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List of people who have walked across Canada

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This is a list of people who have walked or run across Canada from the east coast to the west coast or vice versa. Walking or running across Canada has long been pursued as a way to seek notoriety or bring publicity to social causes.

1921 Halifax Herald Coast to Coast Race

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This was an informal race across Canada fueled by the Halifax Herald newspaper.[1][2] In 1921, Jack Behan and his son, Clifford, of Dartmouth, NS, Jennie and Frank Dill (husband and wife) of Windsor, NS, and Charles Burkman of Whitewood, SK, all walked from Halifax, NS to Vancouver, BC. In order of arrival in Vancouver, the Behans completed the walk in 136 days, the Dills in 134 days, and Burkman in 139 days. Although the Behans were the first to reach Vancouver, the Dills did not leave until seven days after the Behans began their walk. This trek was followed-up by the Behans and Dills attempting a race from Montreal, QC to Halifax.[3][4][5][6][7][8]

Jackson Charron-Okerlund

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Jackson Charron-Okerlund (CrossCanadaJax) ran across Canada to raise money for cancer research. He began his journey on 6 March 2023 from the Terry Fox memorial in St. John's, NL and completed his 7,000-kilometre, 160-day trek on 12 August in Port Coquitlam, BC.[9] Charron-Okerlund live-streamed his run on social media and raised more than $100,000 CAD.[10][11]

Jennie Dill

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Jennie (Jenny) Dill was the first woman to walk across Canada. See 1921 Halifax Herald Coast to Coast Race.[12]

Steve Fonyo

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Main article: Steve Fonyo

Steve Fonyo ran across Canada in 1984–1985 and raised $14 million for cancer research. Fonyo began his Journey for Lives run on 31 March 1984 at age 18 and completed it 425 days later on 29 May 1985, covering 7,924 km (4,924 mi). In recognition, he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1985.

Trevor Redmond

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Trevor Redmond walked from Stanley Park, BC to the east coast of Canada and back, between 2006 and 2007, for cancer prevention, research and awareness. He covered 11,421 kilometers.[13][14] In 2009, he completed a 14,632 kilometer[15] bicycle ride across Canada and Back over a 3-month period. Redmond calls himself, the "Fellow in Yellow",[16] and wears yellow when he meets the public in preparation of his run across Canada to begin March 26, 2024.

Beresford Greatheed

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Beresford Greatheed was the first person to walk across Canada. He made his journey in 1895: departing Vancouver, BC on 2 March 1895 and arriving in Halifax, NS twelve months later. Greatheed's cross-Canada walk was intended to be the first leg in a walk around the world that he undertook to win $50,000.[17][18] According to an article in the 24 August 1891 edition of The Times (London), "...two clubs in Vancouver, The Union and Vancouver, wagered $50,000 on whether a man could walk around the world in five years living without money or luggage and depending entirely upon his own exertions."[19] Greatheed took up the challenge.[20][21]

John Hugh Gillis

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Main article: John Hugh Gillis

In 1906, on a bet and a dare, John Hugh Gillis walked from North Sydney, NS to Vancouver, BC. While some have reported him to be the first person to cross Canada on foot,[22] that honour belongs to Beresford Greatheed. Gillis departed North Sydney on 31 January 1906 with two companions, both of whom left his company in Montréal, QC. Near Ignace, ON he was joined by Charles Jackman. Jackman had begun his walk in Montréal on 14 April with the goal of catching up to and overtaking Gillis. The two of them walked 2,700 km together and strode into Vancouver station at midnight 24 September 1906.

Rick Hansen

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Main article: Rick Hansen

As part of his Man in Motion World Tour, a 26-month trek in a wheelchair to create awareness of the potential of people with disabilities and to find a cure for paralysis after spinal cord injury, Rick Hansen logged 40,075 km[23] through 34 countries on four continents (North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia)[24] before crossing Canada. His cross-Canada ride started in Cape Spear, NL on 26 August 1986 and finished on 22 May 1987 in Vancouver. 2 years, 2 months and two days averaging 80 kilometers per day.

Steve Hartwig

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Steve Hartwig, a Canadian Armed Forces veteran suffering from PTSD that resulted from a posting to the war zone in the former Yugoslavia, walked from Vancouver, BC to St. John's, NL in 2014.[25] He left Vancouver on 23 June 2014 and arrived in St. John's on 13 Sept. Each day on the journey he walked a 32-km forced march, also called a military hike. He undertook the walk to raise awareness of PTSD and entitled his walk, "Into No Man's Land".[26][27]

Burnest Heard

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A Heard postcard.

Burnest Heard (born Burnest Watson Heard Wozny[28]), the self-styled "World's Greatest Lover",[29] walked from Vancouver, BC to Halifax, NS and back. Heard set out on 1 June 1937 and arrived in Halifax 19 months later, in December 1939. He pushed a 150-pound oil drum across the country to make it clear that he did not hitch-hike during his journey. Heard paid for his trip by selling postcards of himself, at 10 cents apiece (he claimed to have sold 18,000 of them[30]); staying in hotels and buying his own food.[31] After a rest in Halifax, he began his return trip on 1 February 1940 and took two years and ten months to reach Vancouver (in December 1942). His first cross-country transit was widely reported in newspapers all over the US and Canada; however, his return journey was only featured in the Canadian press.[3][32][33][34]

Al Howie

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Main article: Al Howie

In 1991, Al Howie ran from St. John's, NL to Victoria, BC in 72 days, 10 hours and 23 minutes; departing St. John's on 21 June and arriving in Victoria on 1 September. His 7295.5 km transit (100 km a day for 72 days) is recognised by Guinness World Records as the fastest crossing of Canada on foot (male).[35]

Ann Keane

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In 2002, Ann Keane ran from St. John's, NL to Tofino, BC in 143 days; departing St. John's on 17 April and arriving in Tofino on 8 September. Her 7,831 km transit is recognised by Guinness World Records as the fastest crossing of Canada on foot (female).[36]

Ryan Keeping

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Ryan Keeping (born in 1998) is an ultramarathon runner from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Inspired by his hero, Terry Fox, he completed a 7,342 km run across Canada in 99 days.[37] He set out on 1 April 2024 from St Johns, Newfoundland and arrived in Victoria, British Columbia on 7 July 2024, 99 days later.  He ran the entire route at approximately 75 km/day, with each day broken into three 25 km segments.

He was inspired to do this run by several of his immediate family members being diagnosed with heart disease.  He raised over $240,000 CAD through GoFundMe; of which at least 80% will go to the Heart & Stroke Foundation (with the remainder financing the expenses on his journey).

His motto for the run was "Flip the Switch".  To flip the switch is to start to become the person you want to be; it's taking that first step towards deciding you're going to better yourself.[38]

Jamie McDonald

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Main article: Jamie McDonald (adventurer)

In 2013–2014, Jamie McDonald ran across Canada (wearing a Flash costume) and raised a quarter of a million British pounds for children's charities.[39] He was born with the rare spinal condition syringomyelia, and at nine years old was told by doctors he would be unable to walk. Fortunately, McDonald's symptoms “gradually disappeared”. In 2014, while on a visit to Canada, he decided to run across the country. At the beginning of his journey, he ran about 10–13 miles a day but with his tourist visa and winter kicking in (at which point several areas reached minus 40 degrees) after a couple of months, he ran approximately a marathon a day. He began his journey in St John's, NL on 9 March 2013 and arrived in Vancouver, BC on 4 February 2014.[40]

Skylar Roth-MacDonald

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Skylar Roth-MacDonald ran across Canada in 2021 to raise $50,000 and awareness for the Canadian Mental Health Association. He set out from Victoria, BC on 1 June 2021 and completed his run 143 days later in St. John's, NL on 12 October. He ran more than 7,200 km and raised more than $65,000.[41][42]

Sébastien Sasseville

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Sébastien Sasseville ran across Canada in 2014 to raise awareness about living with diabetes.[43] He left St. John's, NL on 2 February 2014 and arrived in Vancouver, BC on 14 November 2014, World Diabetes Day. His nine-month journey was the equivalent of 5 or 6 marathons each week.[44]

Melanie Vogel

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Melanie Vogel became the first woman to complete a coast-to-coast-to-coast through-hike on the Trans Canada Trail. She started her journey in Cape Spear, NL on 2 June 2017 and completed her 20,000 km journey at Point Zero of the Trans Canada Trail at Clover Point in Victoria, BC on 12 November 2022. In addition to walking from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans, she also traveled north to the Arctic Ocean; following the Trans Canada Trail.[45][46]

She was recognised by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, who awarded her with a Women's Expedition Grant in 2019. The duration of Vogel's trek was extended due to the COVD-19 pandemic.

Michael Yellowlees

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Michael Yellowlees completed an 8,000-kilometre fundraising walk across Canada on 5 December 2021 when he arrived at Cape Spear on the eastern edge of Newfoundland.[47] He began his walk in Tofino, BC at the start on 5 March 2021. He raised more than $60,000 for the Trees for Life charity.[48] Yellowlees was accompanied by Luna, his Husky dog.[49]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Reichwein, Pearl Ann (2014). "The Amazing Foot Race of 1921: Halifax to Vancouver in 134 Days". BC Studies. 180.
  2. ^ Tucker, Shirley Jean Roll (2011). The Amazing Foot Race of 1921: Halifax to Vancouver in 134 days. Heritage House Publishing Co. Ltd. ISBN 978-1926936055.
  3. ^ a b "Walkathon". Star-Phoenix. 20 July 1960. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Returns to Halifax". The Gazette. 8 July 1921. p. 6. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Quebec Notes". The Winnipeg Tribune. 9 July 1941. p. 34. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  6. ^ "Another Walker Crosses Canada". The Vancouver Sun. 16 June 1941. p. 14. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  7. ^ "Across Canada Hikers Are Now At Winnipeg". The Leader-Post. 21 April 1941. p. 4. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  8. ^ "One of Transcontinental Parties Already in Vanvouver". The Gazette. 13 June 1941. p. 17. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  9. ^ Baswick, Paul (15 August 2023). "Winnipeg man completes cross-Canada run for cancer research". Canadian Running. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  10. ^ Steeves, Shelley (14 April 2023). "Manitoba man livestreams walk across Canada to raise money for cancer research". Global News. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  11. ^ Jung, Angela (13 August 2023). "Man inspired by Terry Fox finishes cross-Canada run in Port Coquitlam". CTV News. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  12. ^ Roy, Andrew Walter (7 July 1956). "The great cross-Canada hike". Maclean's. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  13. ^ Forester, Huntsville (26 July 2007). "Redmond heads back west on cancer walk". MuskokaRegion.com. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  14. ^ Currie, Brooklyn (13 August 2019). "Meet the Halifax 'Fellow in Yellow' training to run across Canada". Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  15. ^ KUREK, DOMINIK (15 July 2009). "Cyclist going there and back". Mississauga News. p. 1. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
  16. ^ CBC News, Brooklyn Currie (13 August 2019). "Meet the Halifax 'Fellow in Yellow' training to run across Canada". CBC News. p. 1. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  17. ^ "The Traveller. Round the World on Foot". The Chronicle. Adelaide, SA Australia. 22 May 1897. pp. 46–47. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  18. ^ Morris, Michael J (1 August 2012). "Beresford Greatheed, aka Greathead, visited 'city' of Chapleau while walking across Canada from Vancouver to Halifax in 1895". THE MICHAEL J MORRIS REPORT. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  19. ^ Cooper, Jan (25 September 2021). "William James Percy Beresford Greatheed # 13213 - The story of his six year walk for a wager of $50,000. Often known as Beresford Greathead". Welcome to the Worldwide Greathead family my One-Name Study. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  20. ^ "William James Percy Beresford Greatheed". GENi. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  21. ^ Morris, Michael (1 August 2012). "Beresford Greatheed, aka Greathead, visited 'city' of Chapleau while walking across Canada from Vancouver to Halifax in 1895". The Michael J Morris Report. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  22. ^ George Edward Hart. "Transcontinental Pedestrians: Canada's First Cross country Walk". FitzHenry and Whiteside. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  23. ^ "Man in Motion World Tour". www.rickhansen.com. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  24. ^ "Tour Timeline". www.rickhansen.com. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  25. ^ MacAlpine, Ian (12 August 2014). "Walking with a purpose". Whig Standard. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  26. ^ Curtis, Christopher (22 August 2014). "Veterans walk across Canada to raise PTSD awareness". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  27. ^ LINDSAY, BETHANY (18 April 2015). "Vancouver Sun Runners put their best feet forward". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  28. ^ "All Public Member Trees results for Seczwick". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  29. ^ McCarthy, A. J. (1997). Bay of Chaleur: Forgotten Treasures. Halifax, NS: Nimbus Publishing Ltd. p. 74. ISBN 1-55109-185-2.
  30. ^ ""Greatest Lover" at London". The Windsor Star. 19 October 1939. p. 19. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  31. ^ ""World's Greatest Lover" Giving Up Bachelorhood". The Georgetown Herald. 4 July 1948. p. 6.
  32. ^ "World's Greatest Lover Giving Up Bachelorhood". The Georgetown Harold. 7 July 1948. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  33. ^ "Barrel Rolled Across Canada" (PDF). Cass City Chronicle. 8 December 1939. p. 12. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  34. ^ "Boots, Boots". Star-Phoenix. 8 March 1941. p. 17. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  35. ^ "Fastest crossing of Canada on foot (male)". Guinness World Records. September 1991. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  36. ^ "Fastest crossing of Canada on foot (female)". Guinness World Records. September 2001. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  37. ^ Huot, Jesse (7 July 2024). "Halifax man set to finish cross-country run, raises over $182,000 to combat heart disease". CTV News. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  38. ^ McGarvey, Rory (30 May 2024). "Flipping the Switch: Ryan Keeping's Journey Across Canada". The Journal.
  39. ^ "Cross-Canada runner Jamie McDonald reaches challenge end". BBC. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  40. ^ Blair, Olivia (23 February 2017). "Jamie McDonald: How a Man Ran 5,000 Miles Across Canada Despite Being Told He Would Be Unable To Walk". Independent. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  41. ^ MICHELIN, LANA (9 June 2021). "Red Deer native faces gruelling days in B.C. on his cross-Canada run for mental health". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  42. ^ HAMBLETON, BRITTANY (26 October 2021). "Meet Skylar Roth-MacDonald, the man who ran across Canada to raise awareness for mental health". Canadian Running. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  43. ^ "Modern cross-Canada trekkers and the pioneers who inspired them". Ottawa Citizen. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  44. ^ "Athlete with Type 1 Diabetes to Finish 7500 km Run Across Canada in Vancouver on World Diabetes Day" (PDF). Novo Nordisk. 12 November 2014.
  45. ^ Darron, Kloster (13 November 2022). "20,000 kilometres, five-and-a-half years: German woman sees Canada coast to coast to coast". Times Colonist. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  46. ^ "Hiker-adventurer Melanie Vogel becomes the first woman to complete a coast-to-coast-to-coast through-hike on the Trans Canada Trail". GLOBE NEWSWIRE. 10 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  47. ^ "This kilted Scotsman walked 8,000 km across Canada with his dog". CTV News. 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  48. ^ Lindores, Sharon (3 September 2021). "From Tofino to Cape Spear: A man and his dog's long walk to restore a Scottish forest". CTV News. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  49. ^ QUINN, SUSIE (10 March 2021). "Kilted Scotsman launches walking trek across Canada in B.C." Victoria News. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
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