With one leg 18-year-old Terry Fox ran half-way across Canada to raise funds for Cancer Research
Thunder Bay, Ontario - Terry Fox tried to run clear across the country with just one leg. He made over half the way. Terry was diagnosed with bone cancer at the age of 18 and lost his right leg below the knee. He made up his mind to run to raise money for cancer research, and calling his challenge the Marathon of Hope, he managed to run 26 miles a day for 143 days, from St. John's Newfoundland to Thunder Bay, Ontario - with an artifical leg. His spirit captured the country. He began on April 12, 1980 in St. John's Newfoundland, and after 5,373 kilometeres (3,339 miles) his cancer reappeared and he was forced to stop near Thunder Bay.. He passed away on June 28, 1981 just a month before his 23rd birthday, but his spirit has carried on. He wanted is run to count - and it has. Every year more than 500,000 people partipate in Terry Fox fund-raising runs across Canada and around the world. To date, over 400 million dollars has been raised for research. The 2011 run will be Sept. 18th.
Where: A section of the Trans Canada Hwy west of Thunder Bay has been named the Terry Fox Courage Hwy.Thunder Bay sits on the north shore of Lake Superior (the world's largest body of fresh water) half way between Winnipeg and Sault Ste Marie. About 45 km from town, on a peninsula that juts out into Lake Superior, is Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. It was voted one of the 'Seven Wonders of Canada' by viewers of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Visitors can swim, fish, camp, hike and watch for wildlife from fox to moose .In Thunder Bay you can also visit Fort William Historical Park , which was once the largest fur trading post in the world.
Lucy Izon
Canada Cool is produced by award-winning Canadian travel writer & speaker Lucy Izon. Her travel stories & reports have appeared in numerous leading North American publications including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and Chicken Soup for the Traveler's Soul. Bio page
Canada’s Coolest:
Welcome to a new feature on Canada Cool. I'll be presenting different 'Coolest' lists with my favorites and I encourage you to nominate suggestions from your own experiences. You can Twitter @CanadaCool or email Lucy@CanadaCool.com. Let me know what makes your suggestion exceptionally cool. Remember, by contributing your comments you are giving Canada Cool permission to quote you. Only a selection of submissions will be included, but all comments and submissions are greatly appreciated!
The first feature is: Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives
Here are some of my favorites...
The Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta - This 229 km (142 mi) Rocky Mountain route from Banff/Lake Louise to Jasper passes 100 frozen rivers and nudges the base of the Athabasca Glacier - the most accessible glacier in the world. You can stop and explore it. It spills down from the Columbia Icefield, an area of ice so massive that you could fit the entire population of North America on it with each person getting at least a square metre of space.
The Corridor, Algonquin Park, Ontario – this 56-km stretch of Hwy 60 cuts through the southwest section of Algonquin Park. Less than three hours north of Toronto the park is a nature-lover's paradise with 7,725 km of lakes, rivers, forest, trails, camping, comfortable lodges and 2000 km of canoe routes. Offers hiking trails to stop and enjoy, but what makes it really cool is that it’s one of the best places in North America to spot moose (especially in May and June). And, on Thursday nights in August up to 600 cars will gather to listen to wolves howl.
The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia – Driving this 303 km (187 mile) route is like riding a roller-coaster: the road snakes around hairpin turns, rises to heights over 365 metres (1200 ft), weaves around headlands revealing spectacular coastal scenery, and plunges down to sea level taking you into the heart of small fishing communities. The most dramatic scenery is between the Cape Breton Highlands National Park entrance near Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay, so go slow. And, plan some flexibility into your schedule, so you can drive it on a clear day.
And here are some of your nominations for 'Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives'...
More from Canada’s Coolest
'Canada's Coolest' topics we'll be publishing in the future:
- Golf Course Features
- Haunted Hotels
- Hotel Special Services
Send your suggestions to lucy@CanadaCool.com
Recent 'Canada's Coolest' topics:
