Reid Duns has faith in humanity while biking his way across Canada for Alzheimer’s disease

Submitted by Reid Duns*

“I left Quebec City on May 16 with the intent to cross Canada on my bike. On July 11, I found myself in Regina after yet another bike repair. Along the way, I have met many amazing people who have helped me.

“Cycling up the Hope-Princeton highway [in southern B.C.] is not for the faint of heart. Climbing from sea level to 1,330 metres is a daunting task, especially loaded down with 90 pounds of gear. It was here I ran out of water. I flagged down an RV, and they were more than happy to supply me with a few bottles of water. 

“While climbing up to Rogers Pass, a pickup truck pulled up behind me. They informed me that there was a bear up ahead, only five feet from the edge of the road. I quickly wondered how they knew that, since they were behind me. So they pulled ahead of me, and I rode on the opposite side so they could block me from the bear’s view. Since this was a big incline, I was only going at six km/h. 

Afterwards, I thanked them. It was then that they made a U-turn and headed back down the road. So what actually happened was, as they were coming down, they spotted the bear and made a U-turn to help me out. Incredible, really. 

“Cycling from Cochrane to Beiseker [Alta.] was supposed to be a relatively easy task. However, I left in the rain, and 15 kilometres into the ride, the wind ramped up. I later found out that the wind was gusting to 69 km/h. Heading north, I had to ride with my west-facing eye shut because the rain was pelting my face horizontally!  

“I finally limped into a Tim Hortons in Airdrie, Alta.. I could barely move my fingers, and within seconds, a puddle formed under my chair. I had to ask the lady beside me if she could order a hot chocolate for me. She obliged without hesitation. Then she and her husband offered to buy me lunch. When I finally warmed up and was able to get my wallet, they didn’t want a penny. 

“Arriving in Saskatchewan, the heat was unbearable and there was no reprieve in sight. From behind me, a semi-trailer tow truck pulled up ahead of me and stopped. He ran out offering water! He gave me four bottles of water, too. It was really amazing to see this kindness. 

“So [as of July 10] I have been gone from home for 56 days. There are about 3,100 km left. I should still be able to make my arrival date in Quebec City on Aug. 16. I have pedalled over 3,200 km to date. 

“There has also been $8,900 in donations so far. Quite a bit short of my $70,000 goal, but still very impressive in my opinion. On July 13, I will hit the road again, heading east. Home sweet home, here I come!”

Reid is currently in the “home stretch” from Ottawa to Quebec City. He hopes to arrive back on Aug. 16 between 3 and 4 p.m. at the Performance Bégin store at 3688 Rue de l’Hêtrière in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures.

*To support the Société Alzheimer de Québec and Sainte-Foy Elementary School teacher Reid Duns on his Forget-Me-Not cross-Canada journey, scan the QR code below or click the link to access the secure Zeffy donation site and make a tax-deductible donation. You can also follow him on his Facebook page. QCT subscribers can learn more about Reid Duns’ journey here and here. A previous version of this story was published on the QCT website in July; this version has been updated with location information for Reid Duns’ return party.