebration of Gander Day, and the crowds were waiting for the parade to pass through town. To our dismay, the library was closed due to Gander Day, so we weren't able to use the computers as we had planned. We decided to take this letdown in stride and to join in on the parade! We pulled out our banner and Gander residents even invited us to follow behind the parade through town. Banner in hand, Sam and I slowly biked behind the last car shouting "Happy Gander Day!" as we trailed behind. We had a great reception of our banner and enjoyed the free, unplanned publicity as the crowd took pictures of us. As we slowly rolled through, Brad helped us take videos and pictures, so there is some great footage of us! It was so exhilirating to be a part of this event and we thank the town of Gander of being so friendly to us."
- August 1: Day 72 - W. Badger to Gander (NL)
Sam reports, "Crackle-thump. Crackle-thump. "EH HEM!" *loud rustle of leaves*. This time it was not Art that woke me, but a large presence edging closer and closer to my tent until I made just enough noise to frighten it away. I would assume it was a bear, but obviously being the middle of the night I didn't see the need to confirm such suspicions. Dampness, Bug and Slimey Slugs. That's the title of this mornings happenings. Wet and misty, it was a difficult morning to tackle. What made things better was first thing I noticed when hopping on my bike was that I had a juicy flat tire, the first since BC! I guess with that in mind I should still consider myself mighty lucky."
- July 31: Day 71 - Deer Lake to W. Badger (NL)
Sam reports, "Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump, BAM!!! "You's must be the sleepiest bunch I's ever seen! Half the day gone already! Almost as though we were in a military zone and a bomb had gone off, we shot up out of bed and were ready for breakfast within seconds. This is how Art started our day at 8:40am. Quite the wake up call, clearly much more efficient than anyone's alarm clock."
Webmaster reports... "Just visited Sam's Grandfather for a few days. Thanks to the efforts of the wonderful local medical and hospital staff, he is well and is an official prostate cancer survivor."
- July 30: Day 70 - Corner Brook to Deer Lake (NL)
Sam reports, "Just before leaving our stay I made a call to the Western Star and set up an interview. We visited downtown for some groceries as well as to pick up Brian's new tire. Having our interview with the Western Star was a little different than what we were used to. We met at the side of the road on the outside of town by the exit signs to answer some questions about us as well as take some pictures - unfortunately the way the landscape was in this area, that meant climbing uphill... at least it looked pretty epic."
- July 29: Day 69 - Port-Aux-Basques to Corner Brook (NL)
Brian reports, "The stretch to Corner Brook is supposedly the hilliest in Newfoundland so we braced ourselves for a taste of BC again. Newfoundland thus far has made this cross country trip come full circle because the hills and coast lines are reminiscent of home. And the rain! Everytime we climb long hills, it always seems to rain for us. I constantly wiped my glasses as we were shooting down the hills so I could avoid rocks scattered on the highway. I was so lucky today because I had no flats! I had to keep my eyes peeled for rocks the whole day and it was mentally straining."
Nova Scotia
- July 28: Day 68 - North Sydney to Port-Aux-Basques (NL)
Brian reports, "After a quick stop at Foodland to fuel up and the information center for a map, we set off out of Port-Aux-Basques. What an exhilirating feeling! I was in awe of the beauty of Newfoundland's west coast as we giddily rode into the sunset. However, that feeling was short lived as I encountered a flat back tire. My tires have been giving me too many problems lately because they have taken me across 7000km with a loaded pack. I hastily changed tubes because night was quickly coming. Apparently too hasty because the moment I picked up my bike, I got another flat."
- July 27: Day 67 - East of Antigonish to North Sydney (NS)
Sam reports, "New milestone reached today!! 7000km!! Started of the day with a massive headwind and many, maaannny hills which made the going tough. The headwind eventually died down, but the wind was strong one way or another which caused some rather interesting weather situations. Brian and I were verrry lucky when it came to scary rainstorms just barely catching us, or giving us a quick soak before blowing over (especially at the Canso Causeway!)- the way the clouds were looking, it should've been a lot worse!"
P.E.I.
- July 26: Day 66 - NW of Wood Islands to East of Antigonish (NS)
Sam reports, "If you have been reading my recent posts, you'll know slugs and I have a common fondness for shoes. Well, today slugs and I found one more similarity, we both like socks. Finding not just one, but two slugs on my socks, I decided to toss them. We sprinted to the Wood Islands ferry which would take us on a pleasant voyage out of PEI and into the province of Nova Scotia. The ride was a bit rocky, but nevertheless beautiful as we saw not only the red shores of PEI, but also that of Nova Scotia."
- July 25: Day 65 - Confederation Bridge to NW of Wood Islands (PEI)
Sam reports, "Had Cow's Ice Cream for breakfast because I can (try Moo Crunch! mmmm...). PEI turns out to be a lot hillier than I had imagined. Also turned out to be a day of headwind as well as miserable rain. I'm sorry if I cannot share the same love for PEI that most people have, but I can see how it might have been beautiful on a different day. I thought the red sand was pretty cool. It was also special to be in Charlottetown, where confederation was born, after learning about it's history back in high school."
New Brunswick
- July 24: Day 64 - 50 km west of Moncton to Confederation Bridge (Borden-Carlton) (PEI)
Sam reports, "I've been slimed! It was a fantastic way to start yet another epic day on our epic journey. Crawling out of the tent early in the morning, the ONE TIME I don't shake the bugs out of my shoes, there is a juicy slug waiting for the bottom of my foot. I guess you could say he really touched my "soul" (Thanks Fred)."
- July 23: Day 63 - Fredericton to 50 km west of Moncton (NB)
Sam reports, "We grabbed lunch before our long day ahead and off we went as usual. Our original plan was to make it to Moncton, NB, by the end of the day. Unfortunately, Brian had some major tire issues which delayed us enough to call it a night somewhere along the way. The difficulty around this situation is once again a matter of comfort. Around dinner time, I realized out of nowhere that I was out of water, and it is these situations which you realize happen very rarely in "average" life. Dehydrated, I was thrilled to find out Fred had enough H2O-magic to keep me going for the night. I only hope that I can make it to Moncton without too much difficulty."
- July 22: Day 62 - Lower Portage to Fredericton (NB)
Fred reports, "The bike ride to Fredericton felt easier than we imagined. We encountered many long downhills and had the help of some tailwind on the uphills. We also lucked out from the rain. The dark clouds were all around us but we did not encounter anymore than slight drizzles. We were able to reach Fredericton by sundown to check in at the Comfort Inn and still have time to grab food at the local WalMart before they closed."
Webmaster reports that this www.pedalersforprostate.ca web site has now had 6000 visits from 2000 visitors, with over 21,000 pages read... Visitors have come from 38 countries, including 164 cities in Canada, 107 cities in 35 USA States, and 37 cities within the UK... Welcome and well done everyone, for finding us!
- July 21: Day 61 - Edmunston to Lower Portage (NB)
Fred reports, "Although we did not deserve to stop biking, we decided to stop at Grand Falls to check out the waterfall. The waterfall was not as grand when we arrived, but apparently 6 million liters of water, 9/10th the volume of Niagra Falls, would cascade over the falls every second during the spring freshet before all the water is diverted to the power plant."
Quebec
- July 20: Day 60 - La Pocatiere to Edmunston (NB)
Brian reports that the riders completed 190 km today!
Sam reports, "Every morning I wake up and tell myself something along the lines of "You are going to get sweaty, tired, filthy and you are not going to like it. But it's only one day of your life, and you are doing this for all the right reasons." Up at 6:30am, I was eager to find some food and change up my completely worn out brakes. We were on the move at 8:45am and gave it a good run for most of the day, going through multiple beautiful small towns in Quebec. Started off at a good flow, and good pace, but 50km into the ride there came somewhat of a mini summit, or at least a hill the size that we are not used to anymore. It then evened out into many, many rolling hills for the rest of the day."
- July 19: Day 59 - Quebec City to La Pocatiere (QC)
Brian reports, "Sam and Fred both bought a two foot long sandwich each because they were so hungry! They soon learned the consequences of buying on impulse from an empty stomach, because eating two feet of sandwich is an arduous task. It is surprising their stomachs could fit all that. Shortly after we noticed dark storm clouds rolling in again, and we quickly made camp in a park behind the IGA. I love these small towns that people actually give you the go ahead to camp out in their parks because the population is so small! We made it just in time because the moment we jumped into our tents, sheets of rain pelted our tents. Staying dry is a great way to end off a long day!"
- July 18: Day 58 - Trois-Rivieres to Quebec City (QC)
Tevis reports, "An early wake up and a Walmart breakfast was how we started our day. I had my usual container of yogurt and was ready to get going. Biking along the 138 has been so great. It is little highway that doubles as a bike path from Montreal to Quebec City and further! Not only is it a quiet road but it has a spectacular view of the St. Lawrence and the farms that border it. The ride itself was fairly uneventful but the view was more then enough to keep one's mind busy... which was nice. Pedaling pretty consistently all day, we arrived in the outskirts of Quebec City at around 6 pm."
- July 17: Day 57 - Montreal to Trois-Rivieres (QC)
Brian reports, "Rain soon caught up to us, and we started to get desperate because we still had a full day of riding ahead. Tevis quickly sped ahead so he could avoid the rain. Unfortunately, at a roundabout Sam missed a crucial turn and I hastily chased after him. After I caught up to him, a cellphone-less Tevis was long gone ahead of the rest of the group... Towards late afternoon and still no sign of Tevis, we noticed dark, ominous storm clouds quickly approaching. The first crack of lightning left Sam in a panic and we quickly pulled in to a grocery store. Moments later, a heavy wall of rain fell onto the town and we were so relieved to be indoors! Thank goodness for these small towns that are just large enough for a Metro grocery store! We waited the storm out and ate lunch/dinner... The storm cleared and we continued onwards, and at 9pm at the outskirts of Trois-Riviere we receive a phone call from Tevis! Night was upon us and pesky flies were coming out. With one P4P member in town, we had no choice but ride through it. Fred was COVERED in dead flies from our sprint into town! It was quite a sight... Tired and beat, we stumble into the McDonald's where Tevis was waiting and had dinner. We found a spot further out of town and threw out our tents and quickly went to bed!"
- July 16: Day 56 - Montreal (QC) - Rest Day
Sam reports, "We scaled up the many stairs leading to the top of a tower which viewed Old Port and the rest of Montreal, snapping a few very cool pictures in the clock tower. Then we ventured the Bon Secours, a historic building which housed multiple little shops, and now also the historic location of my first full conversation in French. Other buildings included Notre Dame and the Marguerite-Bourgeoys Museum, all which left us feeling as thought we were in a whole other country. Wandering through Old Montreal, I found my pins to add to the collection I have been building on my backpack since Manitoba. Lastly, we hit up the Bell Centre. Now, if you are from Vancouver you will know that GM Place is a magical place where large pictures of Canucks players such as Luongo give it a very special appeal. The Bell Centre has that, and much more! There is not only pictures of players such as Markov, but also statues of greats such as Maurice Richard and Guy Lafleur, a row of all the retired numbers and short player biographies, another row of plaques to celebrate each Stanley Cup they've won, and a lay out of bricks which commemorate their centennial year and all their achievements. This is all centred by a statue of the Habs logo, under which has engraved all their players, statistics and so on. Needless to say, it boasts quite a lot of hockey history!"
Ontario
- July 15: Day 55 - Curran to Montreal (QC)
Fred reports, "The small town of Curran, Ontario was by far one of the friendliest towns we've biked through. After packing up our tents, we filled up our water bottles from the well water that was offered to us by the kind family we met the night before. We then headed straight to the Magasin Sauve grocery store to have our usuals with a bottle of Gatorade each - courtesy of the friendly owners of the store who also provide us with alternative routes to Montreal. Right before we rolled out of the town, we were all given a giant stick of Mr Freeze by the Lalonde family who also provide us with more alternative routes to Montreal. Thanks to everyone at Curran for keeping us so cool in our bike shorts!"
- July 14: Day 54 - Ottawa to Curran (ON)
Sam reports, "We stayed in the hotel until check out time when we headed to Parliament to meet our tour guide for the day, Kay. Thanks again to Minister Lunn for arranging this!!! Kay did an excellent job at giving us a quick tour around the buildings and taking us up the Peace Tower where we had quite the view!... Grabbed some food afterwards and realized we should probably bike or something... so we got on that and headed for Montreal. On the way we found google maps had taken us straight to an ATV trail where we were swarmed with flies that had an appetite for humans, so we had to replan the route and backtrack which was a pain. At one of the places we had to turn around, while stopping I clumsily fell over on my bike which hurt my hand pretty bad."
- July 13: Day 53 - Perth to Ottawa (ON)
Sam reports, "We had to stop for an hour because of poor weather conditions but were lucky enough to find shelter for that time... We look forward to our Parliamentary tour in our nations capital tomorrow, and can only hope we soon find more ways to make our journey here more meaningful in the way of helping others."
- July 12: Day 52 - Marmora to Perth (ON)
Fred reports, "Thankfully the ride today wasn't too much of a challenge. Minimal gradients and slight tailwind kept our breakfast in our fuel tanks until the afternoon heat wave swallowed us for lunch. Fortunately, the beautiful Sharbot Lake accomodated us with a lake for Tevis and Brian to jump into and a shady piece of grass for me to fall asleep on."
- July 11: Day 51 - Solina to Marmora (ON)
Brian reports, "It was hard to hit the road again after an extended siesta! We continued down Hwy 7 until the late evening, and we finally came across Booster Park Campground, just outside of the town of Marmora. We would like to extend a large thank you to Doug for hosting us for the night in his beautiful campground! We finished the night off eating a dinner of whatever was left in our packs and watching the sunset by the lakefront. We had to scramble into our tents or else risk getting eaten alive by mosquitos! Good night!"
- July 10: Day 50 - Toronto to Solina (ON)
Tevis reports, "It was hard to leave Toronto. I can't speak for the other guys but being looked after so well by the Burns family left me a little ‘soft.' The thought of riding a bike was not the most appealing as we said goodbye to Hayley and her family but it was time to leave. "
- July 9: Day 49 - Toronto (ON) - Rest Day
Sam reports, "Fred, Brian and I met up at the Eaton Centre for some lunch before starting my epic one day tour of Toronto. Fred and I went straight for the Hockey Hall of Fame, where we saw so much memorabilia for the greats of hockey. We also got to touch/take pictures with the Lucky Loonie, the puck which won Canada the gold, and of course the STANLEY CUP!"
Brian reports, "I ventured off by myself to see Toronto by foot and to fully play the part of the tourist. I took some photos with the CN Tower, but avoided the crowds waiting to go up. I randomly joined a tour for the Steam Whistle Brewery at the Roundhouse, in hopes of getting free beer (only got one though, better than nothing)... In front of the CN Tower, I bumped into the Heart and Stroke cyclists, Brett, Steve, and Duane! I never thought we would see them again because they were ahead of us AND we had taken all those days off! We exchanged stories and conversed about the roads towards Ottawa. I was baffled at how coincidental this all was!"
- July 8: Day 48 - Thorold to Toronto - part Rest Day
Brian (with Fred and Tevis) reports. "For some reason our rest days are always more eventful than our normal days on the road! We started our morning off with breakfast at Lady Marmalade on Queen street. The short bike ride there already had us sweating profusely! I felt like a black hole when my poutine simply vanished into my mouth... Fred left the island early to meet up with Sam at Union Station, and we hung out on the island until sundown because it was so relaxing there. We soon got very hungry because the last meal we had was breakfast! Back in the city we stopped to grab burritos at Big Fat Burritos on Bay and Dundas. I stuck with a beef burrito, but Tevis had a YAM burrito and said it was delicious. I regretted my decision..."
Sam reports (from Niagara Falls), "What a sight, pretty much everything I thought it would be. It was also uber misty because of the heatwave that is hitting Ontario right now... all the better for Maid of the Mist! We hit that up and got absolutely drenched, which unfortunately only lasted for several minutes after the boat ride was over... (later) I arrived in Toronto at just past 8pm and definitely felt the culture shock of the massive buildings that surrounded me on every side. I biked up the sidewalks because I was terrified of the main streets until I reached Yonge/Dundas square, where I was assaulted by giant TVs on all sides, mounted on the tall buildings around me. It was cool but, once again, left me a little claustrophobic. Met up with Sara Harowitz, who set me up at her place as I enjoyed yet again the comforts of living in a non-tent. Had some pizza while watching some movies before passing out after the long and memorable day."
- July 7: Day 47 - Guelph / Toronto to Thorold (ON)
Sam reports, "After having breakfast, I was saddened to say goodbye to the Klaassen family, but excited to see an old friend from camp. Left around 9:30 and made my way into Dundas, ON, where I had an interview with our buddy Al Ferraby from Victoria's CFAX. Dundas was a nice town, unfortunately most of it was under construction. By the time I made it to Hamilton, it was hot enough to be considered sauna temperature at what felt like 42 C. I decided to cycle slowly through the downtown Hamilton core for whatever reason. I stumbled upon the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and was able to talk my way into getting a picture taken with the Grey Cup, which I thought was pretty awesome since it happened so unexpectedly..."
- July 6: Day 46 - Chatsworth to Guelph / Toronto (ON)
Brian reports on Facebook, "In Toronto!"
Sam reports, "Up this morning before sunrise: 5am. Only other time I've been up this early was in Pincher Creek, AB, but it is worth not being caught in the sun. Packed up pretty quick and accepted the race against time. Went through small historic towns such as Durham and Arthur, refilling water as I go. One high point of the day is when I was at the Mount Forest sign wiping off the sweat and an absolute stranger drives by and yells "Well done!" with a big thumbs up... Finally shot for Guelph in a sprint and was stoked when I got there to find some AC. Explored the area and found downtown to have a really chill atmosphere. Went to a couple more newspapers before heading to Kat's, whose family has been kind enough to host me for the night and made me a fantastic dinner that left me stuffed, thanks again! Also enjoyed a dip in the pool, exactly what I needed. Not to mention a bed.. Yep. A few days of the good life!".
- Leanne at The Prostate Centre reports that donations received through P4P now exceed $11,000... Almost half way!
- July 5: Day 45 - Tobermory to Chatsworth (ON)
Brian reports on Facebook via phone, "Tobermory, ON, has some of the nicest people around!"
Sam reports, "With a full stomach, and new cool hats given to us by Bryan, we headed out to enjoy another blistering hot day. We stopped at the next town for a break and grabbed some popsicles, hoping to cool down a little bit. We made it to Wiarton and tried once more to wait out some more of the hot day and also met Wiarton Willie, the groundhog... As darkness loomed, we made it to Chatsworth without a place to sleep until we met a group who directed us towards a site. Even at the later hours in the night, it was no temperature for a sleeping bag or anything of the sort. Tonight will be a struggle to stay hydrated for sure.".
- July 4: Day 44 - Espanola to Tobermory (ON)
Sam reports, "We ended up at the Happy Hearts campsite, where Wilson and Gail offered us free accommodation. Our night got even better, as when we were rolling into the campsite, we were invited to hang out with a group of absolutely wonderful people who were so kind to us. Thanks to Bryan, Terry, Cathy (sp?), Nicole, and Cam, who fed us and showed us a great night around a campfire. The stars were bright and plentiful. Couldn't ask for more.".
- July 3: Day 43 - Thessalon to Espanola (ON)
Sam reports, "Woke up at 7:30am to make the heat more tolerable. Biked through many small towns, such as Iron Bridge, where I took a break to eat a little breakfast. We all met up at Blind River and left at 3pm, hoping it would be a bit cooler. We arrived at Espanola just absolutely beat because of the heat and pitched a tent. Came to a couple conclusions today, trying to distract myself from how warm it is getting. One of which is that I decided I would not want to be famous; it's far too tiring to do all that stuff. Either way, I'd like to think we are spreading some inspiration to those awesome people whose jaws drop when we tell them where we are from and what we're doing."
- The riders had to modify their route through Ontario so as to avoid 400 series roads.
- July 2: Day 42 - Sault Ste. Marie to Thessalon (ON)
The riders report, "We made it all the way to Thessalon by 7-ish and found the place nearly deserted. It's a quite small town that sits on Lake Huron that Brian and I figured would be a nice place to retire. Perhaps we'll be neighbours? After this brief bit of sentiment we pressed on to our camping spot just outside of town where we fought the mosquitoes while setting up our tents.".
 July 1 (Canada Day!): Day 40 - Montreal River to Sault Ste. Marie (ON) (total 3912 km)
Sam reports, "Today was probably the most memorable Canada Day of my entire life. Despite having to sleep on bumpy ground, I woke up with ease at 6:30am to the sound of hundreds of different bird calls, all going at once. It was a forest symphony. Rolling out of the tent I then saw a beautiful sight as the mountains were being engulfed by a shroud of clouds, with only the peaks showing. Once again, this was a magical start to my Canada Day."
- June 30: Day 39 - Wawa to Montreal River (ON) (total 3792 km)
Fred reports, "After receiving multiple warnings for the multiple steep hills that lies ahead, we slapped on our game faces once again to tackle the long dreaded 240km of ‘nothin but hills' from Wawa to Saulte Ste Marie - including the 83km of Lake Superior Provincal Park. We spent the morning in Wawa to prepare for the night in the wild. The preparation involved stocking up on our groceries and having a footlong sub each from the local Subway - thanks again to the Wawa Subway for generously filling up our stomaches on the house! After catching up on our blogs at the local library and talking with the local news, we were ready to spandex up and leave civilization for the next 2 days."
- June 29: Day 39 - White River to Wawa (ON) (total 3692 km)
Fred reports, "After being carried by the tailwind all day, we enjoyed a final steep climb into the hilltop town of Wawa, where we were welcomed by a giant statue of a Canadian Goose. This monument was built in dedication to the opening of the last link of the lake superior section of the trans Canada highway. The Canadian Goose is a symbol for the town of Wawa, the town with a name that means "Wild Goose" in the language of the Ojibway Indians."
We are most grateful to our latest silver sponsor, the Adamson family of Richmond, BC, for their major donation to
The Prostate Centre. Every donation helps The Prostate Centre save lives!
- June 28: Day 38 - Marathon to White River (ON) (total 3598 km)
Sam reports, "We were all pretty excited to arrive in White River, birthplace of Winnie the Pooh "where it all began". Took some photos with the famous statue there, found some food and camped out in the just above freezing temperatures of 1 degree celsius. We also had to pleasure of meeting Rieteke, a 65-year-old woman who had her share of wisdom, experience and spunk. We were all captivated by her passion to live on the road as a nomad, without anything aside from the pack on her bike. I think there is a lot to learn from humble and content people such as herself. Anyway, better get some shut eye. Keep on fundraising! =)"
- June 27: Day 37 - Schreiber to Marathon (ON)
Brian reports, "In Marathon, ON, and I don't have reception in Northern Ontario. I don't like having to hunt for wi-fi."
Sam reports, "Yet another day that reminds me all too well of home. The many hills and mountains, almost was so tired I didn't make it! Arrived in Terrace Bay early and unfortunately, being a small town on a Sunday, hardly anything was open and I was almost out of food! While eating lunch, we met Houston and Jurgen, two cyclists heading west. Houston, from Vancouver, told us about his travels in South America while Jurgen, from Germany, boasted his "all weather shoes", also known as sandals."
- June 26: Day 36 - Nipigon to Schreiber (ON)
Tevis reports, "Coming down the second hill into Rossport was a great view of Lake Superior. I spent a couple minutes poking around on a beach beside the highway taking. With a great view of rocky islands scattered throughout the lake it would have been a great place to camp, however, we pushed on to Schreiber in hopes of finding a place with a warm shower. One hill later we found our campground and pitched our tents just as the bugs came out and the sun went down. The warm showers were great."
- June 25: Day 35 - Thunder Bay to Nipigon (ON) (total 3328 km)
- A big, big, thank-you to the people who have made donations to The Prostate Centre in the past couple of days. You know who you are! --- That's $10,832.24 now raised to fight prostate cancer! --- Donations through this site go 100% directly to The Prostate Centre to fight prostate cancer (tax receipt provided immediately) and DO NOT cover any riders' costs.
- June 24: Day 34 - Upsala to Thunder Bay (ON) (total 3215 km)
Team P4P reaches Terry Fox Memorial, Thunder Bay - Sam reports, "...we did what I have been waiting to do since we left Victoria, BC - see the Terry Fox memorial in Thunder Bay. As we biked closer and closer to its location, I picked up my pace in excitement and was not disappointed in any way. I peered down a short pathway with trees on both sides, showing nothing at the end but an enormous bronze statue of Terry Fox in the centre break of leaves. Also, as soon as I arrived a man asked me where I was from, when I told him he looked at me in amazement; what a moment and place to receive that sort of reaction from someone. Needless for me to say, it was a very moving and emotional day and I can't help but feel inspired to continue on pursuing our goal of crossing Canada and raise as much awareness and $25,000 for prostate cancer. As the late Terry Fox once said, because "Somewhere the hurting must stop"..."
- June 23: Day 33 - Ignace to Upsala (ON) (total 3070 km)
Fred reports, "Our day started out with what seems like one of the biggest challenges of the trip - waking up in a quite, warm, and grassy lakeside campground of Davy Lake Campground. Bob, the owner of the campsite, helped us get on our way with some great pointers and heads-up for our next few days. Thanks again Bob for everything including the discount for the campsite. Also, we will sure make use of the shortcut into Thunder Bay!"
- June 22: Day 32 - Dryden to Ignace (ON) (total 2967 km)
Tevis reports, "Sleeping with the covers on our tents was a rash decision. Acting like some sort of thermal alarm clock the heat woke us up early. We spent the morning running errands throughout town. We hit the road and were once again riding through the charming landscape that is northern Ontario. The sky was the sort of grey that threatens to rain. Expecting the worse, we had our rain gear at the ready. Luckily, we didn't have to use it! Now we're in Ignace and enjoying the free library wi-fi. Lastly, thanks to the owner of the Dryden camp and rv site for giving us a discount on our stay last night!"
- June 21: Day 31 - Kenora to Dryden (ON) (total 2860 km)
Brian reports, "Once again another late day for us! Somehow this always happens to us because the weather is so hot and it makes us so slow. Fred woke up earlier than the rest of us so that he could go to the local bike shop to get a new tire. His replacement tire from Canadian Tire has been increasingly more problematic, with six flats in two days! He has officially set the record for consecutive flats on this trip... We finaly settled into a nearby campsite in the city after a small McDonald's dinner and set up our tents in the dark. Stinky, sweaty, sticky, but too tired to care. We had no access to showers that night anyway!"
- Since leaving Victoria, BC, the riders have replaced $131.84 of tires and inner tubes. Thank-you to the Adamson family for helping the riders cover this cost, and to Bob for his help towards their camping expenses! Would anyone else like to send a small cheque to help cover necessary trip expenses? If so, please contact Brad at 604.290.5864. Thank-you!
Manitoba
- June 20: Day 30 - 10 km east of Richer (MB) to Kenora (ON) (total 2723 km)
Fred reports, "Just before we entered the city of Kenora, I encountered another flat tire. Sam stayed behind with me to fix the flat while Tevis and Brian enters Kenora. After fixing the flat tire and entering Kenora, the roads all of sudden seemed wet and partially flooded. Everything in the city was wet - everything including Brian and Tevis! What happened here?! We must've just missed a storm by encountering that flat tire!"
- June 19: Day 29 - Winnipeg (MB) - 10 km east of Richer (MB)
Sam reports, "People in Winnipeg have such great taste. But I suppose not everyone digs the spandex, as a car lauched a CD like a frisbee at us. I didn't allow myself to take it personally and just assumed it was a Miley Cyrus album... We reached a huge milestone today as well, as we are now halfway across Canada. I was happy there was a sign there to let us know."
- June 18: Day 28 - Winnipeg (MB) - Rest Day (total 2514 km)
Brian reports, "We took our time in the morning at my friend Genevieve's house, as we took a day off to check out the city of Winnipeg. The day was packed with activities! Tevis and I had to rush off to the local library to register for our courses in September, and then we set off with the rest of the group to the Winnipeg Legislative Building. We got a chance to ride through a bit of downtown Winnipeg, and it felt so exhilariting to ride in a large city again with unloaded bikes! We had a quick tour of the legislative building courtesy of Genevieve."
- June 17: Day 27 - Macgregor to Portage La Prairie to Winnipeg (MB) (total 2514 km)
Tevis reports, " --- "storm's a brewin', Ani" --- This particular quote from Star Wars Epsiode One: The Phantom Menace, ran through my head several times as we packed up our tents this morning trying to plan our departure with a less rainy patch of clouds."
- June 16: Day 26 - Brandon to Macgregor (MB) (101 km)
The riders report, "Our goal was Portage La Prairie today, but did not anticipate the highway from Brandon to be so poor! The shoulders were actually non-existent, so we were forced to ride on the loose gravel shoulder. Poor shoulders, heavy construction work, and strong cross winds made our day a lot more frustrating and slowed us down dramatically. Luckily all of us are still ok and didn't run in to any accidents." - (read Brandon Sun article) (reproduced with thanks / permission)
- Those of you following the trip plan will notice that, while the route remains the same, the overnight stops are very much determined by road and weather conditions. We will update the locations stayed and distances travelled shortly!
- June 15: Day 25 - Fleming to Brandon (MB) (147 km)
Sam reports, "Woke up from a rough nights sleep. Probably does not help that we were sleeping 25m from a train track. With a back tire wearing very thin, there was no predicting what the outcome of this day would be with over 100km
to any bike shops; I was getting wheely worried..."
Saskatchewan
- June 14: Day 24 - Wolseley to Fleming (MB) (144 km)
Brian reports, "The flat terrain makes for even a short distance of 25+km between towns seem so much longer! The scenery doesn't help either, as the panorama seems to be on loop. Hill, shrub, cows, fields, repeat..."
- June 13: Day 23 - Regina to Wolseley (SK)
Tevis reports, "We continued on to Indian Head and found out that the town was where the hit CBC series, Little Mosque on the Prairie was filmed. It wasn't exactly the town from Corner Gas, but we were still pretty excited. The final push from Indian Head to Wolseley was quick and painless and we arrived at Weird Willy's Convenience Store with time to spare in the day..."
- June 12: Day 22 - Regina (SK) - Rest Day
Fred reports, "Thanks again Aaron and Kelly for letting us crash in your house after a rough ride yesterday; although I guess we shall deserve no sympathy as I've noticed everyone in Saskatchewan are Roughriders."
- June 11: Day 21 - Moose Jaw to Regina (SK) (~105 km - total 1881 km)
Sam reports, "We headed to Moose Jaw for lunch, were interviewed by the paper, and lastly took pictures with Mac the Moose! 25 km before Regina we recognized we had some mechanical issues - thinking that the day was almost over, we certainly 'spoke' too soon. As we were all starting to tire, Fred's wheel burst and we were anything but pumped. In our predicament. with the cold chill of night approaching, we were all feeling quite deflated. Luckily Tevis had an extra tire that he was able to 'spare' for Fred, giving him just enough mileage to 'tread' lightly before popping another tube in Regina."
- Yes, Sam's latest blog entry is a must read for "cruel and unusual pun-ishment...
- Check out the P4P Facebook Page for lots of new photos from the first three Provinces covered by the riders. We will add to best of them to the gallery here in the days to come...
- June 10: Day 20 - Chaplin to Moose Jaw (SK) (~53km - total 1776 km)
From Facebook (Sam Wade): "Sam Wade is currently chillin' outside of Moose Jaw, stoked to see Regina tomorrow."
- The riders receive a message of encouragement from B.C. Senator Yonah Martin, who has been very supportive in letting Canada's MPs and Senators from all parties know about what P4P are trying to achieve.
- June 09: Day 19 - Swift Current to Chaplin (SK) (90 km - total 1723 km)
Brian reports, "The terrain from Swift Current was relentless, with surprisingly large hills that came out of nowhere. Thr road ahead of us looked like a flowing ribbon, winding up and down, left and right, all with directions with headwind. However, we learnt to work as a team! Because the headwind was so bad, we had to rely on each other to block the wind, and we took turns drafting off each other. It felt great to come together and it brought our group closer through this experience..."
- June 08: Day 18 - Maple Creek to Swift Current (SK) (137 km - total 1633 km)
Sam reports, "We were lucky enough to have connection with Scott, who brought us to Don and Anna, two incredibly kind individuals who did more for us than we could have asked for; thanks again! It is truly refreshing to have a bed to sleep in again! It is boosts like these that really keeps me going strong, and I know the same goes for the other guys as well! Can only keep hoping for better weather."
- June 07: Day 17 - Medicine Hat (AB) to Maple Creek (SK) (103 km - total 1496 km)
Tevis reports, "Crossing the Alberta - Saskatchewan border was celebrated with a photo shoot beside the 'Welcome to Saskatchewan' sign and the continued on to Maple Creek. Upon reaching the exit for the town we finally had a chance to take a look back at the landscape we had just crossed. It was at this point that we realized the massive thunder head that was rolling in from the west to cover the remaining blue in the sky. It was a menacing cloud that chased us all the way into Maple Creek from the highway. We reached the town just in time to hide from the rain and lightning."
Alberta
- June 06: Day 16 - Bow Island to Medicine Hat (AB) (~80 km - total 1393 km)
Brian reports, "In Medicine Hat, feels weird to be in a city again because it is so hard to navigate around a busier city. Camping out tonight again"... "I am excited to have finally reached the end of the Crowsnest Highway, as we look forward to pushing onward on Highway 1!"
- June 05: Day 15 - Lethbridge to Bow Island (AB) (~90 km - total 1313 km)
At 2 p.m. Brian asks... Could anybody offer us a place to stay in Medicine Hat? We are in Taber right now.
- People in 15 countries have been to our site to read about the trip. Keep spreading the word! ...Separately, apologies to the person in Iran who googled this site to find out about chest waxing... It was to raise money for a very good cause!
- June 04: Day 14 - Pincher Creek to Lethbridge (AB) (100 km - total 1223 km)
Tevis reports, "We were woken up early by the wind in Pincher Creek and were consequently on the road by 6:00am. We biked steadily to Fort Macleod and grabbed some breakfast then quickly pushed to Lethbridge. We got into town at 1:30pm. After examining the world's largest truss bridge, we met up with my Grandparents, Russ and Glenda who kindly suprised us with lunch."
- June 03: Day 13 - Fernie to Sparwood (AB) to Pincher Creek (AB) (125 km - total 1123 km)
Brian reports, "Officially outttt of BC! Biked from Fernie to Pincher Creek!"
British Columbia
- June 02: Day 12 - Cranbrook to Fernie (BC) (87 km - total 998 km)
Brian reports, "Our original plan for the day was to head to Sparwood, another 30k away, but had to spend the night here (in Fernie) due to technical difficulties... We must pick some new tubes and a new tire (for Sam's bike) at the local bike shop tomorrow in order to continue our stretch out of BC! The end of the Rockies will be coming soon."
- Here's a quick comparison for family, friends and prostate cancer survivors following the trip from the UK... the straight-line distance from Land's End to John o' Groats is approximately 970 km (603 miles) (source: wikipedia)
- Sam's brother, Andrew, who is working at Centre ot the Universe, an observatory in Victoria, reminds us that the distance is approximately half that of the diameter of Pluto. Thanks, Andrew. That's out of this world.
- June 01: Day 11 - Sirdar to Creston to Cranbrook (BC) (90 km - total 911 km)
Brian reports, "Around 15km to Cranbrook, we heard a honk from the opposing lane, and then another honk a few moments later from behind us. Turns out it was Kevin, our homestay for the night! He directed us and told us there was lasagna waiting for us at their house."
- May 31: Day 10 - Castlegar to Sirdar (BC) (140 km - total 821 km)
Sam reports, "We arrived at Balfour only to meet up with the man who told me this trip was possible in Victoria a year
and a half ago, Patrick Donker. Of all the things that have ever happened in my life, this is one of the most surprising...
We pushed for Creston but ended up 20 km short due to darkness... And then - the rain came."
- May 30: Day 9 - Grand Forks to Castlegar (BC) (~93 km - total 681 km)
Brian reports, "Currently in Castlegar, biked over our highest elevation mountain of our trip!
The downhill to the city was a solid 45 minutes..." - Fred reports, "What goes up, must come down!"
- May 29: Day 8 - Midway to Grand Forks (BC) (~74 km - total 588 km)
Brian reports, "Arriving (in Grand Forks) earlier than expected we refueled and went to see if the Ramada hotel had room for us. The manager, Dave, was kind enough to offer us rooms and we were thrilled! Thanks again to Ramada..."
- May 28: Day 7 - Osoyoos to Midway (BC) (~50 km - mostly uphill!)
Tevis reports: "The only person who seemed unphased by the ridiculous climb was Fred who seemed to enjoy the challenge... We then camped for the night in a quiet, but well kept RV park. The park was owned by Heather and Dave who were very kind. They kindly allowed to stay the night for free and generously donated $10 to our trip! Thanks Dave and Heather!"
- May 27: Day 6 - Keremeos to Osoyoos (BC) (~50 km - total 464 km)
Brian reports (see P4P Blog), "We rode through rolling hills, which got steeper as we went.
The situation progressively got worse because heavy rain rolled in towards the afternoon. Thank goodness for those
waterproof booties! If not, we would have had to ghetto plastic bag our feet, which would have gotten tiresome
after a while. Thankfully we had tailwind behind us, pushing us along all the way to Osoyoos. The rain pelted
down on our faces so hard that I could barely see ahead of me because my eyes stung so much."
- People in 13 countries are now following this adventure through this web site...
- Meanwhile, Richmond Sockeyes donate $250 to towards the riders' B.C. accomodation costs. Awesome! Thank-you!
- May 26: Day 5 - Manning Park to Princeton to Keremeos (BC) (~120 km and 1345m in elevation)
- 8:30 p.m. Brian reports,"Dealing with rough weather, currently in Keremeos. Didn't have enough juice in us to push
further to Osoyoos, which would have been another 50k mostly uphill. Had to duck in for the night because of heavy rain."
- 1:30 p.m. Brian reports, "The way up has been all uphill from Hope, and we could only reach Manning Park,
which is half the distance we had set out for the day. We had no idea the hills would be so steep."
- The riders reached Princeton (59 km - total 349 km) by 1 p.m. - All safe and in good spirits.
- News arrives that The Prostate Centre has now received $8,385 through Pedalers for Prostate (target $25,000).
Thank-you to everyone who has donated so far! Please get those pledge forms in to help us reach target!
- May 25: Day 4 - Hope to Manning Park (BC) (80 km - total 290 km)
The target was to get through the Rockies as far as Princeton, BC by nightfall.
The riders made it as far as Manning Park, and camped there overnight.
Princeton and more mountains tomorrow!
- May 24: Day 3 - Richmond to Vancouver to Hope (BC) (153 km - total 210 km)
Brian reports, "We are currently in Hope! Very tired, must sleep. Very long day ahead of us tomorrow.
Hopefully we will get to Princeton. We biked 160+ km today!"
(The riders have computers on their bikes which measure distance travelled based on wheel rotation.
This is more accurate than the daily map-based estimations provided)
- May 23: Day 2 - Richmond (BC) (0 km - total 57 km)
We collect the rest of our supplies / tents / bedding, finalize trip phone/internet communications,
and say goodbye to our families. Sam hunts for a spare bolt for his bike.
- May 22: Day 1 - Victoria to Richmond (BC) (57 km - total 57 km)
The adventure begins... We're off!
A big Thank-you to the Motorcycle Ride For Dad riders who escorted us from "Mile Zero" through the streets of Victoria.
Also thank-you to Tess Van Straaten and Chek News for covering the event.
Trip Communications
In order for the riders to concentrate on the ride, communications with the riders, donations,
sponsors and media enquiries, are being handled here in B.C. by Brad Bycraft. To find out more about how far Sam,
Brian, Fred and Tevis have travelled / what weather conditions were / who they've met / what they are doing / their trip blog, and much more, please contact Brad at brad@pedalersforprostate.ca or via cel. 604.290.5864.
Pre-Trip News
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