Nick Avis gave up a cushy job as a corporate lawyer for what he believes to be the first continuous recorded bicycle journey touching all three Canadian coasts.
Avis, 29, arrived in Victoria on Thursday, after leaving from Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T., on June 25 on the first leg of the journey.
His next destination is St. John’s, Nfld., where he hopes to arrive at the end of September or early October, completing his journey from the Arctic to the Pacific and the Atlantic.
On Friday, he had sand on his wheels after a ceremonial dip in the Pacific Ocean, and was appreciating Victoria’s fresh clear air after pedalling through the smoky interior of B.C.
After surviving the Dempster Highway — often considered Canada’s most difficult road to traverse by vehicle, let alone by bicycle — he was cycling near Pemberton when he found the road closed due to fires. “The only way out was a 14 per cent incline mountain — there was no other way,” said Avis.
“When I got to the top of the mountain, the sun had set. I looked over and the whole side of the mountain across the river from me was on fire, in contrast to the night sky. It was a scene that brought to mind Mordor from Lord of the Rings.”
Avis is no stranger to epic solo bicycle journeys, having travelled from the Texas/Mexico border to Regina in 2019.
Born and raised on the shores of Lake Huron in Goderich, Ont., Avis grew up with a two-wheeler as a constant companion for some of his most memorable adventures as a child. He graduated from Western University and began practising corporate law in the field of financial restructuring. He moved to London and was working there when the travel bug bit him — hard.
He considered a global circumnavigation but finally narrowed his scope to Canada. “I get to bike a long distance and get to better know my home country at the same time,” he said.
Avis said many people have stopped to offer him water, energy drinks, a place to stay or a meal along the way. “Since I started in June, I have only paid for one motel stay and one $10 fee for a campsite,” he said.
He has met a number of fellow travellers on the road, many of them Europeans cycling from Canada’s North down to Argentina in South America. But the most memorable character so far was “a big guy” who said that he once served in the French Foreign Legion, who was pushing a modified baby stroller.
“Remarkably, he was following the same route, I was taking, but on foot. While I intend to complete my trek in three and a half months, he is likely to take three and a half years to do the same,” said Avis. “When I met him, a bear had attacked his tent the night before and his shredded tent was held together with duct tape.”
The “big guy” was walking the route as a fundraiser for a charity that helps veterans.
Avis is also using the trip as a fundraiser and to create awareness for RAVEN Trust, an Indigenous legal defence fund based in Victoria.
“As a lawyer, I care deeply about access to justice and the enforcement of Indigenous rights — causes for which RAVEN is fighting,” he said.
His fundraiser is aimed at the law profession and he has received a number of donations from lawyers — especially young ones, like him.
His parents keep tabs on him via a GPS tracker on his bike that sends a signal every 30 seconds. They followed him — at a distance — during the 740-kilometre Dempster Highway portion of the trip, which took six and half days to complete.
“On that stretch, it is a lot if you have to pack your water and food as well as your gear. I would ride for the day, and we would meet up at the end of the day,” he said.
On Friday, Avis had just enough time to grab a well-deserved ice cream before setting off to catch the ferry for Vancouver. “I wish I could stay longer — and people ask all the time — but every day I linger, the longer it would take me to reach St. John’s, and I would prefer to avoid cycling in the snow.”
To follow Avis on his journey, go to nickavis.com.
>>> To comment on this article, write a letter to the editor: [email protected]
