Sault Ste. Marie to Montréal – Stage 4

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 .

The day-to-day route below is for planning purposes. Bike travel requires some flexibility for weather, road conditions, suitable camping and other factors outside our control. As much as possible we will stick to this itinerary, but please use the information below only as a general guide. Frequent updates will be available for each stage of the tour as we travel along the route. If you are planning to join us, please allow a few days on either end of the date range when making plans.

We have 13 Community Action Events planned over the summer.

The over-reaching goals for each event are to restore a sense of community, heighten visibility and support the ConnecTour movement, which is all about learning how to be good neighbours in a post-pandemic world. We’ll seek out and engage with people, and share their stories with the rest of Canada. We will invite Canadians to tell their own stories in unique and compelling ways. We will also seek out new Canadians and members of the Indigenous communities in our ongoing effort to support Truth and Reconciliation.

These events will take form over the next few months. We are reaching out to each of the communities listed below to help us organize and deliver these special events. Ideas for events include:

• Bike clinics. These could be pop-up repair stations for basic repairs, or we might ask citizens in advance to donate old bicycles which we can fix up on the spot and give away.
• Presentations at community centres or local businesses: about our trip and why we’re doing it, by local immigrants on their experience in Canada, or on Indigenous or environmental issues.
• Discovery tours with “local” ambassadors.

Community Action Events and Locations for this stage.

July is a moderately hot month along the great lakes. The average temperatures in this region range between min 11°C and max 30°C.  July and August are the warmest months in this region. The great lakes act like heat sinks and keep the surrounding area a moderate temperature. As well, the lakes create a lot of moisture in the air. Daytime temperatures can allow for shorts, short-sleeved shirts, and dresses. But, be sure to pack for a range of temperatures and potentially cool or wet days. Always be prepared to dress in layers, and bring your rain gear and sunscreen.

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