OTTAWA – This summer, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the first road trip across Canada from coast to coast, and on the 50th anniversary of the completion of the iconic Trans-Canada Highway, award-winning journalist and author Mark Richardson will drive from St. John’s, NL, to Victoria, BC, documenting the significance of these important milestones in Canadian automobile history.
Beginning today, Richardson will record his own stories of the highway as he retraces many of the original and iconic routes travelled during the Trans-Canada’s remarkable past. Richardson will update readers on his journey through his blog, Trans-Canada Trek, recounting the historic tales of the early drivers who competed to be the first to cross the country, navigating without maps through fields and swamps – sometimes even on railway tracks – to reach the Pacific Ocean.
“CAA is excited to be the lead sponsor of such a unique journey,” said Jeff Walker, Vice-President of Public Affairs, CAA National. “We look forward to following Mark’s historical trek throughout the summer from coast to coast. I truly cannot think of a more fitting way to celebrate the road that has connected us and the generations before us.”
As is customary, Richardson will begin and end his Trans-Canada Trek by dipping his wheels in both the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, travelling through all ten provinces in the days between. CAA clubs across the country will support Richardson for the duration of the trip, organizing local events to commemorate the journey. Richardson’s 12 year-old son will accompany him for the second half of the trip and help to celebrate his birthday on July 30th during their stay in Revelstoke, BC. Mark was born July 30, 1962 – the same day, and even at the same hour, that the Trans-Canada Highway was first opened, near Revelstoke, to cross-country traffic.
Richardson’s daily reports about his adventure will be tracked online at macleans.ca and CAA.ca, or by following @WheelsMark or @CAA on Twitter. His weekly video blogs can also be viewed on TheCAAChannel on YouTube.
About Mark Richardson
Mark, formerly the editor of the Toronto Star’s Wheels section and its wheels.ca website, is now the editor of the MFuel automotive supplements in Maclean’s magazine. He is a veteran of North American road trips and has driven to every province, territory and state on the continent. His daily accounts of a family drive in an RV last July from Toronto to Tofino became the third most popular blog that month on thestar.com, behind only that newspaper’s coverage of the Blue Jays and the Raptors. For this summer’s 10-week road trip, he will be driving a yellow 2012 Chevrolet Camaro convertible provided by General Motors, and will be sponsored by the Canadian Automobile Association; once home, he intends to write a book about the experience to be released at CAA’s 2013 Annual General Meeting.
To book an interview with Mark Richardson or the CAA, or for more information, please contact:
| Regional: | National: |
| Gary Howard CAA Atlantic Office: 506-649-6288 Mobile: 506-654-6554 [email protected] |
Alayne Crawford CAA National Office 613-796-9404 [email protected] |
Mark Richardson’s 2012 Trans-Canada Trek Itinerary
Monday, June 4: Official start to journey. Dip wheels in Atlantic at St. John’s.
Friday, June 8: Arrive Port Aux Basques
Saturday, June 9: Ferry to Nova Scotia, stay in Cape Breton
Monday, June 11: Ferry to PEI
Thursday, June 14: Cross Confederation bridge to New Brunswick, head back east to Halifax
Tuesday, June 19: Dip Wheels in Atlantic at Halifax, stay night at Amherst
Wednesday, June 20: Stay night at Moncton
Thursday, June 21: Stay night at St. John
Friday, June 22: Stay night at Fredericton
Saturday, June 23: Stay night at Grand Falls
Sunday, June 24: Enter Quebec, stay night at Riviere du Loup
Monday, June 25: Stay night at Quebec City
Wednesday, June 27: Stay night at Montreal
Thursday, June 28: Stay night at Ottawa
Friday, June 29: Home to Cobourg
Tuesday, July 3: Drive up Hwy. 7 to Ottawa, stay night at Ottawa
Wednesday, July 4: Head north on Hwy. 17, stay night at Rapides des Joachims
Thursday, July 5: Stay night at Sudbury
Friday, July 6: Return south to Cobourg
Tuesday, July 10: Drive north, now with 12-year-old son. Stay night in Sudbury
Thursday, July 12: Stay night at Sault Ste. Marie
Friday, July 13: Stay night at Wawa
Saturday, July 14: Stay night at Marathon
Sunday, July 15: Stay night at Thunder Bay
Monday, July 16: Stay night at Dryden
Tuesday, July 17: Stay night at Kenora
Wednesday, July 18: Stay night at Winnipeg
Friday, July 20: Stay night at Brandon
Saturday, July 21: Stay night at Regina
Sunday, July 22: Stay night at Moose Jaw
Monday, July 23: Stay night at Swift Current
Tuesday, July 24: Stay night at Medicine Hat
Wednesday, July 25: Stay night at Calgary
Saturday, July 28: Stay night at Banff
Sunday, July 29: Stay night at Golden
Monday, July 30: Birthday! At the Rogers’ Pass. Stay night at Revelstoke
Friday, Aug. 3: Arrive in Vancouver, dip wheels in Pacific
Sunday, Aug. 5: Ferry to Nanaimo
Monday, Aug. 6: Stay night in Port Alberni
Wednesday, Aug. 8 Arrive in Victoria, dip wheels in Pacific again