Back on the Road Again (Finally)

Many of you may have wondered whatever happen to Mike Hurry? I thought he was going to cycle across Canada and then he just disappeared off the road.

In 2022 I set off from Victoria B.C. with two friends cycling with me. My wife Deb, dog Maggie and Terry as an additional support person following us in our 25 foot RV. The plan that year was to cycle from Victoria B.C. back to our home in Sarnia, Ontario. Then the following year I was planning to cycle the balance of the country from Sarnia to Newfoundland.

The first year (2022) went reasonably well. Curtis cycled from Victoria as far as Nelson and Paul continued to cycle with me up until Fort McLeod in Alberta. From that point on I cycled alone, with Deb and Maggie staying closer to me along the route. I didn’t make it back to Sarnia as we had planned. One of my oldest friends had cancer. When we headed out west in early August he seemed to be doing well and we made plans to get together when we got back home. Before leaving I had told his family that I wanted them to call me if anything changed. That call came as I cycled towards Marathon in Northern Ontario. Deb came and picked me up and we headed back to Toronto where his family had just moved him into hospice. We had ended the first leg of the cross Canada cycle early but the road would still be there next year.

If you remember 2023, you will recall that all across Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia the country was ablaze. Fires were so widespread they were causing poor visibility as far south as New York City. Not a good situation even to consider getting on a bicycle and cycling so I put off the rest of the ride until 2024.

In 2024 other matters became more important, more pressing. I had promised a friend that I would help him get on a wait list for a double lung transplant and that if successful would see him through the surgery and the recovery. He got on the wait list in early 2024. He got the call that Toronto General Hospital had lungs for him in June. The balance of the year I jockeyed between Sarnia and Toronto. The bike ride would have to wait another year.

So finally Deb, Maggie and I are loading the RV with what we need to complete the final 3,200 kilometers from Marathon in Northern Ontario to Halifax Nova Scotia and the Atlantic Ocean. The plan is to head back to where we left off and start from Marathon. Within another week I’ll be back on the bike.

As I did on the first leg from Victoria to Marathon I will post a daily blog with a couple of photos that I feel represent the day well. Stay tuned. Thanks for your interest and support once again.

Oh and as usual I’m raising money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Sarnia-Lambton. Please consider making a donation. Help keep this incredible agency in the position to continue to support so many of our local children and youth. All of your donation will go directly to the agency. None of your donation will go to offset any of my expenses.

Thanks for considering.

Mike