~ Photography by Pat Beaudoin, Sioux Lookout Photographer
Very early morning, cold, foggy… but the fishermen were all over this deep crevice for the Rainbow Trout. Gorgeous little nook off of the Chippewa River, just outside Wawa, ON. There was fresh snow along the highway in this area, much to our surprise.
Our trip to Barrie involved 1028 miles and 20+ hours of driving over two days; photo-stops had to be limited or we would have never arrived!
Enroute to Barrie, Ontario we could not pass through Thunder Bay without a visit to the Terry Fox Monument. The monument and grounds are beautiful and the view serene, overlooking Lake Superior and the highway below. I never cease to feel humbled by this poignant reminder of who Terry Fox was.
Briefly, Terrance “Terry” Fox lost his leg to cancer at the young age of 18. Believing he had beat the disease by the age of 22, Terry embarked on a cross-Canada run in 1980 to raise money for cancer research – his Marathon of Hope. He began the run by dipping his artifical leg in the Atlantic Ocean and followed the highway west toward his home in British Columbia. What I remember most from watching his progress on television at the time, was the familiar “hop” to his gait as he conquered the highway, how exhausted he was at the end of each day and most of all, his incredible courage.
Sadly, after 143 days and 3,280 miles, he was forced to end his run 18 miles out of Thunder Bay because the cancer had spread to his lungs. He died June 28, 1981, a month short of his 23rd Birthday.
His spirit lives on in all those who continue to run for him each year - the annual Terry Fox Run, first held in 1981, involves millions of participants and is now the world’s largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research.
The view overlooking Lake Superior, the Sleeping Giant in the background.
There are many places on the internet to read about Terry and his courageous quest. Here are a couple of good articles from various news archives:
News Broadcast re the Unveiling of the Monument (CBC video archive)
Toronto Star Newspaper Article
Commemorating Terry Fox’s Run (You-Tube video)
“What the heck is that” ! Young Bella catches her first glimpse of a large Raven passing overhead. Bella’s a very sweet Yorkie-Poo and the newest member of my daughter’s family.
Thanks everyone, for continuing to stop by and leave comments in the absence of postings this month. It’s been an extremely busy month and now we’re off on a two-week vacation in Southern Ontario. Hopefully the trip will be inspiring and I’ll have lots of photos to post when I get back.
