To see the entire ConnecTour 2021 route, zoom in or out using the plus and minus buttons in the bottom left corner or click and drag the map to see the location you wish to focus on. To see one province or region at a time, click the little “window with arrow” icon beside the map’s title. Turn provinces on or off as required.
The ConnecTour route will intersect and be on the Great Trail of Canada for approximately 3,798 km. Zoom in and click on the icons for more information.
Overnight destination
Overnight destination with a rest day
Community Action Event Day at an overnight destination with a rest day
A stage-by-stage description of the route
Date | Day | Route TO / FROM | Activity | Distance (KM) |
28‐May‐21 | Friday | Sooke to Victoria (Mile -) to Sidney | Ride Day | 75.4 |
29‐May‐21 | Saturday | Sidney to Hatzic Lake ‐ (Mission) via ferry Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen | Ride Day | 89 |
30‐May‐21 | Sunday | Hatzic Lake (Mission) to Harrison Hot Springs | Ride Day | 51.2 |
31‐May‐21 | Monday | Harrison Hot Springs to Hope | Ride Day | 41 |
01‐Jun‐21 | Tuesday | Hope to Manning Park | Ride Day | 66.3 |
02‐Jun‐21 | Wednesday | Manning Park Resort to Princeton | Ride Day | 68.4 |
03‐Jun‐21 | Thursday | Princeton Rest Day | Rest Day | – |
04‐Jun‐21 | Friday | Princeton area event day | Event | – |
05‐Jun‐21 | Saturday | Princeton to Keremeos | Ride Day | 66.4 |
06‐Jun‐21 | Sunday | Keremeos to Osoyoos | Ride Day | 54 |
07‐Jun‐21 | Monday | Osoyoos to Midway | Ride Day | 69.1 |
08‐Jun‐21 | Tuesday | Midway to Grand Forks | Ride Day | 52.1 |
09‐Jun‐21 | Wednesday | Grand Forks to Nancy Greene Provincial Park | Ride Day | 75.7 |
10‐Jun‐21 | Thursday | Nancy Greene Provincial Park to Marsh CG | Ride Day | 57.7 |
11‐Jun‐21 | Friday | Marsh Creek Campground to Ymir | Ride Day | 35.3 |
12‐Jun‐21 | Saturday | Ymir Rest Day | Rest Day | – |
13‐Jun‐21 | Sunday | Nelson area event day and then ride toward Balfour | Event | 59.2 |
14‐Jun‐21 | Monday | Balfour to Creston | Ride Day | 83 |
15‐Jun‐21 | Tuesday | Creston to Yahk | Ride Day | 41.6 |
16‐Jun‐21 | Wednesday | Yahk to Wycliffe | Ride Day | 84.1 |
17‐Jun‐21 | Thursday | Wycliffe to Canal Flats | Ride Day | 75.8 |
18‐Jun‐21 | Friday | Canal Flats to Radium Hot Springs | Ride Day | 64.9 |
19‐Jun‐21 | Saturday | Radium Hot Spring Rest Day | Rest Day | – |
20‐Jun‐21 | Sunday | Radium Hot Springs to Kootenay Park Lodge | Ride Day | 63.6 |
21‐Jun‐21 | Monday | Kootenay Park Lodge to Canmore | Ride Day | 94.6 |
22‐Jun‐21 | Tuesday | Canmore to Ghost Lake Recreation Area | Ride Day | 55.8 |
23‐Jun‐21 | Wednesday | Ghost Lake Recreation Area to Calgary | Ride Day | 57.7 |
24‐Jun‐21 | Thursday | Calgary Rest Day | Rest Day | – |
25‐Jun‐21 | Friday | Calgary event day (Start of Stage 2) | Event | – |
26‐Jun‐21 | Saturday | Calgary to Beiseker | Ride Day | 75.4 |
27‐Jun‐21 | Sunday | Beiseker to Michichi | Ride Day | 92.9 |
28‐Jun‐21 | Monday | Michichi to Youngstown | Ride Day | 98.9 |
29‐Jun‐21 | Tuesday | Youngstown to Alsask | Ride Day | 89.1 |
30‐Jun‐21 | Wednesday | Alsask to Kindersley, SK | Ride Day | 63.1 |
01‐Jul‐21 | Thursday | Kindersley Rest Day | Rest Day | – |
02‐Jul‐21 | Friday | Kindersley area event day | Event | – |
03‐Jul‐21 | Saturday | Kindersley to Rosetown | Ride Day | 84 |
04‐Jul‐21 | Sunday | Rosetown to Outlook | Ride Day | 74.5 |
05‐Jul‐21 | Monday | Outlook to Kenaston | Ride Day | 55.6 |
06‐Jul‐21 | Tuesday | Kenaston to Nokomis | Ride Day | 88.7 |
07‐Jul‐21 | Wednesday | Nokomis to Punnichy | Ride Day | 62 |
08‐Jul‐21 | Thursday | Punnichy to Ituna | Ride Day | 67.8 |
09‐Jul‐21 | Friday | Ituna to Melville | Ride Day | 56.3 |
10‐Jul‐21 | Saturday | Melville rest day | Rest Day | – |
11‐Jul‐21 | Sunday | Melville to Russell, MB | Ride Day | 113 |
12‐Jul‐21 | Monday | Russell to Shoal Lake | Ride Day | 75.7 |
13‐Jul‐21 | Tuesday | Shoal Lake to Neepawaw | Ride Day | 88.8 |
14‐Jul‐21 | Wednesday | Neepawa to Portage la Prairie | Ride Day | 101.1 |
15‐Jul‐21 | Thursday | Portage la Prairie to Winnepeg | Ride Day | 98.3 |
16‐Jul‐21 | Friday | Winnipeg Rest Day | Rest Day | – |
17‐Jul‐21 | Saturday | Winnipeg area event day (Start of Stage 3) | Event | – |
18‐Jul‐21 | Sunday | Winnipeg to Elma | Ride Day | 90.4 |
19‐Jul‐21 | Monday | Elma to Whiteshell | Ride Day | 69.8 |
20‐Jul‐21 | Tuesday | Whiteshell to Kenora, ON | Ride Day | 55.9 |
21‐Jul‐21 | Wednesday | Kenora to Sioux Narrows | Ride Day | 78 |
22‐Jul‐21 | Thursday | Sioux Narrows to Nestor Falls | Ride Day | 84.5 |
23‐Jul‐21 | Friday | Nestor Falls to Fort Frances | Ride Day | 94 |
24‐Jul‐21 | Saturday | Fort Frances rest day | Rest Day | – |
25‐Jul‐21 | Sunday | Fort Frances to Mine Centre | Ride Day | 68.1 |
26‐Jul‐21 | Monday | Mine Centre to Atikokan | Ride Day | 85.2 |
27‐Jul‐21 | Tuesday | Atikokan to Kashabowie | Ride Day | 97.3 |
28‐Jul‐21 | Wednesday | Kashabowie to Shabaqua | Ride Day | 47.7 |
29‐Jul‐21 | Thursday | Shabaqua to Thunder Bay | Ride Day | 65.6 |
30‐Jul‐21 | Friday | Thunder Bay rest day | Rest Day | – |
31‐Jul‐21 | Saturday | Thunder Bay event day | Event | – |
01‐Aug‐21 | Sunday | Thunder Bay to Shunia | Ride Day | 59.1 |
02‐Aug‐21 | Monday | Shuniah to Nipigon | Ride Day | 84 |
03‐Aug‐21 | Tuesday | Nipigon to Schreiber | Ride Day | 91.2 |
04‐Aug‐21 | Wednesday | Schreiber to Marathon | Ride Day | 96.2 |
05‐Aug‐21 | Thursday | Marathon to White River | Ride Day | 91.7 |
06‐Aug‐21 | Friday | White River to Wawa | Ride Day | 92 |
07‐Aug‐21 | Saturday | Wawa rest day | Rest Day | – |
08‐Aug‐21 | Sunday | Wawa to Agawa Bay Campground | Ride Day | 89 |
09‐Aug‐21 | Monday | Agawa Bay to Goulais River | Ride Day | 94 |
10‐Aug‐21 | Tuesday | Goulais River to Sault Ste. Marie | Ride Day | 39 |
11‐Aug‐21 | Wednesday | Sault Ste. Marie rest day | Rest Day | – |
12‐Aug‐21 | Thursday | Sault Ste. Marie area event day (Start of Stage 4) | Event | – |
13‐Aug‐21 | Friday | Sault Ste. Marie to Thessalon | Ride Day | 84 |
14‐Aug‐21 | Saturday | Thessalon to Spragge | Ride Day | 84 |
15‐Aug‐21 | Sunday | Spragge to Espanola | Ride Day | 71 |
16‐Aug‐21 | Monday | Espanola to South Baymouth | Ride Day | 111 |
17‐Aug‐21 | Tuesday | Ferry from South Baymouth to Tobermory, bike to Wiarton | Ride Day | 75.7 |
18‐Aug‐21 | Wednesday | Wiarton to Owen Sound | Ride Day | 41.8 |
19‐Aug‐21 | Thursday | Owen Sound Rest Day | Rest Day | – |
20‐Aug‐21 | Friday | Owen Sound to Wasaga Beach | Ride Day | 78 |
21‐Aug‐21 | Saturday | Wasaga Beach to Orillia | Ride Day | 81 |
22‐Aug‐21 | Sunday | Orillia to Coboconk | Ride Day | 57 |
23‐Aug‐21 | Monday | Coboconk to Bancroft | Ride Day | 101 |
24‐Aug‐21 | Tuesday | Bancroft to Cloyne | Ride Day | 80.6 |
25‐Aug‐21 | Wednesday | Cloyne to Christie Lake | Ride Day | 79.7 |
26‐Aug‐21 | Thursday | Christie Lake rest day | Rest Day | – |
27‐Aug‐21 | Friday | Christie Lake area event day | Event | – |
28‐Aug‐21 | Saturday | Christie Lake to Ottawa | Ride Day | 104 |
29‐Aug‐21 | Sunday | Ottawa, ON to Grenville‐sur‐la‐Rouge, QC | Ride Day | 95 |
30‐Aug‐21 | Monday | Grenville‐sur‐la‐Rouge to Oka | Ride Day | 72.4 |
31‐Aug‐21 | Tuesday | Oka to Montreal | Ride Day | 53.8 |
01‐Sep‐21 | Wednesday | Montreal Rest Day | Rest Day | – |
2‐6 Sep‐21 | Thursday – Monday | Explore Montreal | Free Days | – |
07‐Sep‐21 | Tuesday | Montréal, QC to Lanoraie | Ride Day | 71 |
08‐Sep‐21 | Wednesday | Lanoraie to Trois‐Rivières | Ride Day | 71 |
09‐Sep‐21 | Thursday | Trois‐Rivières to Portneuf | Ride Day | 73 |
10‐Sep‐21 | Friday | Portneuf to Quebec City | Ride Day | 71.4 |
11‐Sep‐21 | Saturday | Quebec City rest day | Rest Day | – |
12‐Sep‐21 | Sunday | Québec to Saint‐Jean‐Port‐Joli | Ride Day | 95 |
13‐Sep‐21 | Monday | Saint‐Jean‐Port‐Joli to Rivière‐du‐Loup | Ride Day | 94 |
14‐Sep‐21 | Tuesday | Rivière‐du‐Loup to Rimouski | Ride Day | 100 |
15‐Sep‐21 | Wednesday | Rimouski to Sayabec | Ride Day | 85 |
16‐Sep‐21 | Thursday | Sayabec to Causapscal | Ride Day | 53 |
17‐Sep‐21 | Friday | Causapscal to Campbellton, NB | Ride Day | 81 |
18‐Sep‐21 | Saturday | Campbellton rest day | Rest Day | – |
19‐Sep‐21 | Sunday | Campbellton, NB area event day | Event | – |
20‐Sep‐21 | Monday | Campbellton to Bathurst | Ride Day | 109 |
21‐Sep‐21 | Tuesday | Bathurst to Bathurst to Black River Bridge | Ride Day | 100 |
22‐Sep‐21 | Wednesday | Black River Bridge to Shédiac | Ride Day | 115 |
23‐Sep‐21 | Thursday | Shédiac, NB to Borden‐Carleton, PE + Confederation Bridge | Ride Day | 72 |
24‐Sep‐21 | Friday | Borden‐Charleton, PE to Charlottetown, PE via Confederation Trail | Ride Day | 67 |
25‐Sep‐21 | Saturday | Charlottetown rest day | Rest Day | – |
26‐Sep‐21 | Sunday | Charlottetown, PE event day | Event | – |
27‐Sep‐21 | Monday | Charlottetown, PE to Pictou, NS | Ride Day | 92 |
28‐Sep‐21 | Tuesday | Pictou, NS to Antigonish, NS | Ride Day | 74 |
29‐Sep‐21 | Wednesday | Antigonish, NS to Whycocomagh, NS | Ride Day | 104 |
30‐Sep‐21 | Thursday | Whycocomagh, NS to North Sydney, NS | Ride Day | 93 |
01-Oct‐21 | Friday | Ferry North Sydney to Port aux Basques | Ferry | – |
02‐Oct‐21 | Saturday | Channel Port‐aux‐Basques, NL to Robinson’s junction, NL | Ride Day | 106 |
03‐Oct‐21 | Sunday | Robinsons to Corner Brook, NL | Ride Day | 119 |
04‐Oct‐21 | Monday | Corner Brook rest day | Rest Day | – |
05‐Oct‐21 | Tuesday | Corner Brook, NL to Deer Lake, NL | Ride Day | 65 |
06‐Oct‐21 | Wednesday | Deer Lake, NL to Sheppardville, NL | Ride Day | 96 |
07‐Oct‐21 | Thursday | Sheppardville, NL to Grand Falls‐Windsor, NL | Ride Day | 116 |
08‐Oct‐21 | Friday | Grand Falls‐Windsor, NL to Gander, NL | Ride Day | 101 |
09‐Oct‐21 | Saturday | Gander, NL to Mallorytown, NL | Ride Day | 101 |
10‐Oct‐21 | Sunday | Mallorytown, NL to Arnold’s Cove, NL | Ride Day | 119 |
11‐Oct‐21 | Monday | Arnold’s Cove, NL to Whitbourne, NL | Ride Day | 50 |
12‐Oct‐21 | Tuesday | Whitebourne to St. John’s | Ride Day | 89.1 |
13‐Oct‐21 | Wednesday | Final day events | Event | – |
Number of Days 135 | Total Distance (KM) | 8292.3 |
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.