Mel's Ride for Mental Health

Get Grounded

2009-10-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

October 4

Get Grounded

October 13th, 2009 @ 8:00, The Drake Hotel

A Concert toBuild Awareness of Mental Illness and Suicide

So often mental illness and suicide are never talked about and people are left to struggle in silence. It takes courage to bring these issues out of the shadows. Mandi Siatkowski is the courageous voice of Get Grounded, a benefit concert celebrating her brother’s life.

On October 14th, 2004, Mandi lost her brother to suicide. In Mandi’s own words: “My bother Daniel was a beautiful person, a sensitive soul and my best friend.”

To mark the 5-year anniversary of her family’s loss, Mandi has organized this benefit concert to support people living with mental illness. She has arranged a lineup of exciting Canadian musicians. She will be sharing the stage with Canadian artists Grainne Ryan, Darryl Costello, and Roma Page. Collectively, these artists have been influenced by Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Sheryl Crow, Radiohead and Peter Gabriel.

Come out for a night of music and celebration.

Mental Illness Awareness Week

2009-10-01T09:47:00.001-07:00

October 4 to October 10

Mental Illness Awareness Week

Why Mental Illness Awareness Week? For too long, Canadians with mental illnesses have been in the shadows. Too few Canadians know about the burden of mental illness on our society, and too few sufferers seek help when they need it. Mental Illness Awareness Week seeks to raise awareness of the level of mental illness in Canada; to reduce negative stigma about mental illness amongst the general population and health care professionals; and to promote the positive effects of best practice in prevention, diagnosis and medical treatment.

If anyone can appreciate the need for buiding awareness about mental illness it would be our family. Oh, wait ... we are not alone - we are joined by the hundreds of thousands of other families, millions even, that live with the effects of mental illness every day. Too many people are silent about their experience, too many people suffer in the shadows. There is hope out there and with the right treatment there is recovery.

Recovery is possible. That's worth repeating. R e c o v e r y i s p o s s i b l e.

In fact, surveys show that between 80 % and 90% of people with a mental illness that seek help recover and go on to lead full and satisfying lives.

But . . . and wait for it because it's a big one . . .

Only one third of those who need mental health services in Canada actually receive them.

Why? you ask. Well, since you did, here goes.

Forty six percent of Canadians think people use the term mental illness as an excuse for bad behaviour; and 27% are fearful of being around people who suffer from serious mental illness.

Only 12% of Canadians said they would hire a lawyer who has a mental illness, and only 49% said they would socialize with a friend who has a serious mental illness.

Just 50% of Canadians would tell friends or co workers that they have a family member with a mental illness compared to 72% who would discuss diagnoses of cancer or 68% diabetes in the family.

And all of the above is negative stereotypes and discrimination and that spells stigma.

Stigma is reported to be the greatest barrier preventing people from seeking treatment for symptoms of mental illness.

It's time to break down the barriers and erase the stigma. It's time to talk about mental illness... out loud.

Awareness works to open minds and open hearts.

Peace Ranch

2009-09-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

September 13

Several months ago Deb tracked us down out on the road and did a radio interview for Caledon Today. She told us that in her other life she was connected to Peace Ranch and invited us to attend their 15th Annual Open House in the fall after The Ride. Yesterday we drove out to Caledon to take part in their country fair. We had a great time - there was a BBQ featuring fresh corn and salads from their gardens, crafts and baked goodies, games, and a petting zoo.

Peace Ranch is a community mental health agency offering supportive housing and social recreation rehab programs for adults with schizophrenia. A century farmhouse on 25 acres of beautiful Ontario farmland provides a peaceful, rural setting for individuals working toward recovery. Offering programs of horticulture, animal husbandry, equestrian, fitness, art and music the social rehabilitation service promotes wellness and recovery.

Mary gave us a complete tour of the site. We met Rosie the pot bellied pig, then visited the barn housing goats, sheep and even an alpaca or two. Darlene gave us a spining demonstration using the soft alpaca wool. All the while we dodged the noisy and entusiatic Morriss Dancers.

In addition, Peace Ranch offers day programs for the Peel Dufferin community and operates several housing sites in Brampton, Caledon and Orangeville allowing residents to live independently and continue their recovery.

Golf day at Galt

2009-09-11T10:34:00.001-07:00

September 10,

The Golf Tournament at the Galt Country Club for The Ride for Mental Health was good for everyone's mental health. That is except for Bob and Kathy who barely survived a near death experience. Luckily no harm done (I'm sure they can pop out the dent in the roof of the cart.)

Anne and Bill filled the course with golfers, many of whom had come from quite a distance, and all proceeds from the day's event will go to The Grand River Branch of the CMHA. The course was challenging and certainly tested the skills of our foursome - well, three of us for sure. OK, just me. Good thing I won a sleeve of balls in the lucky draw, though.

There was drama off the course too. Bob, our MC for the night conducted a live auction for one of Mel's riding jerseys and bidding was fast and furious. Now you just have to buy a bike to go with the jersey, Jim.

And the drama didn't stop there. The 50/50 elimination draw left two men standing but only one could win. Would they each take their chances and go it alone? Would they pool the tickets and split the pot? But they had a plan. The guys made a pact to donate all cash to the CMHA. Everyone came up a winner.

It was great to see so many friends out to support The Ride for Mental Health even after the wheels have stopped turning (for now, anyway.)

Thank You Xerox!

2009-09-08T05:16:00.000-07:00

September 6
We are finally back home, which means Carol, Lindsay and I have a much needed break and an opportunity to reflect on our amazing journey across Canada. Top of mind for each of us is the overwhelming support for the Ride For Mental Health in every city and town along the route. The people of Xerox have always reached out to support one another, and the Ride is a fine example. Whether we needed a website to be developed, the theme song Open Minds Open Hearts to be written and produced, a blog to be set up, experienced riders to pull us through mountains, hills and river valleys, or hundreds of hours of planning and execution of no less than 16 awareness and fund raising events across Canada, the Xerox team was always there for us. What an amazing statement about the Xerox culture of caring and teamwork and being there for one another when we need it most. Although it is difficult to measure mental health awareness, I am comfortable in declaring that this 100 day campaign has been successful beyond all expectations. The funds raised will be in excess of $200,000 when we close the books in another month. The mental health awareness that we have all helped to create through the many local events is unprecedented in Xerox and I suspect in any Canadian corporation. As I have said many times this year, awareness works to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness. The Ride For Mental Health has been a solid start to bringing mental illness out of the shadows. My daughter Lindsay has had the courage to discuss her mental illness openly in every day language in front of groups and in classrooms across Canada. I am proud of our progress and realize we have just begun the journey. There is so much more opportunity. This is exactly how we must view it - as a big opportunity for each individual and for Xerox .
Thank you for your enthusiastic support. It means the world to the Thompson family and to the tens of thousands of other families who live with mental illness every day.
Awareness works! Stay tuned for regular updates to the Blog.

Heading Home

2009-08-29T03:32:00.001-07:00

September 2

We are on our way home now. Yet another ferry traversed successfully. Fourteen hours then we touched down in North Sydney at about 6:30 am and hit the road. Definitely our earliest start.The bikes are on the rack. It seems strange to be moving along at the actual speed limit with the riders in the RV with me. For the most part we will be taking a different route home than we took to get here. Speed and efficiency versus bike friendly and safety.
Oh, the sights we have seen. It's pretty amazing to think back over the last 15 weeks or so. We have pictures in the camera and pictures in our heads to last a lifetime. Canada is one beautiful country. And big. And the people we have met, the hundreds of people, helping us to acheive our goals of raising awareness about mental uillness, reducing stigma and raising funds, or just helping because that's the way they are.
Yesterday, our last day in Newfoundland we went for lunch to Quidi Vidi, a quaint little village near St. John's . The houses and buidings are spread around kind of haphazard so we parked kind of haphazard too. As we got out of the RV and were milling about with cameras and jackets I noticed a pick up truck waiting patiently behind the RV. I though maybe he wanted our parking spot so I walked over to explain. "That's a pretty colourful looking thing." he said referring to our home. I thought to myself that was quite something coming from Newfoundland, the land of primary colours. We talked about The Ride for Mental Health and the fundraising. "Do you have twenty dollars?" he asked. Wait a minute . . . Then he continued "I'll give you fifty for a twenty. That's a good deal." It is a good deal because every dollar in donations stays in the community to support local programs and services. I know John Abbot and Colleen Hanrahan of the Newfoundland and Labrador chapter of the CMHA will put this donation and the others to good use.

The actual cross Canada bike ride may have come to an end but The Ride for Mental Health is still going strong. There's a long way to go yet.

St. John's - goin down the road

2009-08-29T03:13:00.000-07:00

August 29

Day 103 . Mile 7587. The epic bike ride has crossed the finish line.

Our riders, Mel, Lindsay, Ben and Tracey started out bright and early from where the chip wagon isn't on the beach at Holyrood. Tracey guided us on the Admiral's coast route into Bowring Park in St. John's where we were greeted by a small but enthusiastic group. Then we headed down to the harbour for the traditional wheel dipping. Harder than you might think. There isn't any easy access to the water - no beach anyway - in the downtown area. We ended up at a dock at Harbourside Park by the War Memorial. Mel showed off his mountain climbing skills by clambouring down the rocks with his bike. No easy feat with biking shoes. The good news is that only the bike got dipped.

In the last week our schedule was lighter on the riding than in past weeks and months. So it seemed we were cooling our jets a lot waiting for the ferry and on the crossing. It's nice to be finished the ride. There's a tremendous sense of accomplishment and we've had a great time here in St. John's - very relaxing - met some terrific people.

It's pretty easy to measure the success of a cross-Canada bike ride - there's the number of days on the road, number of kilometers ridden, bottles of Gatorade consumed. There's a clear beginning and an clear ending.

It's a different story to evaluate our goal of raising awareness about mental illness. There is no baseline and no way to measure progress, and there is no research ongoing that we are aware of. I know hundreds of people have come out to the events across the country, and many thousands more people have visited the website and the blog, viewed the TV interviews and read the many newspaper articles that have been written along the way. But are we being clear with the message? Are we having an impact on stigma? We just have to hope and believe that this is more than a long, a very long, cycling tour and family vacation.

We head for home on Tuesday when we catch the ferry back to Nova Scotia. It's going to feel funny being home and getting back to real life after all this time. I know Mel is excited about re-joining his team at Xerox and is already setting up meetings for his return. Several events and speaking opportunities are on our calendar September and we will continue to find opportunites to build mental health awareness and acceptance, reduce stigma and rasie funds for programs to support those experiencing mental illness.

Thanks for all your support throughout this amazing journey and please stay tuned to this page for regular updates.

Newfoundland

2009-08-28T03:53:00.000-07:00

August 28th

The wind came up in the evening and howled all night long and was still going strong when we woke up. The weather called it gale force winds with gusts up to 50km/hr.

One of our neighbours knocked on our door around 7:00 this morning. "You just missed them," she shouted above the wind. Ben looked quizical. "The moose," she explained. "There were two of them and they came right up to my camper. They wandered around out here for quite a while."

Well, we're up now, might as well get going. And with that we sprung into action; coffee, smoothie, eggs, waffles and left over pasta. And that was just me.

Kidding. That's what Mel has for breakfast most days - riding days anyway.

The route took us along Highway 100 from Argentia heading towards the Trans Canada. Those gale force winds? Still blowing this morning and from behind. The riders would fly today. About 10km into the ride, I pulled over at a scenic look out to enjoy the view. A car pulled up and the driver stuck his head out the window. "What is this all about?" he asked. I explained. He said "I had a real problem a while back. It started with panic attacks. I actually had to take time off work. Then it became worse, depression. I was in real pain. Luckily my wife took me to the doctor." He's one of the lucky ones. "If I didn't get help when I did, I wouldn't be here." he told me.

We're among the lucky ones too. We have had help and support all along and at every stage of The Ride. Take tonight for instance. Tracey Shave arranged a BBQ at her inlaws in beautiful Holyrood. She invited friends and family and us. Tomorrow she will ride with us into Bowring Park in St. John's - our last day.

And don't think that because The Ride is ending that the Blog will come to an end too. It's never really been about the bike anyway.

Ferry to Newfoundland

2009-08-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

August 27

We made it to the Rock. And the sun came out as we approached the dock. And the fog burned off. And the winds calmed down. And the waves subsided. Yup, that means it was windy and wavey for the ferry crossing, all 14 hours of it. But I made it - didn't feel a thing! And I didn't have to lose conciousness to do it. You'll notice one of the photos taken on the ferry is a little blurry - from the motion - but I'm smiling. Can't really tell you what product worked best, but the combination sure worked. Patch, bracelets, crackers and gingerale, it was all good.

We didn't sleep much, sitting up on the ferry all night, so we decided to rest in the campground at Argentia this afternoon. It's a big campground, on a rocky hill, not very busy at all. Later in the afternoon an occupant of one of the two other campers here came over for a chat. She told us she had been married to the old lug for 52 years. And before they were married she trained as a psychiatric nurse, but she found it really stressful and eventually went into another field. I wonder how much has changed since she left psychiatric nursing so long ago? I guess you could say some things have changed. One thing that has probably not changed enough, if at all, are people's attitudes around mental illness.

Only two more riding days to go. Seems a bit hard to believe that the cross country ride we began three and a half months ago is almost finished. What will we do now? . . . .

August 25 North Sydney and the Ferry

2009-08-23T09:55:00.002-07:00

August 25

“What’s the bracelet for?” asked Sylvia from behind the counter in the gift shop. We were in Rita’s Tea Room , a one room schoolhouse in Big Pond, Cape Breton that had been converted and expanded to accommodate a restaurant, gift shop and display. Lindsay handed her a couple of our brochures and explained about The Ride and I continued to look around at all the photos, awards and memorabilia of singer/songwriter, Rita MacNeil. As we were heading to the door, Linda came bustling out of the kitchen, “How does everyone take their tea?” Lindsay and I looked at each other, “We,uh, didn’t . . .”
“We want you to have it.”interrupted Barb. “How about some cinnamon rolls too?” Goodies in hand we thanked them for their kindness. “Not at all,” was the reply,”That’s just the way Rita is.”

Meanwhile Mel and Ben were making slow progress through a lengthy construction project which included just about every kind of surface imaginable, except smooth pavement. When the traffic was stopped by the flagperson, they chatted with other drivers about the Ride. It’s amazing how crisp and clear we have all become in telling our story. We reconnected with the riders down the road a ways to share our respective experiences and of course to refuel on peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Then off we went to complete the second half of the 100K ride to North Sydney. We had selected a route along Hwy 104 travelling between the coastline and Bras d’Or lake. Although a little longer, it was to be quieter and a little flatter than the TransCanada. Quieter yes, flatter not so much. It was a tough ride but the beautiful sunshine and temperatures in the low 20’s made it a perfect riding day

The day’s ride came to a finish at the ferry terminal in North Sydney. As we are not booked to sail til tomorrow evening we headed to the campground. “ What’s all this on your RV?” asked Bob as we checked in. Again, we were happy to explain. “I never believed mental illness was real,” he said, “ till it happened to me”. Then he briefly shared his story.

Talking about the ferry I don't mind telling you I'm afraid - very afraid. No, not about that, I'm so over the driving the RV on and off the ferry thing. It's the ocean, more specifically the waves, really big, rolling waves, up and down and up and down waves, especially after a hurricane waves. A little merry-go-round makes me queasy. So I went to the pharmacy - got every known anti nausea product; gravol of course, some kind of patch for behind my ear that lasts for three days, some cute little wrist bands that apply pressure or something and good old crackers.

Stayed tuned - I'll let you know what works. We board the ferry at 9pm Wednesday and we arrive in Argentia, Newfoundland around noon Thursday. We'll head for the campground to rest up for the last two days.

Hard to believe we have almost reached the end of our trek across Canada. You can imagine how excited we are. Friday we ride to Holyrood and Saturday is the final ride into St. John's and the ceremonial dipping of the wheels in the Atlantic.

Canso

2009-08-23T09:55:00.001-07:00

August 24

Well, we survived Hurricane Bill. Yesterday before the storm was to hit we moved inland somewhat to the Harbourlight Campground near Pictou. There the hurricane wasn't. It was more like a really bad rainstorm with high winds. Good news Greg - the tape job held up on the RV and there were no leaks. So this morning we were able to get to a dealership and get the oil changed, drive back to the parking lot at Saint FX in Antigonish and resume the ride where we left off.

And what a ride! Weatherwise, it was a bit of everything except sun. Well the sun did make an appearance but not til we pulled into the campground. Route wise it was notable for the hills and the traffic, and for crossing the Canso Causeway to Cape Breton. Funny coincidence - on the road today our riders were flagged down by passengers in a car that pulled over ahead of them. Turns out it was Patti Blake and her family on their way to a vaction. You remember Patti from Saint John? She's the one that headed up that dynomite committee that produced the Play Ball for Mental Health Ball Tournament and the exciting reception at the Saint John Market Square. Also, a little later another car pulled in just ahead of the riders. "What is going on. . . ?" then our intrepid riders recognized a Xerox service vehicle. It was Charles, the service tech for Cape Breton.

But in the end the story of the day was Lindsay. Yup, another personal best and this one was a milestone - one hundred milestones actually. "Some days I can do things and some days I just can't."

Bill

2009-08-22T03:24:00.000-07:00

August 23

We have begun the last 500 kms of The Ride for Mental Health. Yesterday we rode to Antigonish, Nova Scotia and we were poised to cross the causeway tomorrow and head to Cape Breton to catch the ferry for Newfoundland in a few days, but, er, not so much anymore. You see we have been joined by Bill, Hurricane Bill - arrived right on schedule mid day today, blowing and storming. So in anticipation, we headed to what we hope is higher and safer ground. Well actually, we just took advantage of this break to relocate to a nearby town with a shop that can do some service for the RV. No panic, Greg, just a routine oil change and such.

Our fear is that the severe weather will disrupt our timeline however, luckily we have some extra days built into the schedule. At this point we have basically four days to cover the 200 kms to Sydney to meet the ferry - something we can do in two. Today is a write off and tomorrow we'll get the service done on the RV, that leaves two riding days plus a bit to get to the ferry by Wednesday evening.

So today is a rest day (of course, look at the weather) and a day to catch up. We are in a campground overlooking the bay and being buffeted by the winds, sounds like nap time to me.

Sharing and Caring

2009-08-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

August 20

At the event in Dartmouth yesterday Keith Brumwell of the CMHA Halifax Region talked about some of the social programs they run that support the resilience and recovery of adults experiencing mental illness. "We operate on a shoestring budget, funding is hard to come by." Keith apologized. They are open 6 days a week from 1pm to 9pm .

The Sharing and Caring Social Club provides social and recreational activities in a supportive environment. As Ruth, the consumer who spoke at the event in Dartmouth said, " It's a place where you feel comfortable. It's easy to be here. You don't have to worry what other people are thinking."

The Building Bridges Program offers one-to-one social support for individuals 19 - 65 years old.
A volunteer is paired with a program member and they meet a few times each month to share common leisure interests. "A mental illness can be very isolating for someone without social supports" Keith explained. "The individual might spend days or weeks alone in their room or apartment. Our volunteers might visit, or accompany them to the store, or out for a coffee. It's amazing what just a phone call will do."

When we spoke with Keith after the event he invited us to join them at the club's monthly Meal Night and we happily accepted. We found the club located in the Bloomfield Community Centre in the north end of Halifax. There was a lot of noise and activity as we approached. Several members welcomed us as we walked in. Keith explained that a great many of the individuals with a mental illness live below the poverty line. "When you are unable to work, social assistance in Nova Scotia is woefully inadequate." He went on to say that government funding for mental health is almost non-existent. "It's just not on the radar screen."

They rely on private and corporate donations to get by. Keith and the members were very grateful for the van that was recently donated by a GM dealership. "It's nice to go on an outing, out of the city or to the grocery store." said Ruth.

Everyone deserves a friend, a home and a job. The Sharing and Caring Social Club is a place where people can find a friend.

Event in Dartmouth

2009-08-20T19:36:00.001-07:00

August 19
Today we rode 70 kms or so from Truro then met up with about 8 riders near Waverly before riding into the Xerox office in Dartmouth.
Rebbecca Moore and her committee had been working all day on several fundraising activities and they had an enthusiastic welcoming group whooping it up as we rounded the building. We were introduced by Cameron Bruce and Mel and Lindsay spoke to the people assembled on the lawn. Keith Brumwell of the CMHA Halifax Region and Ruth, a consumer speaker, also spoke telling us of the programs provided by the local CMHA and the benefits to consumers. A cheque was presented to the CMHA. Thanks for the pictures Peter.
After the formal event we had an opportunity to speak to several people. One supporter came to thank us for what we are doing to raise awareness about mental health, “I thought I could get through this” she said, tears welling up. “We have schizophrenia in my family. When my brother was diagnosed it seemed to come out of the blue, but it turns out my uncle did and one of his sons too. Nobody talks about it. It’s hard on everyone. There needs to be support and help for the families too.” Her family’s experience is not unique. Another individual approached us and spoke about his mental illness. “I have OCD and it is difficult for me sometimes. I know about the stigma too. Luckily my wife is very understanding.”
Sadly, most people know very little about the signs and symptoms of mental illness. Nor do they understand just how many people are affected and live with the effects everyday. All too often individuals and their families deal with the intrusive and devastating effects of mental illness in silence, without support or understanding from friends, employers, co workers. Stigma and discrimination around mental illness is a result of misinformation or no information at all. Often the media perpetuates negative stereotypes. Too many people, including consumers and their families, buy into these myths around mental illness. The effect of stigma is silence.
It is important to speak up about mental health. Lindsay has told her story many times over in part to inform and build awareness and in part to encourage others to do the same. It's time to make mental health part of everyday plain conversation.

Truro to Waverley

2009-08-20T19:30:00.000-07:00

August 19

Today began as quite the family affair - well, almost, we all miss D and wish she was here, but we know she is doing important things too. After breakfast and a smoothie at the campsite, the bikes were readied for the day's ride. It was a bit of a logistical challenge, though, as for the next few days we have 5 riders, 4 bikes and 2 vehicles. Problem solved - Caity and Tom will be a tag team sharing a bike and the driving. We were up and on the road relatively early as we were expected to meet up with some riders at a point just outside Dartmouth. We didn't want to keep them waiting. Together we would ride the 15 km into the Xerox office in Dartmouth.

The ride itself was quite pleasant on quiet Highway 2 but it was hot. I guess it’s a case of be careful what you wish for. After what seemed like months of cold, rainy weather, oh wait, it was months of cold, rainy weather, we thought we would welcome some hot stuff. Hot is OK by the beach in Cavendish, but when you’re riding 100 kms or so on steamy asphalt, there’s such a thing as too hot. Mel and the other riders have frequent stops and go through buckets of Gatorade and water to keep hydrated.

Special thanks to Steve at Xerox who replaced the screen on the laptop.

Off the Island and on to Truro

2009-08-20T07:50:00.000-07:00

August 18

So today was one of those good news/bad news days. Bad news was leaving our friends in PEI. Good news was that we were going to Truro, Nova Scotia where we were to meet up with Ben and Caity and Tom. Bad news: had to take a ferry to get there. I don’t mind telling you I was a bit nervous – OK, a lot nervous.

We arrived at the ferry terminal early and were the first vehicle to board. The belly of the beast was quite roomy. Pretty good so far. They had me pull up on one side close to the wall of the boat. Could be a bit of an issue I thought as we made our way to the upper deck.

The crossing was easy so it was just the exiting I had to worry about. When we docked and the great doors opened I took a big breath and inched forward. When I opened my eyes it was all good news Greg,we made it unscathed.

Now on to Truro.

Dunes 'n spoons

2009-08-17T19:42:00.000-07:00

Over the Bridge and across the Island

2009-08-15T12:45:00.000-07:00

August 15/16

Over the years we have been fortunate to have spent some time on Prince Edward Island. So we were pretty excited when the bridge came into view this morning. Bikes are not permitted on the Confederation Bridge so we loaded Mel and Lindsay into the RV for the 12 km drive. The view from the bridge was a sight. PEI is such a beautiful place- lush farms, fields dotted with cows, ocean views at every turn in the road. And, good news, summer has followed us from New Brunswick. In fact, it was downright hot on the road.

Once over the bridge, we pulled the bikes out again. Sam Jeyes of Paper Flow the Xerox agent in PEI joined us a little later on the road to Charlottetown. He is a soccer player in his spare time so had no problem on the bike or on the hills. He gave us a quik tour of his office where we met Erica and Jack.

Well, you know it had to happen sooner or later. Yup, I'm talking about the keys. Locked. In the RV. Good thing Sam is such a great athelete, and second story man. He went in the window for us and unlocked the door.

En route our riders were cheered on by former Xerox employee, Dave, who found us on the road. We met Dave again later and several other friends and retirees for dinner at the Charlottetown harbour area.

There is lots of excitement on PEI these days as the Canada Games get underway. What a great experience for our young athletes. Physical activity whether at a high level or recreationally is recognized to have many benefits both physical and mental. Research evidence also shows that increased physical activity can have significant positive effects in supporting recovery from mental illness. Exercise can alleviate primary symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as secondary symptoms such as low self-esteem and social withdrawal.

Best of luck to all participants. By the way, Xerox is a gold level sponsor of the Canada Games here in PEI.

To Moncton and beyond

2009-08-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

August 13

After riding on quiet country roads yesterday from Saint John to Peticodiac that went up and down and up and down, our riders decided maybe the TransCanada might offer a somewhat less hilly route. They were partly right. There were fewer hills alright, but what there was were pretty big. However our riders made better time despite all the heavy traffic too. In the morning we rode to Moncton where met Ro and Dinger and Loretta and Sarah at the Magnetic Hill. They got there early and had good seats to watch us drive around a bit til we figured out where to park. We had a nice lunch (thanks guys), a few laughs, and we were off to the beach - feeling good to know we have friends to hang out with.

I got to thinking that all too frequently it seems people with serious mental illnesses have lost those social ties. Stigma alone probably accounts for this. Too often, the onset of a mental illness keeps an individual from continuing with their normal life. In our experience , Lindsay struggled at school and university and infact wasn't able to finish. Mood disturbences and an inability to concentrate because of racing thoughts and disorganized thinking plus medication side effects such as agitation, drowziness, weight gain, and sleep disturbences made it difficult for her to feel good about herself around others. Naturally self esteem suffers.

When I talk to Lindsay about this she says that some days are not so good and the last thing she wants to do or is able to do , is to be with people so she hides. There are good days though and on those days she is ok with people. Not perfectly at ease but better than usual and can even enjoy herself. Our experiences are not uncommon, a phone call, an invitation to meet for coffee, an understanding ear can go a long way to let someone know they are not alone.

Saint John to Petitcodiac

2009-08-12T18:17:00.000-07:00

August 11

Ok , it was a little slow going this morning. We didn't actually get on the road til mid morning, what with one thing and another. However, once we did get on the road it was still slow going. Seems we underestimated the hills in New Brunswick. Especially when not following the Trans Canada. Highway 100 that turned into Highway 121 was downright hilly, and big hills at that. Don't get me wrong - the roads are quiet, very country, and very beautiful.

It was hot, really hot for the riders. There were many hydration stops along the way. So after Mel and Lindsay pulled over for a break I sent them on their way then made a phone call or two. As I was heading down the road to catch up I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, a different sort of sign. It seemed to be an icon of an RV with a slash through it. That's silly I thought. Nevertheless, I kept my eyes open for low hanging wires and other threats. You'd be proud of me Greg. The highway made a sharp turn and all of a sudden there in front of me was a railway overpass and a sign indicating a clearance of 3 meters. I pulled to a stop. Now I have no idea how high the RV is but I have eyes and clearly it wasn't going to fit under this bridge.

Uh, oh. Mel and Lindsay are presumably ahead somewhere blissfully unaware of this issue. A pick up truck appeared from nowhere and pulled in front of me. The grizzled driver came over and said just what I was thinking, "Now what?" Well, actually I was thinking some other things too. You can probably imagine.

Gus told me I had to back up and take the long way around. I explained I was following the bikes. "Well where are they? Have they come to the church?" I couldn't answer so we got them on the cell phone. When I say "we" I really mean Gus. He took the phone and gave clear directions to Mel as to where and when he could expect to see me down the road. Then Gus gave me clear directions for the detour. "Now, don't drive too fast," he said. Does he know me?
"because you're going to see some of the nicest country in New Brunswick." He helped me back up and sent me on my way. Sure enough, thanks to Gus, there were Mel and Lindsay waiting for me at the church up the way.

This is something we have found all across the country; the kindness, help and support of people everywhere. Whether a tow out of the mud in a driving rainstorm, organizing a top notch awareness or fundraising campaign, or an individual word of support and understanding we are reminded every day that people care.

Despite the adventures, hills and unaccustomed heat, Lindsay had yet another personal best of 73 kms. It was a good day and Gus was right about the scenery.

Saint John Event

2009-08-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

August 11
It rained all night - you'd almost think it was a rest day, but no, today was a go, go, go day, all action, because that's just the way Patti is.

First thing, we were met at the campground by Gary who was there to do an interview for his radio show Outdoor Stuff, then we were met by some members of Patti's inner committee; Margaret, Nancy and Graham, and our riders for the day - Nelson and Mark again and Sylvio. We met Brenda on route. Nancy was to be my guide to help navigate the RV into our meeting place for lunch at the Reversing Falls. It's a wonder we got there, we were so busy chatting. What traffic circle? Never saw it.

We were hosted for lunch at the Reversing Falls Restaurant. It was a great chance to meet and thank all the folks that have worked so hard in Saint John to raise awareness and raise funds for mental health.In fact, for Patti and her committee, the event in Saint John today was Part II of their contribution to The Ride for Mental Health. Exactly one month ago they organized the Play Ball for Mental Health softball tournament. Sixteen teams signed up representing many companies and organizations from the community - even the City of Saint John entered a team. That's awareness - reaching a large audience.

After lunch (who doesn't love lobster rolls in New Brunswick?)we headed down to the boardwalk at Market Square in downtown Saint John for a great celebration. Mel and riders came into the packed square to applause and the racket of red and white thunder clappers. On stage the Sea Belles performed a lovely capella rendition of Rise Again, one of Lindsay's favourite songs. We were welcomed by representatives from the city, then Mel and The Ride were intoduced by Martin Chaisson and Ray Littlewood. After Mel and Lindsay spoke, a cheque for over $20,000 was presented to the local Canadian Mental Health Association. Terry McNeil, representing the CMHA was very appreciative of the donation. In this tough economy he said,they have been experiencing reduced funding and are having to cut much needed services for mental health consumers. The significant contribution today will go a long way to keep these programs operating.

There were representatives from the Schizophrenia Society and the provincial arm of the CMHA as well as a significant number of consumers attending the event. We had an opportunity to speak with many them and all expressed the importance of spreading awarenesss, reducing stigma and speaking up about mental illness. We can't be quiet anymore.

Overwhelmed and exhausted, we headed to our hotel, but the evening wasn't over yet. Yesterday, I had a little incident- an emergency, really. Not a surprise as these things seem to happen to me alot. No, not the RV, Greg. Actually, it was the laptop. Yup, the other night it got sat on and now we have a one of a kind permanent screen saver. Good thing Xerox is good at solutions - the best, actually. So Jon made a special after hours house call to deliver and set up an external monitor. We're a little late with the blog today, but at least I was able to sleep knowing we were back in business. Thanks everyone for the support on every front.

Fredericton to Harding Point (Saint John)

2009-08-10T11:52:00.000-07:00

August 10

This morning we were up and out bright and early and headed for the Fredericton City Hall. Sean Wilkinson of Xpert Office Products arranged for us to meet with Mayor Brad Woodside. Mayor Brad had some strong words to say about governments's role to help and support people with mental illness. Not enough is being done.

The story here is one all too familiar with Ontarians as well. Psychiatric hospital beds have been drastically reduced with the idea that consumers would receive services in the community. In theory - a good idea - stats show that community pyschiatric services such as Assertive Community Treatment Teams are effective in reducing costly hospital stays for those with serious mental illnesses. However, in practice -there has been very little help forthcoming; financial or otherwise, to establish these services.

At city hall we also had the opportunity to meet with individuals from several local mental health associations. The New Brunswick Schizophrenia Society is a volunteer association, mostly family members of individuals with schizophrenia. We connected immediately with the experiences of Barb, Mary Louise and Elizabeth; bewilderment and confusion at signs of onset, challenge to find on going support and services. The difficulties and strain on families is a common. The local branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association operates an exciting program called REACH: a social, recreational & pre-vocational program for adults (age 18 and over) who have experienced a mental illness.

Patti Blake took time out from her work on the event she is leading in Saint John tomorrow and drove Nelson and Mark up from Saint John to ride with us today. The weather, though not picture perfect for August was pretty OK for the riders - no rain, no wind, and no hot sun. Apart from brutal Petersville Hill, not bad at all.

I'm not going to lie. I was not just a little apprehensive about the last leg of the route today, I was downright scared. Yup, there was a ferry. I need say no more. It was a little cable ferry to shuttle vehicles across the river to the campground at Hardings Point. Don't worry Greg, we made it without incident this time.

Hartland to Fredericton

2009-08-08T13:04:00.000-07:00

August 8

Yesterday's route took our riders through to Hartland and then we backtracked in the RV to Florenceville where we stayed the night. So this morning we drove back to Hartland to start our day's ride to Fredericton. I thought yesterday's weather was perfect, today was even more perfect. I guess the rainbow last night was a good omen.

We sent our riders, Mel, Lindsay and Pat, off down the road and then Shawn and I headed back up the road for coffee. We looked over the route and figured our riders were in for some hills early but things would likely level out as they travelled through the broad Saint John River valley. We were right about that, it was sure hilly.

The good news was that the highway was hardly that. Not much of a highway I mean, it was very country, very quiet traffic-wise, a little uneven in surface and very hilly. Oh yeah, and there were dogs. . . big ones. When you're on a bike, dogs running at you are a little worrisome. Three big, loud, aggressive and territorial dogs spread themselves out on the road ahead of the riders. The riders stopped. It was an impasse. There was snarling and gnashing of teeth, the dogs weren't too friendly either. Just then a pickup truck stopped beside us, the driver rolled down the window and said " Don't worry, they're friendly." Yeah, they sure looked friendly. He drove ahead, turned into the driveway and they followed him, yapping and barking. As he got out of his truck the dogs fell all over themselves to get near him. A lucky one even got a belly rub when he rolled over. I know all this because I observed it from the safety of the RV, the riders never saw this heartwarming sight - they had already booked it down the highway to safety.

The only good news about hills is that there is usually a down hill, and down hills afford lots of opportunity for chatting. Sometimes I could hear Mel and Pat coming before I could see them, oh, except for the uphills. Did I mention it was hilly? There was this one hill, Keswick Ridge, it was really, really steep and just when the riders had rounded a curve and thought they were at the top, well, they weren't.
All three riders deserved the great dinner out and a day off tomorrow.

Did I mention New Brunswick is a potato province? The lobby of our hotel featured a large banner welcoming the Potato Growers Association of America - Advancing Potatoes through Science, and a nice table display.

Grand Falls to Florenceville

2009-08-07T13:12:00.000-07:00

August 7

It rained overnight but the morning fog over the campground burned off quickly and the day actually turned out to be one of the nicest so far this summer. Not much to choose from, though. We met Shawn & Pat in the parking lot of their hotel. They liked the hills of Ottawa so much that they drove down last night to join us for a couple of days of riding into Fredericton.
The route from Grand Falls was exactly what we expected - pretty hilly to start, pretty hilly in the middle, then ended with small rollers and some nice flat sections along the St. John River. The riders were having so much fun on the hills that they decided to go an extre 20K to Hartland, home of world's longest covered bridge. We followed Hwy 105 up and down and around turns, across bridges, got chased by dogs, to McCainville, oops, I mean Florenceville. And I thought they only grew potatoes in PEI. Whoa, was I wrong. This is potato country - fields are full of them, every restaurant meal comes with them, they even make jewellery like potatoes.
The day ended with a spectacular rainbow as the showers had settled in for the evening. They say that a red sun at night is a sailor's delight. I wonder what a rainbow will bring?

Edmuston to Grand Falls

2009-08-06T18:19:00.000-07:00

August 6

The time change threw us off today, or last night or whenever it was. When did we cross the time zone anyway? I just couldn't keep it straight - was it really an hour earlier or maybe it's later? So how come I'm hungry? This shouldn't be that difficult but for some reason it was. I got up early but realized it was extra early. Not fair.
Good thing it was only a relatively short ride today from Edmunston to Grand Falls. And after a new PB yesterday Lindsay went a solid 35 today. What a trooper. It was nice to be off the Trans Canada and on to a much quieter road. It was a pretty flat route following the Grand River for a while.We ended up in Grand Falls and they are, the falls I mean, they're grand. Spectacular even. Despite rather negative forcasts the weather has been not bad at all. In fact nice during the days and rain in the evning and overnight. Can't complain about that. Got the BBQ done just in time.

Riviere du Loup to Edmunston, N.B.

2009-08-06T01:34:00.000-07:00

August 5

Yesterday was a rest day for us and ... it didn't rain. In fact it was a beautiful day. We did some chores in town and then pretty much hung out at the campground. Mel and Lindsay did some sightseeeing on their bikes - rode out to the point and wandered through a nice cottage community. In the evening we treated ourselves to ice cream at a neat little place next to the camp ground, on a hill overlooking the city.

No more quiet back country roads. Today as we left the St Lawrence valley, from Riviere du Loup through to Edmunston, New Brunswick, it was the Trans Canada Highway. Tomorrow we can look forward to a less busy route but today was four lanes, heavy traffic and fast, with lots of construction. Oh yeah, and hills too, big ones. Despite all this, Lindsay managed another PB - 65 kms. I think the new tires helped a bit.

At the end of the day we spent some time floating on the current of the small but fast Madawaska River.

Quebec to Montmagny, then Riviere du Loup

2009-08-04T07:33:00.000-07:00

August 2 and 3

Ahhhhh. Peace and quiet. . . but don't get me wrong. Since leaving Toronto a few weeks ago,we have been fortunate to have had riders with us every day - 35 in all. It's been fun and energizing, even chaotic at times. Mel and Lindsay and I have enjoyed and appreciated the company on the road with so much support and encouragement from the other riders. We are on our own now for a few days and it is quiet and actually seems a bit lonely. This little break affords us an opportunity to reflect on The Ride so far. It has been successful in ways we never imagined. Over the past 74 days on the road we have seen acts of goodness from people that leave us in awe - riders, organizers, supporters and even complete strangers.
We are realizing our goal of building awareness about mental health issues everyday. People are reading the blog, visiting the website, stopping us on the road and in parking lots. The media continues to support the Ride and it's not unusual for people to comment about seeing us on the news or hearing us on the radio or reading something in the newspaper. Our fundraising goal is being realized as well, as donations from sponsors and individuals continue to grow.

The countryside in Quebec along the mighty St. Lawrence is special and one that we have never appreciated driving along Highway 40 at 100 K/Hr. Much different at bike speed. The towns and villages, farms and homes, fields and gardens are beautiful. The south shore is surprisingly flat - prairie flat - and fertile. But unlike the prairies, the wind here has been at our back. With the strong tailwind, Mel was able to ride just under 130 kms from Montmagny to Riviere du Loup in under 4 1/2 hours.

We have had a casualty. Mel's favourite yellow water bottle popped off his bike at a speed bump in a campground and was run over. Whoever left a water bottle in the RV last week - thanks. It's Mel's new water bottle now.

We're looking forward to our route through the Maritimes.

Trois Rivieres to Quebec

2009-08-02T05:37:00.000-07:00

Aug 1

Today our stalwart guides through Quebec; Robert,Simon,Luc,and Samuel,plus Martine,Andre,and Eric were joined by 8 additional riders for day. The riders who have accompanied us throughout Quebec are enthusiastic and experienced and have supported The Ride in large numbers. The routes that Robert has suggested have been scenic and quiet and in many places there has been a dedicated bike lane. Are you listening Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan?

This morning in Trois Rivieres, Nicole arranged a police escort out of the city for the large group of riders and the RV. I only felt uncomfortable for about 30 seconds running all those red lights on purpose.

The day was hot and sunny (is summer finally here?)and our destination for the day was St. Augustin Desmaures, just outside Quebec City. Good thing we had cases of Gatorade on hand. The route took us along the shore of the St Lawrence River providing beautiful vistas with every turn in the road. We got a sense of the history of the area as we passed through many small towns and villages. The riders easily managed a series of ever larger hills marking the final portion of the 100 km plus route near Donnacona. Today Lindsay had a personal best and despite the heat she logged 63km.on her mountain bike.

The highlight of the day was a surprise stop at Simon's family's farm near Neuville. The riders gathered in the shade for a treat of the freshest strawberry shortcake made by Simon's mother. How's that for extreme sport nutrition? Beats protein bars and whey powder all to heck. I was also able to pick up some farm fresh veggies for our dinner later. While we were there another motorist stopped to make a donation in memory of his daughter. It was very moving.

We rode into the parking lot in Ste Augustin to find an enthusiastic crowd of family members and volunteers, a fundraising BBQ and raffle.

Montreal to Trois Rivieres

2009-07-31T19:22:00.000-07:00

July 31
Repentigny, the home of Celine Dion was our meeting point this morning and there were a lot of us to meet. Andre, JP, Eric,Robert,and Martine, Carl, Dave, JF,and Samuel, Robert, Luc and Simon as well as Mel and Lindsay -14 in all. We were seen off by a small group of family memebers of the riders as well as well wishers. Shortly before it was time to go Andre came over to us. "Here." he said. "I was explaining The Ride to her the best I could and she gave me this." and he held out a handfull of coins and a few bills. See? That's what I'm talking about.

It was a beautiful long and leisurely ride to Trois Rivieres. Oops, did I say leisurly? It was fast - so fast we had to slow down because we were too early for the reception at our destination. We stopped for a few moments at the Auberge overlooking Lac St-Pierre to cool our jets and cool our thirst before heading into Trois Rivieres.

Don't worry Nicole, Robert had not given away any details of the event but we heard the band as we approached, then we saw the flags and the people gathered outside Les Suites Laviolette. What a welcome, from the cadets and Dragon Boat Ladies who provided the valet parking for the bikes to the Mayor's representative and a famous local artist.

In addition to a handsome cheque made out to le Fondation des maladies mentales, a special presentation was made to Lindsay. She received a unique handmade stylo de bois by the renowned artisan from Trois Rivieres, Denis Lefebvre. The pen is in recognition of Lindsay's writing, especially the story she has shared on The Ride.

Later we went out to dinner where we had the opportunity to speak with two representatives from the Anna et la mer (Anna and the Sea)a non profit group that creates, promotes and implements services for children living with a parent affected by a mental illness. All too often when a parent is ill with a mental illness, young children are not included in explanations for their parent's behaviour. Their world is turned upside down, they generally suffer in silence, unable to verbalize their emotions. They feel guilty and somehow responsible. Studies tell us that children of a parent with a mental illness are at risk for emotional. behavioural and intellectual difficulties. They are at greater risk for mental illness themselves. Anna et la mer serves to minimize these risks and to provide emotional support for these children.

Many thanks Nicole for organizing a special welcome to Trois Rivieres.

Hawkesbury to Ste. Therese, Montreal

2009-07-30T18:44:00.000-07:00

July 30

The morning looked gray and overcast - not a good sign, but the sun came out during breakfast and we were having summer with our eggs.

We met our new riders- Alexandre, Samuel, Mathieu and Robert plus Luc and Simon, n the Ontario side of the Confederation Bridge and Robert lead us into Quebec.
It was a gorgeous day, sunny and warm with a tail wind. Robert took us on a quiet road that closely followed the St. Lawrence, through the country past farms and villages. The fields and forests were green and the gardens were bursting with colours. Robert's route lead us all directly to his beautiful backyard where we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon around the pool.

At one of the stops, as were were packing up after the riders had gone a woman walked over to the RV. " Qu'est-ce qu c'est?" she asked. "Nous sommes roulons pour la sante mentale" I replied, pretty pleased with myself. "Oh, you speak english." was her reaction. "Ah, yeah." She then shared that her son has schizophrenia. Sometimes it has been hard for them, for him. She inquired about how to make a donation so I explained about the website and online donating or that she can mail in a donation if she would rather. I told her she could identify an agency or program of her choice and the donation would be forwarded to them. She was very pleased to hear that she could support The Ride for Mental Health and her donation would be directed where she wanted it.

Ottawa to Hawkesbury

2009-07-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

July 29

We got back from Tuesday Night Races in Lachine to our Chateau late last night only to find no parking spots in the oversize lot. Staff at the hotel came up with a unique solution for us. On street parking is allowed for tour busses and the manager wrote us up a bus pass. Morning commuters were a little ticked but stoically went around without honking.

Pat plotted a perfect plan for us - the route went out along Sussex Drive, along the river and onto country roads. The first step in the route however, was actually about 15 steps. It was a relaxing day for me because I just had to follow Trevor, but maybe not so relaxing for the riders as they could see the dark and threatening clouds gathering behind us. Could they outrun the approaching storm?Apparently not. And it came down in buckets, causing minor local flooding.

Traffic was understandably light, as most people did not venture out in the pelting rain. But our dauntless riders, determined to finish the day, pressed on through newly formed lakes and rivers.

At one point Simon turned abruptly and doubled back, reacting to the sound of two little girls wailing in the rain. They had been caught in the downpour and couldn't get home. Simon rode over to the girls' home and alerted their parents. Crisis averted. Wouldn't it be nice if cries of help by persons living with mental illness could be met with this kind of sympathy and supportand willingness to help.

Montreal - Les Mardis Cyclistes de Lachine

2009-07-28T23:29:00.000-07:00

July 28
Mel is a cyclist and it was Tuesday so it seemed only natural that we were headed to Montreal for Les Mardis Cyclistes de Lachine. This organization, run by Monsieur Rossi, has held professional bike races for ten consecutive Tuesday evenings during the summer, every summer, for 32 years. Cyclists come from near and far to compete here.
On the starting line prior to each race the traditional awarding of the yellow jerseys takes place. This particular Tuesday, for the first time ever, an honourary yellow jersey was presented to someone other than a racer. Mel received the yellow jersey in recognition of the importance of The Ride for Mental Health. It was an honour and a thrill to be recognized among such outstanding company. Mel then led the peloton for a lap around the 1.6 km course. Luckily, there was no tip over Shay.
Later, a cheque presentation was made on the podium in support of le fondation des maladies mentales. Over $10,000 was raised through the efforts of the Xerox Committee lead by Robert Ethier and Simon Mercier.
Check out this link www.mardiscyclistes.wordpress.com

Ottawa Event

2009-07-28T03:45:00.000-07:00

July 27
We were so excited for today - a series of media appointments in the morning followed by a public event on the steps of Parliament Hill. It started early - Shawn Tallon set us up with an appearance on breakfast television at A Morning with Liane Liang followed by 580 CFRA Radio with Mark Sutcliffe. Mel and Lindsay also appeared on CBC News Today with Nancy Wilson. Threatening skies cleared up just in time for the outdoor interview at the Chateau Laurier. We appreciate all the opportunities to reach large numbers of people through the media with our message of awareness.

It seems the weather was just playing with us all day - sun then downpour then sun then more downpour. It didn't melt attendence or enthusiasm on the Hill. The Police Band marched in followed shortly by Mel and Lindsay on their bikes - quite a scene. Daniel, the Town Crier read off a proclamation about The Ride for Mental Health. Then the unbrellas went up. The rain didn't really bother anyone except maybe photographers Kaila and Kevin but they captured some super shots despite the wet conditions.

A huge cheque in the amount of $25,000 was presented by the committee from Xerox to the Sens Foundation in support of the Royal Ottawa Foundation (the final amount raised at the event is expected to be in the range of $31,000.) The source of these funds was the SENSational Ride for Mental Health Event, a unique partnership between Xerox, lead by Shawn Tallon, and the Sens Foundation. Daniel Alfredsson, captain of the Ottawa Senators champions the "You Know Who I Am" awareness campaign for the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health, and the Senators loaned their Strength and Conditioning Facility for the unbelievably successfull stationary bike race.

Mel and Lindsay spoke to the assembled group and when Lindsay finished sharing her personal story several people came up and pressed cash donations in her hands. I had a chance to speak to the donors afterwards. One woman shared her son struggles with bipolar disorder. It has been difficult for the whole family. Too often people are quiet about the devastating effects of mental illness on not only the individual but family and friends.

We met Robert, an artist at Les Ateliers de l'Elan, who presented Lindsay with one of his paintings.

It was a special day.

Into Ottawa

2009-07-27T06:15:00.000-07:00

July 26
Last, last-minute changes to the route kept us on our toes, er, wheels all day. Not being from around these parts it's a little difficult to assess the suitability of roads for riders, especially a group. And for this segment did we ever have riders. Let's see, there were nine in all; Pat, Ted, Mike and George from Ottawa, Rob, Laura, and Tavis from Port Perry, Lindsay and Mel - ten actually, as Julie would join us enroute. And of course extra support drivers - Deb and Shawn and Bernie. We even had our own papparazzi - Kaila came out with Bernie.(the photos today are compiments of Kaila). Advice from our local riders provided a quiet and scenic route, so we all met at the curling club in Prescott, checked the map and were off.

We've been conditioned now to expect a few bike issues with each ride. Today was no exception. There were four flats amongst the all the bikes. With our experienced and prepared riders it wasn't a problem - kept the support vehichles hopping, though. Waiting for Mel's bikes in Ottawa was a tune up compliments of Micheal at Euro-Sports.

The last portion of the day's ride lead the bikers along the Rideau Canal into downtown Ottawa so I just pulled the RV up alongside the sidewalk in front of our hotel -the Chateau Laurier. Many thanks to Deneen Perrin for the gracious hospitality.

We hung around a bit as each of the riders arrived and de-biked, and as usual whenever the RV is stopped, passersby came up to us to ask about The Ride for Mental Health. We received several donations right on the spot. I had a conversation with an individual who thanked us for bringing awareness to mental health issues. Turns out he is a researcher working on developing new medications to help people dealing with Depression and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Medication plays an important part in the recovery of individuals living with mental illness, in fact, research shows that 80% of individuals with a diagnosable mental illness and who receive treatment, experience recovery. That is the good news. The sad news is that it is estimated that the majority of people experiencing mental health issues do not seek treatment. Stigma is reported to be the the greatest barrier to getting help. We can all do our part to reduce the myths and misperceptions around mental illnes that lead to stigma and discrimination. Awareness works.

Gananoque to Prescott

2009-07-25T14:14:00.000-07:00

July 25
Julie was right on time - in fact, she was early. We still had to finish the blog, finish the smoothy and finish clearing up. By the time I came out Lindsay had already met Julie, our rider for the day, and her brother Andre who was acting as Julie's support team. And Julie and Andre came equiped. Not wanting to slow us down in the event of a bike problem, she had a tool box as big as a hockey bag full of all kinds of gadgets and neat little doodads. And, just in case of a really big bike problem she had a couple of spare tires, wheels, a seat. "I just took all these things off my husband's bike for spare parts."
It was a beautiful morning - bright, sunny and even hot - a nice change from the rest of the summer. Lindsay set the pace and they were off. Andre and I did the leap frog thing around the riders.
My fellow support team, Andre and I pulled over at a scenic spot near Pointe au Baril, we were too busy talking to notice the riders went by, but we did take note of the mini van that pulled in. Turned out to be Ted, a colleague of Mel's from Xerox and his mother in law Janet. They were at the cottage in the neighbourhood and read in the blog that we would be coming this way. So off we all went in pursuit of the riders, me, Andre and Ted and Janet. It was a convoy. Ted had been at the Pep Rally in Toronto last week. He noted the excellent speakers, especially Lindsay. So Janet was here in an official capacity as a photographer from the Oakville Today newspaper. "I wanted you to ride through Oakville but this will do", she said motioning us to stand together so she could snap a few.

Alert!! Change in Route for July 25 and July 26

2009-07-25T05:36:00.000-07:00

July 25

ALERT!!

Saturday July 25th-Gananoque to Prescott (instead of Morrisburg)
Sunday July 26th - Prescott to Ottawa

We have made a change to our route for Saturday July 25th and Sunday July 26th.
As we will have a group with us it has been suggested by expert local riders that we ride back roads into Ottawa from Prescott rather than Morrisburg.

Napanee, Kingston, Gananoque

2009-07-24T18:38:00.000-07:00

July 24
While yesterday was occupied with multiple flats, a crash, and endless rain, today was the exact opposite - sunshine and a tail wind to support the riders. Ben and Chris continued their time trial challenge on hills. In the end I think they split. Mike and John, our road warriors in their full helmets, continued to keep us amused with their graciousness and self deprecating humour.

A highlight for us was a fun mid-day event in Kingston organzied by Ben Bowen, owner of Seaway Solutions. Ben and his team hosted a delighful barbecue which was a great way to meet Ben's team members, family and friends and customers. John, from J&J Cycle provided on-site support to the Ride For Mental Health by coming to the barbecue and performing tune-ups to the riders' bikes. And of course the Canadian Mental Health Association was present represented by Executive Director Michael who received a handsome cheque from Seaway Solutions in support of their local mental health programs.

It was a sad goodbye to the boys, Mike, John and Ben who all headed home after the BBQ. Our friends Bruce and Jill came to the rescue transporting Ben because of the train strike.

As we had not completed the day's mileage we were to be accompanied on the last leg to Gananaoque. Ben Bowen then hopped on his newly tuned up bike, and along with David from Service, personally escorted us all the way to Gananoque. We said our good-byes to Chris, as he was returning home after 3 great days of riding.And we said good bye and thanks to Ben from Seaway Solutions. Now that his bike is tuned and road-tested he is off to a flying start of enjoyable rides for the rest of the summer.

Wherever we go mental health awareness is slowly building, the fund raising continues to grow, and the people we meet are incredibly enthusiastic about being a part of the Ride For Mental Health.

Port Cobourg to Napanee

2009-07-23T17:51:00.001-07:00

July 23

It was a day of threes. Well, that and alot of rain - three times more rain than anybody needs. Especially on a bike.

So before we even got started this morning Chris had the first of three flat tires for the day. He got that repaired pretty quickly - just before the rain started in earnest. And it meant it. The rain pretty much never let up all day. Everything and everybody was wet through and through. Our riders were stoic, riding on through the mess, never complaining ... much. It's all part of the experience.

When we caught up to our riders we found they had had a crash - One of the riders went over a level railway crossing that was in pretty bad shape and very slippery because of the rain. He went down and two more fell as well. Luckily no one fell into the traffic and no one suffered serious injury.

Everyone was glad to finally find the hotel. It was a long, tough day in the saddle and a milestone 100 km ride for Ben, Mike and John. 109.5 actually.

At one point in the day Lindsay and I stopped at a store along the route to pick up a few necessities. Just as we were pulling out I stopped because I thought I heard something. I did. It was a loud whistle. In our family when you hear that whistle you stop. So I stopped. I turned to look out the window and saw a woman hurrying over to the RV. There's only 3 people that can whistle like that; me, Debbie and now this woman.

"I have to give you something. Just wait." she said. She came back shortly with a cheque. "My son was bipolar and he took his own life." she explained bluntly. "There was just no help." She went on to tell a distressing story that is not uncommon among parents trying to get help for an adult child if the ill person refuses treatment (medication). Mania is often characterized by impulsivity,risk taking behaviour, grandiose thoughts, irritability and aggression, as well as euphoria. The individual often has a lack of insight into their illness. Treatment for bipolar disorder can be very effective.
" We couldn't get him help. He was eventually arrested, lost his family, lost his business, lost everything ..." her voice tailed off.

2009-07-22T19:14:00.000-07:00

July 22

Well it wasn't that hard, to get back on the road, I mean. The hard part was getting back on the road so early. What with the traffic and stop lights and garbage strike issues and all, we decided to invoke the city limits rule. So we agreed to meet all our riders in the east end of the city at, of course, a curling club. We had to get up earlier than usual to get out to the club.

For the next few days we will be a pack of riders. Mel and Lindsay as usual, plus Ben, John Fray and Mike Majeski. George Abate would ride with us til Oshawa and another rider, Chris Tipton, due to bike troubles, would join up with us along the route later in the day.

Despite the heavy traffic in some places and construction in other places, this section of Highway 2 is quite nice. You get a little bit of everything; city, country, small towns, lake views. And you meet some pretty nice people. Take Lesley for instance. She and Orca came out to cheer on the riders through lovely downtown Courtice. And Todd and his staff at the Comfort Inn in Cobourg were helpful in directing us to a bike shop for some repairs to John's bike. And Dave at Sommerville Sports in Cobourg made the repairs to John's bike to quickly get us rolling again. And the fellow who stopped us in the parking lot to inquire about The Ride and wish us well.

We appreciate all the help and encouragement we are getting. Makes the day a little easier. Probably someone you know is recovering from a mental illnes and would appreciate a call or a note or a visit.

Toronto Pep Rally

2009-07-20T03:42:00.000-07:00

July 17

This was a Really Big Day for us. To say it was amazing and awesome is an understatement. It's taken a few days to digest it all. Margaret Zanel, Lesley Pauze and their committee, working closely with the Toronto Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association produced an event that drew over 400 participants to Trinity Square in the Distilery District in downtown Toronto. Friends and family were there, a contingent from Ceridian, volunteers and supporters from the Canadian Mental Health Association - Toronto Branch, and of course Xerox.

The swirling kilts and swirling bagpipe music of the Scarborough Pipes and Drums wove through the crowd-filled courtyard. MC Jim Doherty stood at the podium weaving a story as he does so well, most of it was true. The cheque presentation was enormous - well, the cheques were and the amounts.

Lindsay spoke on behalf of consumer survivors everywhere, giving people a glimpse into the devastating impact mental illness can have on a life.

Mel told the audience a bit of our story, and a bit of The Ride for Mental Health story. But mainly he just said how it is and that it shouldn't be. Mental disorders are all too common. There are too many barriers for people looking for help for mental illness, inadequate access to treatment and not enough support services. Symptoms of mental illness most often begin in young people between the ages of 16 and 24. Who's helping them? Dr. Goldbloom of The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Board of Directors of the Canadian Mental Health Association - Toronto Branch and Vice Chair of the Mental Health Commission of Canada said "Mel is right". He said better treatments are needed and research is woefully underfunded. And Councillor Mike Feldman from the Toronto City Council shared his very personal connection to mental illness illustrating the pain for parents and family members that is all part of living with mental illness.

The initiave for change starts with awareness. We will change attitudes about mental illness and make a difference. Dr. Goldbloom referred to us a "social movement".
Uh,groovy man, like, right on. I haven't been a social movement for a long time. Keep on truckin'. . . well, RV'n anyway.

Richmond Hill Curling Club

2009-07-17T04:05:00.000-07:00

July 16

From just past Shaftsbury I could see the flourescent colours ahead. As we approached, the seven riders, Deb in the other support vehicle and me in the RV, the colours took on more distinctive shapes. People, lots of people and balloons and colourful signs greeted us as we drove into the parking lot at the Richmond Hill Curling Club. These are our friends; curlers, golfers, ball players and neighbours. It was a warm and happy welcome, with hugs and handshakes and photo ops.

A lot of our friends are familiar with our family's story of mental illness,the ups and downs, and many of our friends have faced serious health challenges of their own. Sometimes life just isn't fair. Nobody asks to get sick and nobody deserves to get sick. Everyone deserves support and access to timely treatment. But the reality of mental illness is that wait times, services and treatment, research and fundraising lags far behind those for other health problems such as diabetes.

Manager Debbie managed to wangle a ride with Stacey on the tandem bike before she managed us all inside the club. MC and Club Prez, Kevin, intoduced Richmond Hill Mayor, Dave Barrow who brought greetings and congratulations from the town. Kevin then introduced former club prez and Xerox retiree, Orton Beaumont, who brought congratulations and cash donations.

It was great to see everyone and catch up on their summers, golf and baseball. I lamented to someone that I haven't yet swung a golf club or hit a baseball this summer. She replied "You never hit a baseball last year when you actually played."

Shelburne to Richmond Hill

2009-07-17T04:04:00.000-07:00

July 16

It was a big day. We were so excited to be going home, our destination the Richmond Hill Curling Club. Our daughter Caitlin was driving our son Ben and another rider, Brad, up to meet us. We arrived at the appointed meeting place, appropriately, in the parking lot of the Shelburne Curling Club to find brother Rob and his support team novice, wife Deb. Little did she know she would be pressed into service early. Also waiting for us was Rick Casey and Stacey Persia and their unique tandem bike. These two guys have tons of experience in long distance rides. You should see them on hills - a little slow on the up but a rocket on the way down. One more rider, Rich, was to ride out from Richmond Hill to meet us and ride back.

Off they went more or less on time. Caitlin, Deb and I talked for a bit in the parking lot and when it was time for the support team to jump into action and follow the riders I discovered I didn't have the keys to the RV. They were in Mel's pocket. Was that his way of telling me I'm too dangerous to be driving? Luckily Deb was there to back me up - she raced off after the riders to retrieve the keys.

Back on the road, it soon became apparent that we weren't in Kansas anymore. The roads in southern Ontario, even secondary and tertiary roads, are very busy with fast moving traffic and that spells danger for a pack of bikers. So at the first stop we had a little huddle, took all the variables into consideration, weighed the pros and cons, and came up with a detailed, new plan. "Let's just get off this highway at the first road we come to and see where it takes us."

Actually several of our riders knew the area well enough to lead us on a safe and scenic route. It was a little tricky meeting up with Rich - he did a lot of backtracking and zigzagging, but we finally got together and the group of seven rode into the Richmond Hill Curling Club.

Wiarton to Shelburne

2009-07-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

July 15
I don't know how Mel made it to Wiarton yesterday, It was such a late start, a tough ride and we had been through alot of stress. At the end of the ride all we wanted to do was get dinner and get to bed. Uh, but I couldn't find the campground. Talk about stress, I had to produce, and fast. Luckily a campground just appeared before us. I went in... "Do you have any campsites available for tonight?"
"We're really a seasonal facility and we don't rent for a single night"
"gasp"
"But, we do have one spot. . ."
Turned out to be a nice relaxing night.
Unfortunately the day before, the day of troubles, we were not able to ride from Wiarton to Shelburne as planned.Yesterday was the No Ride Ride for riders Al and Dave. Sorry about that. Today, however,we were to meet a rider at the coffee shop in Wiarton and today was a better day, things were working out. Phil was there right on time with his transportation coutesy of Kim and Baxter. Lindsay and I saw the riders off on their way, chatted with Kim for a bit then headed back inside for a little something.
It was a long and windy ride - and we knew it was windy because there must have been about a hundred wind turbines along the way, and they were moving. Hmmm,I wonder if you hook one of those up to the back of a bike . . .
Phil was a strong and experienced rider and knew the area better than we did. He was able to show us the quiet, scenic route. Nice to get away fom the traffic.
After the ride of 124 kms we said goodbye to Phil in the parking lot of Pete's Donuts. We were off to look for the campground (Primrose Campground) and Phil, he was riding home to Collingwood. That's right, riding his bike - that's another 65 kms. Way to go Phil! Thanks for a great day. And good luck in yor riding event in August.
I don't need to tell you what tomorrow is. We're going home. We've got 6 riders joining Mel and Lindsay and they will be heading for the Richmond Hill Curling Club.
It's by far the best way to spend a winter - a pretty darn good place to be on a Monday evening. And it's going to be a great place to be tomorrow afternoon too.
And the best place to be for lunch on Friday will be Triniy Square in the Distillery district. C'mon out from 12 to 2 and see what this Ride is all about.

Espanola to Tobermory

2009-07-14T20:06:00.000-07:00

July 13/14

After the rest day - no rain and no Rob and Bill, it was a long trek for Mel across Manitoulin Island. Lindsay usually helps out and rides with Mel each day for about 20 or 30 km. Highway 6, which is fairly hilly, snakes it's way across Manitoulin Island and in turn runs south, east, west and even at times north west. Pretty hard to totally avoid a headwind. Today it almost seemed like the wind followed the same highway we were on. Needless to say it was slow going. Mel and Lindsay soldiered on and we made it to South Baymouth by late afternoon.
We decided to take the ferry across to Tobermory then instead of waitingg til the morning. We were to meet two riders in the morning and it wouldn't do to miss the boat.
Loading the RV onto the ferry was OK - pretty narrow, but we made it. Exiting the ferry was another story and I crashed into the ferry doing enough damage that we couldn't drive the vehicle. That would have been a good time to miss the boat.
So now what? Long story short, we got lots of help to get through this little, uh, set back. Sheila, an employee of Owen Sound Transport that operates the Chi-Cheemaun Ferry was both sympathetic and helpful. Greg at Toronto Motor Home Travel Canada was totally understanding. We were to sit tight and they would come up from Bolton in the morning. We had a fitful night. What if we couldn't drive the RV? Would I have to ride a bike too? Looks like we"re going to miss a day of riding. Can we make it up? What will become of the big event in Toronto if we're still here?
Next morning we waited anxiously for Greg to arrive. Infact Greg brought his wife and crew, Amy, and in an entertaining fashion they got us all patched up and ship shape. We were back on course and Mel was able to resume the ride. We got underway around 4:30 and in record time sailed into Wiarton.
Another storm weathered. Only two more days til we're home for a bit. Can't wait to see everyone. Don't look too closely at the RV.

Espanola and Goodbye

2009-07-12T12:22:00.001-07:00

July 11/12
We have been fortunate to have been joined by many good friends and great riders so far and each and every one is appreciated – Mel usually makes them draft for him (block the wind). These past 5 days Mels’ two brothers Rob and Bill have joined the party. It’s been a pile of fun. One can only imagine what they were like growing up.
Our last day was terrific. Sunny, warm and windy – a tail wind. Another day over 100for brother Rob and record time – averaging 28.9 km* (note the asterisk – wind assisted time)
This part of northern Ontario is not as isolated as you might think. It’s true, the towns are small but they are plentiful and close together. Lots of cottage areas and resorts. And, on the weekend anyway, lots of traffic. The riders had to be alert yet relaxed when the long line of trucks and cars passed.
Bill and I had many discussions while waiting for the riders. He is a former teacher and principal and has a special insight into the problems mental illness presents for families and kids. He has seen young kids confused and scared when a parent is hospitalized - being shuffled to a relative's and no one able to explain. He has seen troubled kids whose disruptive behaviour is really a plea for help.
Greater knowledge of mental illness could help teachers identify the signs and symptoms in children and adolescents could make all the difference for early treatment and positive outcomes.
With four days of riding logged in the computer it was time to relax before Rob and Bill had to leave. We enjoyed another great bbq dinner at the campground and later we were treated to an amazing sky full of stars.

Echo Bay to Blind River

2009-07-10T14:43:00.000-07:00

July 10

Well, we're beyond the mighty Lake Superior now and on to Lake Huron, a great lake in it's own right. There has been a striking change in terrain - still the rugged Canadian Shield rocks but not the hills and mountains found along Superior's shores.
When we woke up today we almost thought it was a rest day - sky was black and threatening, forecast called for thunderstorms. We scurried around to get on the road early to outrun the weather. It worked. As the kilometers clicked by the clouds disappeared. The route was fairly flat and took us past farmland and cottage country and we followed the mighty Mississaugi River to Blind River.
Today was a big day for brother Rob - he hit three digits. That would be over a hundred kilometers ridden in a day - 104 actually. (He could have gone farther but the rest of us were tired.)
When we stopped in Iron Bridge today for a Gatorade break a car pulled up behind us. An older gentleman approached and pressed a donation in my hand. "Here. It's for a good cause." He shared with us that he is a cancer survivor and he recently lost his wife to cancer. Depression in the elderly as a group is common, and often goes undiagnosed and untreated. The stress of serious chronic illness can bring on new symptoms of depression or exacerbate chronic underlying depression in individuals. The Ride for Mental Health is for him too.

Toronto Event

2009-07-09T19:09:00.000-07:00

July 10

The downtown Toronto Event on July 17th at Trinity Square in the Distillery District promises to be a biggie. There will be entertainment, and speakers and some surprizes. As well, a block of tickets at a significant discount have been arranged for the Blue Jays vs Boston game on Friday evening. If you are interested and want to join us, c'mon out. The invitation goes for family, friends, co-workers, sponsors . . .

Here is the URL for Blue Jay tickets: https://tickets.audienceview.com/bluejays/seatSelect.asp?WSadmissions::admission::performance_id=F201EED2-D1E7-4F49-9644-48F3EE616F69

You will need the Promo Code: GP-RMH09

Sault Ste. Marie

2009-07-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

July 9

We left the perfectly crescent shaped beach at Pancake Bay and followed the no longer rugged shore of Lake Superior south toward Sault Ste. Marie. It took us around Batchawana Bay where we found long flat stretches of sandy beaches and calm, quiet inlets. Good news for the riders- they like flat. But don't look now . . . dum da dum dum. Oh yeah,then there was "Mile High Hill".
We were invited to visit Club 84, a clubhouse that is part of the Canadian Mental Health Association in Sault Ste. Marie. Parking an RV downtown anywhere can sometimes be a challenge but we lucked out when we came around behind their building. Not only did we find metered street parking but we also found a whole bunch of the members outside enjoying the sunny weather. What a nice greeting. Club 84 was born in 1984 and Don has been a member almost since the begining.
"People assume too much about mental illness." said Don. "They assume what they hear from people and what they see in the media is the way it is. It isn't. "
He expressed what all of the members feel. "Club 84 is a place where we can feel good about ourselves."
Here at Club 84 a diagnosis or label is not important. "You are not a schizophrenic. You are are person who happens to have a mental illness. You are not defined by an illness."

Update

2009-07-09T06:16:00.000-07:00

July 9

. . . . . . LATE BREAKING NEWS FOR TORONTO!! . . . . . .

No, as far as we are aware there is no change in the garbage strike. However the strike has neccessitated a change in location for the July 17th Toronto Event. I know, I know, this stinks. No longer at Nathan Phillips Square,the good news is that The Ride for Mental Health Toronto Event has been moved to Trinity Square in the Distillery District, at Parliament and and Front Streets from 12 to 2 pm.

This won't change a thing. We are still focused on raising Awareness about Mental Illness and determined to get the message out. And we need you.
Please join us in Trinity Square Friday, July 17, 2009

For further information contact Lesley at 416-733-6881.

Driving Directions To Trinity Square, Distillery District

From the East:

• Don Valley Parkway to Richmond St. exit, west on Richmond to Parliament, south on Parliament to Mill St. (one block south of Front St.), then left onto Mill St.

• Kingston Road to Eastern Ave. Then proceed to Front St. West on Front to Parliament, then south on Parliament to Mill St. Left onto Mill St.

• Queen St. west to Parliament then south on Parliament to Mill St. then left onto Mill St.

From the West:

• QEW east to Gardiner Expressway. Take Jarvis St. exit, then north on Jarvis St. to Front St. , East on Front to Parliament St. then south on Parliament to Mill St. , Left onto Mill St.

From the North:

• 427 south to QEW. QEW east to Gardiner Expressway. Take Jarvis St. exit, then north on Jarvis St. to Front St. , East on Front to Parliament St. then south on Parliament to Mill St., Left onto Mill St.

• Don Valley Parkway south to Richmond St. exit, west on Richmond to Parliament, south on Parliament to Mill St. (one block south of Front St.), then left onto Mill St.

Parking

• At the Distillery Historic District parking lots accessible from Parliament and Cherry St. Nominal parking fee.

• At local municipal lots.

Public Transit

Subway
• Take Subway to Castle Frank station on the Bloor line. Connect to Bus 65A Parliament. Ride bus straight down Parliament. Exit at Front St. and walk one block south to Mill St.

King streetcar
• Take 504 King street car. Exit at King and Parliament. Walk 2 blocks south on Parliament to Mill St.

Bus
• Cherry St. Bus 172 , Front & Bay St. to Cherry Beach via The Esplanade and Mill St.

GO Transit
• Take GO Transit to Union Station. Connect to Bus 65A Parliament or Bus 72 Pape or Bus 172 Cherry Beach

Thompson Brothers on Lake Superior 2

2009-07-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

July 8
It's a convoy - the two big RV's motoring down the highway. Ten four, Big Buddy. Over and off. We're lookin' out for Smokey. Really we're just looking out for a good cup of coffee. Oh yeah, and the riders. Often Bill and I are too busy talking to notice they have arrived.
The RV continues to be a curiosity wherever we go. In the campgrounds it never fails. People on their way to the lake, or the showers, or just to peer always slow up and read every word, often stopping to ask questions about The Ride. We get many honks and waves from cars, trucks and motorcycles on the road too. I had a brief conversation with bright a young woman today and she agreed there is not enough being done to promote awareness of mental illness. Well, it is starting with us - with all of you; blog followers, supporters, sponsors, friends.
It is particularly important to reach young people - high school,young adults even junior high school. Mental health issues often begin in this age group at a time when kids are exercising independence from the family and just striving to fit in amongst their peers. Nobody wants to be different or at the least to appear different. The symptoms of mental illness can be scary and when you're trying to be independent from parents and not willing to share different feelings with friends it can be dangerous. Early treatment means a better outcome.
Ho hum, we are seeing the Same Spectacular Superior Scenery - and today it was actually sunny. Puts everything in a whole new light. Blue skies, blue lake, crystal clear water. You find yourself anticipating at every bend in the road that a new vista will open up. And it is amazing.
We continue to scan for any more glimpses of exciting wildlife but to no avail. Although these last two campgrounds are overrun with little chippies. That counts, right?

Thompson Brothers on Lake Superior 1

2009-07-07T13:08:00.000-07:00

July 7
Yesterday was a rest day so of course that meant rain. It also meant errands and laundry. And, best of all, we were to meet up with Bill and Rob.
Mel's brothers, drove up from the Toronto area in Rob's RV to accompany Mel on the road for the next five days. Our meeting point was the Wawa RV Resort and Campground where we all received a warm welcome by Rennee and generous support for The Ride.
Lindsay and I are pleased to welcome a new member to the Support Team. I think Bill will work out allright - no sooner did we have the riders on the road then we headed back into town for some gas and coffee - mainly coffee.
The riders, Mel and Rob and Lindsay attacked the hills and Mel and Rob did an excellent job covering the total distance for the day. In fact they over acheived and overshot the campground. We had to go find them.
The weather continues to be, well, not so good. Certainly not summer like, but it didn't rain today. Of course not, it wasn't a rest day. The beauty of the landscape is not bothered by cruddy weather. At the recommendation of our friends in Thunder Bay we stopped in at two picnic areas in Lake Superior Provincial Park - Old Woman Bay and Katherine Cove and I'm glad we did. It was well worth it. We also saw Dad, Mom and Baby Lakes. Granted, the names are not that creative but it's a cute concept. More cute; Rabbit Blanket Lake. Some of the other names not so cute, not so appealing; Leach Island and it's kin Lizard Island. Tomorrow we aim for Pancake Bay, so named I am told, because it is the spot where the voyageurs or couriers du bois on their way back to Sault Ste Marie after a season hunting would stop and finish off their provisions. There you go, a little tidbit of info just in case it comes up in your next Canadian trivia contest.
We finished off our day at beautiful Agawa Bay Campground on the shores of Gitchigoomi.It sure is one imposing lake.

White River to Wawa

2009-07-05T19:15:00.000-07:00

July 5
Today was our last day with Al. The four days went too quickly. Can't believe he has only been riding for 3 months because he was a tower of strength - pulling Mel along for four long rides over a very tough and challenging route.
Today seemed like an easy ride - it was the shortest at only 96km - with, for the most part, a tailwind. The last few Kms each day, it seemed, were always into the wind. The challenge was to outrace the weather front coming in - to finish
the ride before the rains. And we were successful - beat the rain with enough time to tour Wawa and McKinley Street before saying goodbye to Al.

Terrace Bay to White River

2009-07-02T17:44:00.002-07:00

July 4

We bid good bye and Happy 4th of July to our hosts Dennis and Patti at the Coach House Motel. But before we hit the road Mel needed a little oxygen - in his tires.
The first part of the highway was a pretty steep hill. Actually it was a series of pretty steep and seemingly never ending hills for about 50 kms. And then there was construction. Could it get any better? Well, actually it did. The hills calmed down somewhat after Marathon and the wind was more or less a tailwind. Lindsay joined Mel and Al on the road today and picked just about the hardest section. It was almost all hills.

Total kilometers today - 119. That makes three long rides in a row. The 100 km or so tomorrow will be easy.

Highlights of the day included some more spectacular scenery. On a sunny, cloudless day looking out over the inviting blue of the lake, it's hard to believe the ugly reputation of Lake Superior. But we had Al's rendition at breakfast of the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald replaying over and over in our heads all day.

At one point in the day I had to bring the RV to a screeching halt. Lindsay yelled
"Bear!"
"Where?"
"There!"
Well, I can't see it, I'm driving. But sure enough there was a bear and her cub, playing on the railway tracks.

I guess it's fitting that we are spending the night in White River - home of the original Winnie the Pooh. (look it up)

By the way everyone, thanks for all the encouraging and supportive emails and comments on the blog. It's very motivating and much appreciated.

Nipigon to Terrace Bay

2009-07-02T17:44:00.001-07:00

July 3

This morning as we were getting the bikes out, our new friend Mike Elliott(from Epic Adventures in Nipigon) arrived right on time. He was able to ride with us for about 30 km. Today was very hilly and Mike lead us up Little Kama then Big Kama Hills out of Nipigon. Those two were bad enough until we saw the hill just before Rossport. That one just went on and on - right up there with Jack Ass Mountain, Rogers Pass and Ten Mile Hill. The best part of these hills, beside the down, was the spectacular view. Lake Superior was a brilliant blue, the islands like emeralds.
At the end of the day we logged 130 kms. Whew! The last 3km were downhill and at the bottom we found The Coach House Motel, more like a B & B than a motel. Owners Dennis and Patti know a lot about the area. Apparently, some members of the Group of Seven used to come to the Jackfish Hotel a little farther down the road back about 75 years ago.
Al was assigned room 10 and when he entered the room he found a framed collection of articles and pictures on the wall commemorating a previous occupant. Terry Fox had stayed here when he came by.

T Bay to Nipigon

2009-07-02T14:04:00.000-07:00

July 2
At the foot of the Terry Fox Memorial, high atop the the hill overlooking the city of Thunder Bay we began today's ride. Even at 9:30 in the morning there were a steady stream of people coming to see the monument. It's a fitting place to begin the second half of our journey.

It also marks Al's first day with us - he completed the 104 km easily - not bad at all. In fact he looked pretty good out there on the road. Hardest part is getting off the bike - those toe clips are tricky.

Small issues with bikes seem to plague us lately. Al had a problem with gears that wouldn't shift properly. Makes climbing those hills just a bit harder. So we were directed to Mike Elliott of Epic Adventures in Nipigon who did a little tweaking of the gears for Al and we're good to go.

Harry, look who we found! Filipe and Nelson, our Brazilian friends. We first ran into them near Revelstoke. Similar to us, they are cycling across Canada to raise money. Their goal is to be the first Brazilians to cycle across Canada. They are fundraising for the Rotary Club in Brazil in support of various projects sponsored by the Rotary Club. They left Victoria in May and plan to be in St. John's by September 15. Unlike us they do not have a stellar support team and support vehicle. They pack all their belongings with them. Check out their website at www.canadacoataacosta.com. A pretty amazing pair. Just goes to show there are smart, strong and dedicated people in every language. Best of luck, guys. Hope we run into you again further down the road .

Canada Day

2009-07-01T23:05:00.000-07:00

July 1

In Thunder Bay, as in many towns and cities today, it was Parade Day and we were riding in the Canada Day Parade. The gray and overcast skies gave way to the sun finally. We were joined by about a dozen members from the New Foundations Clubhouse walking and riding as we made our way down to the waterfront. There were no elephants and luckily we were in front of the horses. What a fun experience - I may have developed tendonitis in my waving hand though. Talk about great exposure - the RV was a hit with all the red maple leaves emblazoned on the white background. Great work on the design and wrap by Twist and Pareto.

Dave Grady, the Xerox agent at Thunder Bay Xerographix,Inc worked closely with Ken Gravelle a Xerox retiree and Adriana Foresto of the CMHA to have The Ride for Mental Health featured in the parade. They also organized a draw for a Specialized Mountain Bike. Didja get a ticket? You could already be a winner. Draw is not til tomorrow.

Have I mentioned all the new friends we have made on this amazing journey? Today was a day of old friends meeting new friends. Old friends and by that I mean long time friends - none of us are old - Sharon and Ken hosted a small luncheon before the parade. It was relaxing to catch up them and to get to know our new friends a little better. And we came away with Persians. What could be better?

I had the pleasure of a long conversation with Helen a mental health advocate. She is a real pioneer. Twenty five years ago she and her husband started the local chapter of the Schizophrenia Society and she is still active today. Schizophrenia is the least talked about mental illness with the most stigma, most misrepresentation and least acceptance. I asked her what she thought was the greatest need. Her reply " I guess you have to have a diagnosis." So that would mean more doctors are needed to make the diagnosis then early intervention programs would have a chance to make a difference.

Good friend and fellow adventurer, Al Varney, flew in to join Mel for a few days on The Ride and to help him tackle the tough hills of the north shore. As Al got his gear into the taxi the driver noticed his bike helmet hanging off the bag. "What brings you to Thunder Bay?" he asked. Al replied he was joining a friend who was cycling across Canada. The cabbie said "He's not the one doing it for mental health is he? I heard about him on the radio."

Tomorow we resume The Ride from the Terry Fox Monument. It will be both motivating and moving. After that it's on to the hills of the north shore. I understand cell coverage may be a bit spotty for a few days so we'll check in when we can.

Thunder Bay

2009-06-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

June 30

Today was an amazing day for us. We were invited out for lunch. Maurice Fortin, Executive Director of the CMHA Thunder Bay invited us for a visit and to tour their facilities. New Foundations Clubhouse members put on the lunch. Although it was a big deal for us (a nice change from peanut butter and banan sandwiches) it was no biggie for them as lunches and special occasion meals are a regular occurance. They cater too. It was a perfect meal to fuel Mel on his ride. The Clubhouse is a program where members can receive support in the areas of education, employment, housing support, advocacy, crisis and social recreation. Jason led us on the tour. Ralph, one of the members, shared with us that when he first started here he was totally computer illiterate and in a few short years has become a pro. To demonstrate it took him about 5 minutes to whip up a flyer and print it in colour. Was that a Xerox printer?.
Bye-the-way Gord, Brenda says "Hi", Clubhouse to Clubhouse.
New Foundation Clubhouse is only one of many valuable and diverse programs run by the CMHA in Thunder Bay. We were also treated to an inside look at the crisis line phone room. 807-346-8282.
Lindsay and Mel wanted to be sure to look their best for an interview that Ken, our PR manager in Thunder Bay had arranged for later. Turns out Shane Judge of CBC Radio was more interested in the sound. Shane had them outside in the rain so he could capture the authentic sounds. He even had Mel run through a puddle a couple of times.

Ride into Thunder Bay

2009-06-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

June 29

The ride into Thunder Bay today was wet, but not as wet as yesterday. Lindsay rode with Mel during a period that wasn't raining and we took a break at Kakabeka Falls. When we got into town we had To Do list for our PR manager/go to guy -an old friend and colleague at Xerox Ken Gravelle. He even made an appointment with his barber for Mel to get a haircut. We had another issue - Mel's bike needed new tires - remember Manitoba? and a tune up. Ken directed us to Cyclepath where owner Peter Tofinetti looked after us. Apparently when Mel had his little run in with the Texas gate back in Lake Louise he damaged some doohicky that connected to some other thingy and after another 1500 kms or so on the road it wasn't working right. No problem for the mechanics at Cyclepath - they diagnosed it, repaired it and now it's good for 10,000 kms of abuse on the road.

Atikokan to Shabandowan

2009-06-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

June 28
I don't know how Mel does it he remains positive even when things look really, well, crappy. The weather forecast looks bleak for days to come. We are travelling through bush - miles and miles and even kilometers and kilometers of bush, northern Ontario bush, full of black flies, mosquitoes and ticks. And it's raining, hard. It's beautiful mind you, wildflowers on the side of the road, countlessless lakes and beautiful forests. Did I mention it was wet?
Yesterday's rest day was only nice because it was a rest day. The weather was wet and windy. Today was still wet but it was windy too. It was only nice because it was - a tail wind with gusts up to 30 km/hr.
Lindsay and I had pulled over at a pulp check station. Not sure why it's called "pulp" because the trucks are carrying a huge load of logs. Anyhow, I'm glad they get checked. So we were pulled over, intently waiting for Mel, well, napping if you must know. A knock on the window roused us. "Are you raising money for this?" We had failed to notice another vehicle pulled over here too. "We want to contribute." Bernadette and her husband were on their way back to Atikokan and noticed our RV. We had a friendly but short chat - after all it was raining. When Mel rode up Bernadette's husband came back from their truck. "You need a doughnut, they're fresh." You should have seen Mel's eyes. A donation and a doughnut. The day is looking up.
No sooner had we said our goodbyes and seen them off but another vehicle stopped. The driver came over "Do you need any help? We saw you pulled over and just want to be sure you're all right." We explained to Shaun and Marg what we were all about and they replied with a contibution on the spot. This is a great country and wonderful people.

Taylor's Cove to Atikokan / Quetico - Rest Day

2009-06-27T15:31:00.002-07:00

June 26

The freshly re-surfaced road from Fort Frances to beyond Taylor's Cove to start the day's ride was like silk to ride on and refreshing after having to replace tires regularly over the past sections. Construction was near completion but not quite. Flag persons were situated along the route and were always friendly. One stop led to an exchange about the awsome surface compared to Manitoba roads. He said, "Don't get used to it. You have 3 more kilometres to go and you're back in Manitoba." Unfortunately he was right.
Fourth day in a row of 100 K plus distances and at 27 degrees. Hydration is crucial. Unlimited supply of Gatorade is vital to survival and staying strong.
we arrived at our goal in Atikokan,canoe capital,and did a little shopping and headed to our campsite down the way in Quetico Provincial Park
No sooner had we arrived and connected up when Dewain and Viki from north-eastern California approached us after sighting the RV in town. They told us about their background in Mental Health. Viki is involved with a consumer run organization that provides peer support programs in the community. They are funded by a tax on "millionaires" . Their quest this summer is to explore Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. We might see them there.
Beautiful evening to begin our restday - Lindsay and Mel had a great swim. Looking forward to a quiet day exploring the provincial park.
Why is it the rest days always turn out to be rainy and cruddy? Oh well, makes it easy to rest.

Fort Frances and Taylors Cove

2009-06-27T15:31:00.001-07:00

s

June 25

A roller coaster of a day starting with a kind lady enquiring about our RV and The Ride at the Parkside Campground near Nestor Falls. She took it all in, went back to her campsite and returned with her personal contribution.
Mel replaced a rear tire (all by himself), the 3rd of the Ride - had to. Remember the very rough road conditions in Manitoba?
When we hit the road we were blessed with favourable winds. We reached Fort Frances in record time. After picking up a few groceries we went for a coffee and a short rest. Apparently we drove in the exit and gave the locals in Tim's something to talk about. Blissful, we climbed out of the RV and were met by a fellow walking toward the RV. "Is Mel in there?" he asked. Turned out to be Ernie Crinkler, the Xerox Service Agent in Fort Frances. We had a great time reminiscing with Ernie. He told some amazing stories. "Working for Xerox teaches people how to have a heart."
Don't we know it. The Ride for Mental Health has only come together with the help and support of individuals at Xerox.
Break over, we still had a couple of hours to ride today. We were headed for Taylor's Cove about 35 km east of Fort Frances. Yet another flat tire slowed us down briefly as Mel changed over to the back-up bike and on we went to find the campground.
A sign for Taylor's Road sent us down a very narrow dirt road wondering what we would find and worrying about being able to turn around. At the end of the road, after passing the sign "Slow. Grandchildren Playing", we found a little bit of paradise. We got out of the Rv and looked around. Boats were tied up at the dock, and several cottages were perched out on the point and on the hill overlooking the docks. As a man approached us Mel said "This isn't a campground is it?" We met Ed Taylor who after explaining he doesn't run a campground and our explaining the Ride For Mental Health, showed us to a beautiful private campsite complete with our own beach and hook-up. Mel and Lindsay were swimming within minutes and we enjoyed the perfect evening together lakeside.
If you are ever in the Fort Frances area looking for wonderful hospitality, a breath-taking property, and great fishing, look up Taylor's Cove - Marina and Cabins. Come discover Ed Taylor's paradise on Rainy Lake.

Into Ontario - Kenora and Nestor Falls

2009-06-26T06:43:00.000-07:00

June 23 and 24

We travelled for about 500 kms or so over all kinds of roads in Manitoba. I'm not going to lie, generally speaking the roads were . . . well, not so good. But the people of Manitoba are friendly, just like it says on the licence plates. Friendly and Helpful. Especially a particular individual with Manitoba Hydro. Ok, Ok, here's the story. We were following not far behind Mel on a very quiet stretch of narrow, twisty Hwy 44 about 10 minutes outside of West Hawke Lake. It was pouring rain. Up ahead I saw Mel working on his bike on the side of the road. His chain had come off. I knew we had to stop, but where? This was not a very wide section of road. I edged over to the side and as soon as the wheels left the asphalt I knew I was stuck. In the pouring rain. No cell coverage of course. I was mad. For the whole trip so far I'd been really careful about where I pulled over - honest Dave.
I was looking for the CAA number, muttering to myself when Mel and Lindsay flagged down a Manitoba Hydro truck. "You're stuck" the driver said. See? I said helpful. "And there's only one tow truck in West Hawke . . . and if he's busy . . . it could be hours." I wasn't really finding that helpful. But wait, he went back to his truck and pulled out a huge towing cable. "I might as well give it a try. " he said. So he and Mel hooked it up and in literally 15 seconds I was free. And our hero was gone. Thanks truck #1508.
On the road again, heading for Ontario and hoping for better roads. Well that turned out to be good news / bad news. Road was good for about one click then dirt and gravel for about 20 kms. Try riding over that on the thin tires of a road bike. The road improved after that and so did the trip. We ended the day at a great campground in Kenora and only one bulging tire had to be replaced.
The following day we turned away from Hwy 17(TransCanada)and headed south on Hwy 71, supposedly a better route for bikes, not so desolate and fewer transport trucks.
It was a scenic ride/drive through Ontario forests and lakes - big hunting and fishing area.
We settled in for the night at Parkview RV Resort on the shores of Caliper Lake. Lindsay - never one to miss an opportunity to swim in a lake, swam out to the raft and back and then headed to the showers. We watched a large family of turtles play in the shallow water and enjoyed a beautiful sunset. During dinner one of the campers came by to enquire about the Ride and later came back with "a donation to the cause. You're doing a good thing."

Winnipeg Event

2009-06-20T17:09:00.001-07:00

June 22
It was an early morning scramble to get us all to the City TV studio in the Forks Market area on time. Lucky we had our trusty GPS.
Mel, Lindsay and interviewer Brian addressed the need to raise awareness about mental illness and the need to reduce stigma. The RV was also featured on camera as a vehicle to attract attention to our project. Lindsay and Mel are media stars. They handled the questions like pros.
Mid morning found us in the centre of the business district at the outdoor square at Canwest Place. Nick Allaire and his committee were taking care of last minute details for the event. Kerri Irvin-Ross, Minister of Healthy Living, arrived early and we had a chance to talk about the Ride and heard her views on mental health. When she took the stage she was elequent about people being able to speak openly about depression, bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia without fear of stigma. I'm certain that having a Cabinet Minister such Ms Irvin-Ross' taking an active role today was a strong catalyst for the media to pick up on our message about mental health awareness.
Mel and Lindsay, media darlings that they are, spoke with interviewers from both CBC television and radio station CJOB. That left Caity and I to meet and mingle. The live music of Papa Mombo ensured that everyone was moving to their wonderful sound. We had the pleasure of meeting several individuals working with the Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba, Matthew and Johnathon. Johnathon gave us a gift from a porject he is working on. The gift was 3 candles for Light a Candle of Hope for Someone Your Care About Living With Mental Illness. "It's a project I'm working on." He is full of great ideas to bring attention to mental health issues.
Then we met Steve - one of the headliners on the day's program. Steve is a spokesperson for consumer survivors, and it is easy to see that he is a survivor. He spoke to the crowd and told a story of courage and strength and guts. He told his story and he didn't sugar coat it. He spoke eloquently and from the heart. Steve has seen some rough times, really hard times, but he is slowly changing that. One day at a time.

By the end of the day, after dropping Caitlin at the airport for her flight home, we were completely drained. We will sleep well tonight knowing that through the media opportunities and the event in downtown Winnipeg we touched many people with our message of awareness. Tomorrow we will be back on road early and headed toward Ontario.

Into Winnipeg

2009-06-20T17:04:00.001-07:00

June 21

Lindsay rode with Mel. Caity rode with Mel. Fathers Day. The road we were on was virtually deserted which gave them each a chance to talk and enjoy the ride together.
It was a good day.
As we were nearing Winnipeg, we stopped on the side of the road for a break when two other bikes approached. A mother and her children out for a ride. They had seen the RV and wanted to share that they have a family member with a mental illness. "And he's doing really well."
There you go. That's the Hope and Recovery we talk about.
It was a good day.
Sometime later we stopped again, this time for gas, coffee and licorice (staples on the road). Another car was acting strangely, by that I mean it wasn't getting gas, it wasn't stopping at the restaurant and it was kind of in the way. Actually it seemed like it was following us. Turns out it was. The driver came over to my window before I was even out. "I have something I want to give you" she said. " and I don't have much time."
She said her name was Dawn and she works in the mental health field.
"I was on my way to work when I saw your RV and I actually turned around on the highway." she explained. "I couldn't believe what I was seeing." She is passionate about her work and told us there is strong support for mental health in this area. She went back to her dusty car (all cars are dusty on the road here) and brought back a big yellow magnet in the shape of a balloon. It read: "Pop the Stigma of Mental Illness". One of the programs she is involved with produced the magnets. "Good luck and be safe " she said as she drove off.
It was a good day.

Minnedosa to Portage La Prairie

2009-06-20T05:01:00.000-07:00

June 19 2009
This was a complicated day for us. It started with a long conversation over skype with daughter Darcy who was heading off for a summer internship. It was a hard goodbye to Darcy - it will be hard to arrange phone calls for the next few months.
It was the longest day of riding so far. As it turns out it was the fastest day yet -a PB - averaged 31 over 121 Km of flat Trans Canada. Finally got a break from the winds - SW 7K/Hr
And daughter Caitlin was flying to Winnipeg and we were to meet her in Portage La Prairie. Caitlin arrived by bus into Portage several hours before we made it to town. "Welcome to my hood" she greeted us. She had scouted out the entire town and knew everyone at Tim's by the time we arrived.
We checked into the campground, bought a frisbee, had some fun playing catch. We shared a beautiful evening getting caught up on things back home.

Neepawa

2009-06-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

June 18

Today was a rest day - no riding/driving distances to cover. Our Shay and Harlee family PR team - this time Uncle John and Aunt Gerry, arranged an opportunity for us to make a presentation to a group of juniour high students at the Neepawa Collegiate.
Upon arrival we received a warm reception by school staff and the presentation by Mel and Lindsay was met with attention and applause by the students. Afterwards a representative from the NACI Juniour High Student Council presented us with a cheque for The Ride for Mental Health. We were so touched. Open minds and open hearts. Thanks to the students and also Principal Mr. Hollier and Vice Principal Ms. Yarayeski.
Our agents had also alerted the Neepawa Banner about The Ride but we made a couple of short detours before we went to the office. First detour was to the former home of Margaret Laurence. We were reading a plaque out on the front porch when the guide opened the door and offered us free admission "because of your project". Ruth took us around and shared a wealth of information about Laurence's early life in Neepawa. The house was chock full her of awards, autographed copies, photos and donated artifacts by the people of Neepawa that grew up with her. It was a really hot day and the second detour was for ice cream. By the time we remembered the newspaper, it was closed, but a young photograher came out and took a photo of Mel and Lindsay with the RV. The next day reporter Kate called and we answered some questions from the road.

Minnedosa Beach, Manitoba

2009-06-18T18:43:00.000-07:00

June 17

Another long day for Mel - 100 K into the wind. One thing we know for sure about the prairies is the wind. It never stops. And it's darn hard to pedal into a head wind.
Another thing we know about the prairies is that although it's pretty flat there are some surprises - and there's no warning. There you are looking out at the flat landscape, wishing for a little variation and then all of a sudden you're going down a big hill into a river valley. Can't see it coming.
Today Mel's hard work was rewarded with an amazing hill down into the town of Minnedosa, "the valley paradise" as it is known. Shortly after getting settled in the campground by the beach a car drove up. A young reporter from the Minnedosa Tribune was here for an interview. How's that for planning ahead to get media attention? Actually it wasn't our doing at all but an ad hoc PR team led by our friends Shay and Harlee and their various family members.
Interview over and along came Harlee's mom Dawn to welcome us to Minnedosa with a gift of tea from Chesterfields. We had a relaxing visit with Dawn and she told us about the bison compound just down the way, walking trails and other highlights of the area.
(By the way, Shay's mom was responsible for all the honks I received while driving in Saskatchewan. Well, not Linda herself, but she did post details of The Ride on a Saskatchewan website and I just know all the honking and waving in my direction was from the readers.)

Abernethy to Esterhazy

2009-06-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

Monday June 15

As we passed Abernethy we noticed a sign on the road leading into town. What caught our eye was the name on the sign. Thompson. We were hooked. Apparently Abernethy is the home of Len Thompson, designer and originator of a famous line of fishing lures. Those of you amongst the fishy set will be familiar with the "five of diamonds" spoon.
After that shiny tidbit of inspiration Lindsay and I left Mel to pedal on and we went off to explore another highlight of the area: The Motherwell Homestead; a national historic site honouring William Motherwell who came to Saskatchewan in the late 1800's and and had a significant influence on the development of scientific agriculture in Western Canada. He went on to become provincial and federal Ministers of Agriculture.
We finally caught up to Mel in the small town of Neudorf. As he was replenishing his Gatorade a fellow came down the main street and introduced himself to us as the Mayor. "I'm Murray" he said. He inquired about The Ride and when we explained he said "That's good. We support the mental health association here. If we knew you were coming we could have put something together for you."
Next time we do a ride like this we will have to plan ahead better.
"Uh, next time?" asked Mel.

Regina and out to the Fort

2009-06-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

Friday June 12, Saturday June 13, and Sunday June 14

No sooner had we pulled into the parking lot of the Sandman Hotel in Regina then there was a knock at the door of the RV. I don't think the keys where out of the ignition yet. It was the first of the greeters from Xerox. The action was fast and furious from that point. Next came a phone call from Alicia at Global TV who had been alerted by a Xerox representative that The Ride for Mental Health was in town. Mel just had time for a quick shower and freshen up before she arrived for an interview. And yes, it was on the 6pm and the 11pm news. Another representative from the Xerox welcoming committee arrived in the parking lot as the interview was taking place. We later met five others from the Xerox Regina office for dinner and another batch for breakfast at Denny's. We were given lots of advice on sightseeing in Regina, and the state of the roads. So, we headed out to do the tourist thing - saw the RCMP Heritage Centre - highly recommended. We also enjoyed a leisurely stroll around beautiful Lake Wascana and saw the impressive Provincial Legislative building.
Sunday morning and it was time to move on to Abernethy, 105 km down the road and Mel would have company. When we pulled into the Xerox office where we had arranged to meet Matt and Nancy,Matt already had his bike out and ready. Matt is an experienced marathoner but on a road bike, not so much. Didn't take him long though, and he was able to complete the distance. "Might have to work standing up tomorrow" he said.
We enjoyed a great dinner with Matt, Nancy their daughter and granddaughter and then we had a tour of the lakes in the Qu'Appelle Valley. Beautiful country and great people.

Kenaston and beyond.

2009-06-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

Friday June 12

The other day at a gas station in Rosetown, while refuelling our RV with gas and our rider with non gas, we were approached by Don. He walked over to express his support. He knew the highways in the area and gave us the benefit of local knowledge. Yesterday we found the ride south on Highway 11 from Kenaston to be just the way Don said it would be - ever so slightly downhill. Add favourable winds to that and an overacheiver like Mel can make minced meat of the plan. He sailed past the scheduled stop at Chamberlain, blew by the next available stop at Findlater and motored on to Bethune. A quick check of the internet via our Bell Mobility wireless PC card revealed that the nearest campground was not actually on Hwy 11. It would require a short detour to Regina Beach.
Regina Beach turned out to be a real gem. Tucked away on the shore of Last Mountain Lake it is a haven of outdoor recreation. Lindsay braved the cold water and took a quick dip in the lake. Mel was brave up to his knees. I made the sacrifice to act as life guard and had to remain on shore.
When we registered at the Regina Beach Campground, the attendent Jamie would not accept payment. "You're doing this for charity, it's a good thing."
Today our destination was Regina - a much shorter ride than previously planned. After a leisurely morning routine we were unloading the bikes at the crossroads when a car stopped beside us. Out popped Brenda, " Hi, I'm a psych nurse and I saw your RV. I'm planning the local Canada Day Parade and I wondered if you would be in it."
Who doesn't like a parade, but as it turns out we actually already have plans for a Canada Day Parade.(Stay tuned)
Brenda was on her way to Story Time at the library with her 4 year old and 8 month old who peeked at us from the car. She went on to tell us she has worked as a psychiatric nurse for many years and knows full well the disabling effects of serious mental illness. She agreed that mental health issues deserve more focus - it deserves the attention of all of us and concentrated fundraising efforts to support people with mental illnesses. She currently works in geriatrics and points out that mental health issues such as demetia and alzheimers are related. As she reached into her purse to make a donation, a little voice said "Don't forget your helmet."

Xerox Charity Golf Tournament

2009-06-10T20:21:00.000-07:00

Wednesday June 10
As Day 23 of The Ride continued and we made our way slowly across Sasakatchewan to Kenaston, our thoughts were seldom far from the Xerox Charity Golf Tournament taking place today in Toronto at Angus Glen. This is the 15th year Jim Doherty and Jane Doherty with regular involvement from their children have successfully run the Xerox Golf Tournamnet. It's a family affair and a first-rate charity event; numerous charities have benefited over the years. We are honoured that The Ride For Mental Health is one of the beneficiaries this year. Jim has been a tireless ambassador for the Ride For Mental Health. He was our earliest supporter. His vision and drive took the idea of a charity bike ride from the kitchen table to a national campaign. He is truly an agent of support and the success of today's golf tournament is just another indicator.
Today our son Ben and our daughter Caitlin attended the dinner after the Golf, and Ben had an opportunity to talk about our family experience and why we are doing the Ride across Canada. He struck a chord with the audience because our story is real and one that thousands of other families are also experiencing. Outstanding feedback on Ben's comments started coming in immediately. Mental health awareness is growing every time we are able to speak with people and the reaction has been universally positive.
Tomorrow we have an early start as we head towards Chamberlain and the following day to Regina. We are bouyed by the tremendous support we received today. Our focus is strengthened. With the help of our friends we will continue to build mental health awareness. We will reduce the stigma that surrounds mental illness. And we will raise dollars along the way to support community programs for those experiencing mental illness.
Thanks again to Jim and Jane Doherty for another successful Xerox Charity Golf Tournament.

Kindersley to Milden, Sask

2009-06-10T06:51:00.000-07:00

Tuesday June 9
Whew, big day. 122 kms from Kindersley, Saskatchewan to Milden. It was sunny for most of the ride and you guessed it, rained for the rest. But, the wind was not a headwind, was not much of a wind at all so that was a big bonus for Mel. Out here in Saskatchewan there's no need to check an official weather forecast. If you look out the window you can see the weather coming for days before it gets here.
Rest day in Kindersley yesterday was a bit of a snooze but that's what we needed. It poured all day (and was really cold) so we couldn't take advantage of the 9 hole golf course across the street. The big highlight was going into to town for lunch at Tim's. From one on every corner and gas station in Toronto to, let me count, almost none out here ... I think there might be some franchising opportunities. Occasionally we see a big Tim's transport whiz by us on the highway- I feel like doing a u ie.
This morning as we packed up our campsite amidst the puddles, a bright eyed woman on her morning walk stopped to talk. She said she is from Calgary and her name is Rose. So I said " Are you Wild Rose from Alberta?" She might have been back in her day, but today she said " No, I'm just nosey. What's this ride all about?" We thanked her for her interest and explained what we were up to.
Nosey ... awareness... it all works.
Later in the day the two young woman in the Tourist Office in Rosetown remarked on our highly visible RV. "Cool" was their reaction when we gave them some brochures for the counter.

Kindersley, Saskatchewan

2009-06-08T15:19:00.000-07:00

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Monday June 8

Well, the weather is not improving. Still cold , still windy and today the showers have turned to a full day downpour. Luckily it's a scheduled rest day and Mel is not riding. It's probably a good thing - forces him to actually rest because there's not much else to do
Yesterday showers were intermittent and Mel put in a good 100 plus on the bike. Lindsay helped him out for some of those klicks.

Somewhere on Hwy 9 between Hanna and Youngstown, Alberta

2009-06-06T07:44:00.001-07:00

Saturday, June 6, 2009
The morning brought more of the same weather we've experienced for a few days – more cold , more overcast skies, more threats of rain and more wind, and more wind, and more strong headwinds. Somewhere along the road – as beautiful and striking as this part of the country is, it all pretty much looks the same - Lindsay and I pulled over to wait for Mel. Coming from the other direction we noticed a cyclist laden with side packs, traveling on his own. Curious, he approached the RV and we greeted him. Thien is a nursing student at George Brown College and Ryerson University in Toronto and is riding across Canada to Jasper and “we’ll see how it goes. Maybe down through the mountains to Mexico. I’ll be back in time for school.”
“So why did you pick mental health?” he asked. We gave him the short version. “I come from a culture where no one talks about these issues – it’s swept under the table.”
So we told him the good news: that 80% of people with a diagnosable mental illness who seek help are able to recover and return to being able to lead a full and contributing life. The trick is to raise awareness about mental health in all cultures and to reduce the stigma so people are able to speak up and seek the treatments that are available.
As we were talking a car passed us,came to an abrupt stop, backed up to where we were talking and out lept the driver. “Hey Little Man” he addressed Thien. “we meet again." Thien introduced us to “Newfie” who had been his host last night. "I saw you all here, I thought it was a fruit stand or something.” Newfie told us that Thien had needed a place to stay last night and he offered his place. Today they are both headed west - different modes of transportation.
You sure meet some interesting people on the road.

Drumheller - Hoodoo country

2009-06-03T18:26:00.000-07:00

Thursday June 4

Today, for the first time on The Ride, Mel is riding on his own. What a difference. There is no one to talk to, joke with, admire the sights with, point out pot holes, urge you on. This is where the mental toughness kicks in. Lindsay volunteered to be Mel's riding partner for a while today. And what a great job she did.
With mountains shrinking behind us, the grassland stretches on forever. Land of the big sky. And the big wind, head wind. The only hills go down and then up in this landscape – coulees - wide, eroded river valleys. Some are very striking to look at. Exposed layers of sediment - some in different colours, eroded over eons result in some beautiful geographic formations. Lindsay and I had an opportunity to view some hoodoos up close.
We were at a pull-over when a truck driver stopped to check his brakes before descending into the valley where Drumheller is located. He came over to ask about the striking design on the RV which was created by Twist. "I drive these roads a lot and I know you have seen some beautiful country." he remarked. We agreed. "That has to be good for your mental health" he observed. And he's right. It's important to good mental health to maintain a balance, to engage in enjoyable activities, to allow yourself to appreciate things in the moment.

Potential Place

2009-06-03T18:25:00.000-07:00

Wednesday June 3

It was a short walk from our Sandman Hotel to Potential Place on 10th Ave. SW. We were invited for lunch and a tour by my cousin Gord Young. He is the executive director of Potential Place, a clubhouse for people with serious mental illness such as schizophrenia and bipolar. We learned it is part of the Clubhouse Society, an international movement that believes that men and women with mental illness (the "members") have the right to a life which includes access to meaningful, gainful employment, a decent place to live, a supportive community, opportunities for education and recreation in their communities,
“Everybody here has a mental illness but that’s not what is important. We don’t talk about the illness or the symptoms. Everyone is focused on recovery and moving on” explained Gord. “People come when they are ready”.
Potential Place is there to help. It is a transitional place for people with mental illness between hospital stays and programs and independent living. It is a place where all the members contribute to the work and organization of the clubhouse. It provides opportunities to upgrade or learn new skills, provides work experience and social contact, it’s “somewhere to be needed, wanted and expected every day.”
Potential Place also owns and operates several residential apartments for members. This is a real community we learned. Should a member become ill and require hospitalization, other members will look after their apartment, make sure there are groceries when they come home.
We were invited to sit in on one of the work groups as they were planning a BBQ.Evident everywhere was good humour, team work and caring.
Lunch was good too.

Check it out: www.potentialplace.org

Calgary Event

2009-06-03T07:58:00.001-07:00

Tuesday June 2

Blue and silver balloons bounced and swayed in the wind on the banks of the Bow River, Harmony the CMHA mascot dispensed hugs and waves and the smell of burgers on the BBQ greeted participants attending the Calgary Event. Our MC, Shay Code, none the worse for his injury, introduced Mel as he rode into the gathering in Bowness Park. Mel and Lindsay and I were honoured to be “white hated” by Marge Goodmanson of Tourism Calgary - a fifty year tradition of western hospitality that actually has, dare I say it?, a connection to a certain unmentionable city somewhere east of Winnipeg.
Both Mel and Lindsay spoke to an attentive crowd. Judy Martin, Executive Director of the CMHA in Calgary introduced Charlotte, the mother of a consumer survivor. Charlotte spoke eloquently and from the heart giving listeners an idea of the difficulties faced by family members dealing with the mental illness of a loved one. The formal part of the program culminated in a cheque presentation.
Karen Ho and her committee members led an amazing fundraising campaign that collected almost $20,000 in donations for the CMHA Calgary Branch. That deserves a big “Ya hoo!”

Riding into Calgary

2009-06-02T04:12:00.002-07:00

Monday June 1

Eight individual Open Road Riders gathered in a parking lot just off the Trans Canada - Ross Manning, Shane Korpan, Judy Martin, Quentin Sinclair, Mike Roberts, Thomas Mo, Jeff Hergert and Shay Code. Some riders came with lots of biking experience, some came with colourful riding outfits, but all came with energy, determination and enthusiasm. The test was to ride 110 km from Canmore to downtown Calgary – the goal was to time the arrival to meet the welcoming group at the square in Eau Claire .The riders loaded up on Gatorade, water and snacks to fuel them in their quest, then they were off.

Day 15 of The Ride and Mel has had riding partners for every day so far – a definite advantage for sure. Today was the largest group – a posse. Lindsay and I were glad to welcome Bonnie Lee Morris as an addition to our support team.

Despite challenging terrain – Scott Hill – and headwinds the riders made great time spinning their way to Calgary. Fortunately the only injury was the result of a “tip over”. Shay was brave about it and sucked up the pain he felt.

On their arrival in Calgary the riders were met with an enthusiastic and loud welcome by a wonderful group from Xerox and the CMHA Calgary branch.

The Ride and a link to Mel’s website and blog have been up on the home page of CMHA Calgary Region website since May 8, and since then, there have been 2,941 home page views by 2,517 unique visitors. This is reaching people who are looking for more information about how to get help and more information about mental health and mental illness. Awareness works and together we can make a difference in the lives of people living with mental illness.

Canmore

2009-06-02T04:12:00.001-07:00

Sunday May 31
Carol has spent hours downloading pictures and updating the blog, and the comments from our followers have been wonderful and inspiring as we pedalled through the mountains. I thought I would give her a break and do this one myself. Just as we had to say good bye to Tom and Gio and Mark in Kamloops after our first 5 days of the Ride, it was time to say good bye to Harry Erskine who pulled me along for the next 5 days from Kamloops, British Columbia to Canmore, Alberta. Harry and I go back many years having enjoyed mountain climbs in Africa and Mexico and a dog sledding excursion in Algonquin Park, not to mention a long standing business relationship. Having a chance to ride with him through the Rogers Pass and the Kicking Horse Pass in the Rockies was special for both of us. Harry's personal fund raising campaign for the Ride For Mental Health is the benchmark at this time. Hopefully with Harry setting the bar high, others will take up the challenge. Thanks Harry, your support means alot.
Although farewells are always a little emotional after a tough, physically challenging goal is achieved, I was looking forward to Monday when we would greet 8 enthusiastic riders in Canmore who would form the new Open Road team as would make our way to Calgary.
We weren't sure what to expect in terms of riding experience when everyone arrived in Canmore early on Monday morning. There were all forms of cycling attire - from Jeff's pink leotards to Thomas' knee length bright orange riding pants, to the 'Pro's' who were prepared for anything. After welcoming everyone, I stressed safety as the number one priority and after close to 6 hours of effort the whole team pulled in together to Eau Clair in Calgary and were greeted by an enthusiastic group of supporters from Xerox and the Canadian Mental Health Association. A great effort by the riders and a great effort by the organisers resulted in a great achievement by all.
I have been spoiled by the wonderful support along the way. To this point I had not ridden a single Kilometre without friends and supporters out in front pulling me along. It's been an amazing start to the Ride For Mental Health.

Banff

2009-06-02T04:11:00.002-07:00

Saturday May 30

The Trans Canada Highway out of Field went up, waaaaaay up - 10 miles up in fact. A little bump as Gio called them, Ten Mile Hill leads the way through Kicking Horse Pass and out of BC! Big milestone.
On our way down the Bow Valley toward Banff, we took a little side trip to beautiful Lake Louise. Not so surprising, there was still ice on the lake and needless to say, a chill in the air despite the clear sunny day.
Our RV of Awareness continues to attract attention -even at 100 km an hour down the highway. Often we receive honks and waves and not always because of my driving. People read the graphics and honk in support. Yeah, well same to you buddy.
There are many potential dangers to the safety of the bike riders on the route - there's speeding vehicles, slippery or gravelly road conditions, the threat of charging wild animals and of course, the dreaded Texas gates. What is a Texas gate ask the uninitiated. It's a series or metal bars embedded in the surface of a road to prevent cattle from escaping. Bikes do not travel easily over these things.Lucky Mel got a chance to inspect one up close . . . and not on purpose.
One of the goals for Harry on his time on the road with Mel was to see some wildlife along the route. I didn't want to mention it, but maybe the bear bells jingling on the handlebars scared them off. Nonetheless, today their patience was rewarded. Just inside the townsite of Banff they spotted a small family of elk.

Field

2009-06-02T04:11:00.001-07:00

Friday May 29

Thankfully for the riders it was a relatively short distance (57 km) to Field, B.C. What a gem in the Rockies. Population 250, in the summer it swells to maybe 275. Fifity years ago, according to to the owner of the grocery store, the liquour store and one of the only two restaurants in town, Field was huge - population 700.
We stayed in a lovely suite in the home of one of the residents of Field - . The view from the picture window was unbelievable - mountains in every direction and the Kicking Horse River at the foot. Shortly after arriving, Lindsay and I were looking out the window and a small group of young people walked by. One of the kids looked up at us and waved. Really friendly town we thought. About an hour or so later Lindsay and I were walking about with our cameras when we pass the same group. Same young man waves across the street and says "Hi Lindsay". A little puzzled, we thought word sure gets around. He could see we were curious so he explained " You came to my class today in Golden".
It was good to know we were able to make an impression.

Golden

2009-06-02T04:09:00.000-07:00

Thursday May 28
On leaving Rogers Pass for Golden we passed through several snow sheds. These sheds are roofs over the highway to protect it from snow falls and snow slides but they create a nervous ride through a dark, tight-shouldered tunnel for the bikers. Luckily Mel was wearing a flourescent vest for visibilty.
Just after passing through one of these sheds, Lindsay and I stopped to take in the scenery at a look out. Mel and Harry, mucky from snow sheds and needing to clean up, followed us. We noticed a Parks Canada pick up pulled in behind us. The driver jumped out and hurried over.
"I finally caught you - I didn't know how far I would have to drive." Apparently he had seen the brochure we had left back at the Rogers Pass Visitor's Centre and when he realized we had already hit the road he decided to see if he could find us. "This is really important what you are doing" he said, "People need to know more about mental illness and that there is help." With a sparkle in his eyes and a sense of humour he shared a story about mental illness, support and recovery.
Before heading back up the highway he went over to his truck and returned with a bundle in his hand. "Here, take this." It was a flourescent vest for Harry. "Visibility helps."
At the high school in Golden we had another opportunity to create visibility around mental illness. The principal, Iris Trask invited us to speak to a couple of grade ten classes. The students were very attentive to Mel's presentation, but when Lindsay spoke there was absolute silence. They were focused on every word. When she finished there were many excellent questions for Lindsay. Clearly she made an impact.

Rogers Pass

2009-05-27T20:30:00.001-07:00

Wednesday May 27
The ride up to Rogers Pass was a milestone for Mel and Harry.It represented one of the highest elevations so far - another long, steep ascent. (Jackass Mountain back near Lytton was unforgettable guys). Plus, the scenery was fantastic! The mountains were so close you felt like you could just reach out and grab them. The waterfalls springing out of the rocks reminded us that the snow and ice was not that long gone. In fact, the mountain chutes are still full of ice and the parking lot at Glacier Park Lodge had mounds of plowed snow.

Friend Raising

2009-05-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

Wednesday May 27
The scenery on the road from Revelstoke to Rogers Pass is spectacular. Lindsay and I stopped numerous times to get out of the RV and soak up the breathtaking view. At one such stop we were not the only ones to have pulled over. We exchanged pleasantries with three women who were enjoying the sight and sound of spring melt waters rushing through a swollen creek. "Didn't we see your RV in Revelstoke?" one of the women asked. It happens alot. People notice us. The RV is kind of hard to miss.
"You're doing a good thing." she went on to say." We need to talk about mental illness more."
It turns out Barbara had just been through a Day Program at Burnaby General. "Best thing I've ever done." She has lived with depression most of her life and recently had to stop work because of it. Her doctor got her into the program and she said she finally had some answers, and some help.
Barbara was on her way to Manitoba with her sister and a friend. They flew out to New Westminister and were driving back with her. We wished her well as we went our seperate ways.

Revelstoke

2009-05-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

Tuesday May 26

By the time breakfast was over this morning the rain had started. And it didn't let up until the afternoon. Nice for farmers, not so nice for bike riders. It was also kind of cold and kind of windy. Again, not so nice.

Harry and I headed out for Revelstoke, 105 km away. In almost no time at all we were soaked with the traditional stripe of mud up our backs. There is a noticable increase in traffic on this section of the Transcanada highway. Increase in traffic and it seems like increase in speed in a lot of cases. You can imagine what that translates to on a rainy day on a bike. Not so nice.

But the other half of the glass said what beautiful country. The clouds hung low on the mountains and the overcast light made the forests a deeper green. It almost seems like a rainforest here compared to the desert like terrain back in Cache Creek and Lytton, Following the Eagle River down through the Eagle Pass we caught sight of that magestic bird gliding on the wind. We marveled at it's ease of transportation.

Carol and Lindsay made a stop at Craigalachie to check out the site of the Ceremonial Last spike that completed the Canadian National Railway in 1885. There's some historical content for you.

There were ups and there were downs on the road today but it seemed like even the downs were up. I guess it makes sense when you know where we are headed tomorrow - up to the summit of the Rogers Pass. It will be a shorter day of riding but I bet there won't be many downs.

The sun came out just as we were arriving in Revelstoke. Harry took us all out to a great dinner tonight.We have been fueling up on supersharged smoothies and pasta. Tomorrow it's breakfast compliments of Denny's.

Kam to Salm 1

2009-05-25T22:46:00.000-07:00

Monday May 25,
We had an amazing day today starting with interviews at two radio station morning shows in Kamloops - Steve and Cheryl at B100 and Stan and Hank at 98.3 CIFM. As well there were two interviews with the newspapers in town - Dale Bass at Kamloops This Week and Michelle Young at the Kamloops Daily News. We are really reaching larger audiences in our campaign of building awareness! Doug Sage, the Executive Director of the CMHA Kamloops branch had set up the interviews by drawing upon his numerous media contacts. Doug shared his personal philosophy on "friend raising" for mental health awareness which we all agreed was very aligned with our own approach.
Harry Erskine and I then headed off toward Salmon Arm. Both Harry and I had bike issues along the way and when we arrived in Salmon Arm we dropped in to the local bike shop - Skookum Cycle and Ski. Coincidentally the newspaper office, the Salmon Arm Observer was located right next door and Carol and Lindsay stopped in to drop off a brochure and to see if a reporter would to speak to us about the Ride For Mental Health. The next thing I knew Carol and Lindsay came into the bike shop with the writer/photographer in hand to take pictures of Harry and I as my bike was being worked on and to hear about the Ride. I'm sure there will be a great article tomorrow in the Salmon Arm Observer helping to raise awareness in this beautiful town.
After 108 Km's today we start out in the morning for Revelstoke. Looks like it will be a rainy 105 Km's tomorrow. The good news is we get another day closer to Calgary.
I hope everyone is staying tuned to the website as the response to the blog updates have been positive. Be sure to check out Simon Hung's collage of pictures, music and video at www.siforce.net/mel It is incredible.

Kamloops - Rest Day

2009-05-24T23:15:00.001-07:00

Sunday, May 24

Last night we had an enjoyable dinner with Roy and Betty Inouye and John and Pat Chaplin at a lovely restaurant overlooking the city of Kamloops. We learned a lot about Kamloops and heard a lot of stories about Xerox.
Sunday was a scheduled rest day and we tried to do just that, plus catch up on some emails and phone calls. Lindsay went for a run and Mel accompanied her on a bike. Some rest! I had to do it all on my own.
Roy and Betty invited us out to lunch and we really enjoyed getting to know them. They have lived here in Kamloops for over 50 years and had lots of stories to share. They are both active in the Japanese Canadian Association, in fact Betty is the Director.
Unfortunately Roy had not been out of his home since December due to an injury suffered in a car accident. It seems like the Ride has inspired Roy to get back on his feet and be with people. We could actually see some colour coming back into his cheeks as the evening passed and he presented Mel with special gift. It was 1000 tiny paper cranes which he had made and placed in a small covered glass. It represents longevity. As well they gave us a kit with step by step examples so we can get started on 1000 paper cranes ourselves.
Tonight it's off to the airport to pick up Harry Erskine who is going to ride with Mel through the rest of the mountains and on to Alberta.

Hello and Good Bye in Kamloops

2009-05-24T23:12:00.001-07:00

Saturday, May 23
We arrived safely in Kamloops inthe early afternoon. We made record time from Cache Creek in spite of the hills. It’s amazing what a favourable wind can do to help your speed and having the encouragement and support from "the boys", Gio, Tom amd Mark.
As we rode up to the Sandman Inn in Kamloops we were surprised by a greeting committee made up of a couple of Xerox retirees; John Chaplin and Roy Inouye and his wife Betty. There were handshakes all round - two generations of Xerox. We made arrangements to meet Roy and Betty and John and his wife Pat later for dinner.
But first we spent a last few minutes over lunch with Mark and Tom and Gio. This was goodbye. There were some pretty challenging conditions for each one of the riders but they worked as a team - always positive, always pulling together. It was an amazing experience to ride with you. Thanks guys, we're going to miss you.

Lytton to Cache Creek 1.

2009-05-24T22:27:00.000-07:00

Friday, May 22
We had a very challenging 116 Km ride to Lytton! The body held up well over a very long ride. Unfortunately one of our riders had a fall and injured his arm. Gio Alfano is the most experienced rider among the group and still had a fall, reminding us all that open road riding has risks.
We camped last night at the Kumsheen Rafting Resort outside of Lytton on Thompson River. It was spectacular, offering every imaginable type of camping to complement their rafting excursions.
Today we rode to Cache Creek, only 84 Km's. Did I say only 84 Km's? I think I'm really getting into this!
Tomorrow we go about 90 K and the hills are steep and long on the way to Kamloops. So it will be a tough day. Tonight I spoke with the Exec Director of the CMHA and he has scheduled some media appointments for Monday morning before we head out.
- Mel