Route

The ride will begin at Mile 0 in Victoria as we dip our wheels in the Pacific Ocean. Then, we will ride east, working our way along mostly secondary highways and trails in southern B.C., across the prairie provinces, entering Ontario north of Lake Superior, and down through Georgian Bay communities. As we enter Quebec, we will travel the bike-friendly La Route Verte on our way to New Brunswick. From P.E.I., we’ll catch the ferry to Newfoundland, on our way to the tour’s final destination in St. John’s. 

The Trans-Canada Mile 0 Marker in Victoria is located at Dallas Road and Douglas Street. Dip your wheels in the Pacific Ocean at nearby Holland Point Park. We will leave Victoria and follow the Lochside Regional Trail, a regional multi-use bike trail stretching along the Saanich Peninsula-Victoria to the ferries at Swartz Bay.

Landing at Tsawwassen, we will avoid both the City of Vancouver and the Trans-Canada Highway, travelling through the Fraser Valley on smaller roads. From Hope, we will take the southerly route that travels mostly along Highway #3. It is a circuitous route through the mountains of British Columbia, with wild rivers, forests and several small towns along the way, where we will meet interesting people and resupply. There are several mountain passes to cross; each one with their own degree of challenge, amazing views and breathtaking downhills. At Castlegar, we will veer north to Nelson, follow Kootenay Lake and head down to Creston for an easier ride – albeit with a few more mountain passes. At Cranbrook, we will veer north again toward Invermere and Radium and then over to Castle Junction on Highway 93.

The Bow Valley Parkway will take us to Banff where we will catch the Legacy Trail to Canmore. Avoiding the Trans-Canada, we will follow Highway 1A from Canmore to Calgary, where we can travel on bike trails and dedicated bike lanes. Calgary is home to the ConnecTour team and we will certainly have a welcome-to-town-event planned with pancakes, craft beer, music and local fun – maybe not all at the same time. 

Riding the Prairies. From Calgary, we will head toward Drumheller in the badlands and through Hanna and Oyen toward the Alberta and Saskatchewan border. This part of Alberta is known for agriculture, oil production, power generation, tourism, and coal mining.

Whoever claimed the Prairies were flat definitely did not cross them by bicycle. They are relatively flat, but there are also sustained, never-ending hills that will challenge your mind and body. Add wind and rain to the mix and the Prairies will take all you have. We will be travelling in wide-open spaces under  big skies. The landscape won’t change much as we cross Saskatchewan through Kindersley, Outlook and Yorkton and other small towns along less-traveled routes across the province and then into Manitoba.

Manitoba is at the longitudinal centre of Canada but we are not even one-third of the way into our tour across Canada. In Manitoba, expect strong prairie winds, exposed sun and mosquitoes. The small town friendliness and history of the settlements in the Red River Valley toward Winnipeg will change the way you think about this part of Canada.

Winnipeg was at the heart of the country’s fur trade and instrumental in developing Canada’s Gateway to the West before Europeans arrived. It is also our gateway into the Canadian Shield.

Some describe the route from Winnipeg to Thunder Bay as the most nerve-racking part of the journey because there are narrow shoulders and speeding trucks. We will ride safely as a group and avoid busy sections wherever possible. From Winnipeg, there are a few alternate routes to avoid Highway 1 but at the Ontario border, we have limited choices.

Ontario’s license plate motto is, Yours to Discover, and that we will do! It’s a long ride through Ontario with many changing landscapes. At Kenora, we will head south to Sioux Narrows through wilderness and lake country. The TransCanada #11 heading east will take us through the western edge of the Canadian Shield country with many hills, pine forests and lakes. There are few services and towns on our way to Thunder Bay but plenty of opportunities to cool off in refreshing lakes and streams. From Thunder Bay, we will follow the northern shore of Lake Superior to Sault Ste. Marie. The hills along this section are some of the most challenging climbs in Canada, but it is also one of the prettiest parts of the tour as you ride along the north shore of Lake Superior. Small towns, beautiful lookouts and beaches along Lake Superior are highlights for this section. 

Sault Ste. Marie has a reputation as a great place to gather. This is just over our halfway point across Canada, so it might be a good place to join us. Sault Ste. Marie is located on the shore of the St. Marys River, connecting lakes Huron and Superior.

We will be biking through rich, lush forests and smaller towns along the north shore of Lake Huron. At the town of Espanola, we will head south toward Manitoulin Island and Georgian Bay, which sits on the northeastern arm of Lake Huron. It’s characterized by rugged bedrock and white pine forests to the north and sandy southern beaches.  The MS Chi-Cheemaun ferry will bring us to Tobermory, a harbour village on Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula. 

From there, we will pass through Owen Sound, Wasaga Beach, Orillia and then on rural roads toward Ottawa, we will reach the end of the Canadian Shield hills and the beginning of the Ottawa Valley.  This region is well known for butter tarts and has some of the quietest and prettiest roads in Ontario. Beautiful parkways and paths will lead us into Ottawa. And from there, Bienvenue a Quebec! With its quiet roads and dedicated cycle paths. In fact, National Geographic ranked La Route Verte #1 cycle route in the world. It contains more than 4,000 km of designated bike paths and rural roads across the province. We will follow segments of La Route Verte along the Ottawa River, passing through historic villages and enjoying Quebecois hospitality on our way to Montréal.

We will follow the St. Lawrence Seaway out of Montréal along La Route Verte and other bike paths. Discover lesser-known roads and bike pathways along the St. Lawrence Seaway. Step back in time and experience a unique cultural landscape. Enjoy the vibrant sights and sounds of Montréal and Quebec City and the picturesque towns and landscapes along the route.

From Quebec City, we will cross to the south side of the St. Lawrence Seaway and ride to Mont-Joli, and then head towards Campbellton, New Brunswick and along the Acadia Coast in New Brunswick to the Confederation Bridge.

We will spend a few days on Prince Edward Island, including a rest day in Charlottetown, before taking a ferry from Wood Islands, P.E.I. to Caribou, Nova Scotia. With less than two weeks to go until we reach our destination of St. John’s, we will pass through Antigonish, Cape Breton Island, take a ferry to Newfoundland, and then pedal on to St. John’s. After 8275 km and heaps of unforgettable experiences, St. John’s will be our final destination.