I am riding my bicycle from Vancouver to Georgian bay. I flew from Toronto to Vancouver on June 7th, proceeded to a bike shop where they had my ride all set up. After the finishing touches, I got on the road with just enough time to get out of town and set up my tent for the night. The bike shop was Mac-Talla Cycle, highly recommended for any bike needs in Vancouver. Over the next month I will be making my way back to Ontario, approximately 4300km. I will not be stopping at fast food restaurants and sleeping in hotels, the gear you see loaded on my bike is everything I need. I will be buying food from farmers markets and grocery stores and doing my own cooking.
My best friend and his fiance have their engagement party on July 9th, which gives me exactly 30 days to complete my trip back home. I have no choice but to keep on schedule. I've started now, theres no turning back.
The Cause
The distances that a huge percentage of our food has to travel to get to our dinner plates is mind numbing. According to the Region on Waterloo in Ontario 58 commonly consumed foods travel on average 4,497 km to the table. So, I’ve decided to see just what it takes to travel these distances, the energy that it consumes, and and impact that it’s having. I won’t be burning thousands of tonnes of fossil fuels, I’ll be fuelled by Canadian food. Me, my bike and Canadian agriculture are going to get me from Vancouver, British Colombia to Grey County, Ontario in 30 days.
I am am giving my ride the name Fuelled by Canadian Food in hopes of bringing awareness to the accessibility of locally produced food. My energy output cycling on average 140km per day requires huge amounts of somewhat convenient food, like 5000 calories worth. If I can do it, so can you!
I made it home! This is a map showing the places I stopped for the night. I took one full rest day in Erickson, Manitoba where my cousin and his wife welcomed me with open arms, making me feel at home in a place I'd never been before. Thanks Erin and Kaley!