A group of Canadian adventurers will travel from sea to sea on bicycles in the summer of 2021 in a nation-building exercise aimed at reconnecting, restoring and rebuilding our communities as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The core group will leave Victoria, B.C., on May 15, with a planned arrival in St. John’s, NL, by mid-September. As we travel through the countryside at “the speed of life,” we will be learning more about the rich mosaic that makes this country unlike any other.
We are inviting individuals and groups of all ages to join us for the entire cross-Canada tour or at various stages along the way. Daily or weekly riders are also welcome to join. Register online and see our Frequently Asked Questions page for more details.
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 and then 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
We’re keeping costs to a minimum so this trip is affordable for anyone. We have a pricing structure for joining the entire trip across Canada or specific stages. You may join us along the way as an overnighter or weekly rider if that fits your schedule better. Please contact us to work out when and where you want to join the group and we will customize your tour experience to fit your schedule.
Route stages and dates:
Please note: Due to the nature of bike travel, we will confirm the exact dates for these stages closer to the actual date. Please allow a few days on either end of the date range when making plans.
Cross Canada (Entire Trip)
Victoria to St. John’s | 8275 km | 135 days | $4,800
May 15 – Sept. 25, 2021
Stages
Victoria to Calgary | 1465 km | 27 days | $1,200
May 15 – June 10, 2021
Calgary to Winnipeg | 1385 km | 20 days | $950
June 13 – July 2, 2021
Winnipeg to Sault Ste. Marie | 1573 km | 24 days | $1,000
July 5 – July 28, 2021
Sault Ste. Marie to Montreal | 1270 km | 19 days | $900
July 31 – Aug. 18, 2021
Montreal to St. John’s | 2583 km | 36 days | $1,600
Aug. 21 – Sept. 25, 2021
□ The weekly rate (7 days) is $420 per week
□ The overnight rate is $65 per day/night
Family discount rates are available. Contact us for details info@connectour.ca or (403) 402-168
All day-to-day bike travel expenses, including:
- All group meals
- Daily snacks and happy hour
- All group camping and accommodation
- Campground and park fees
- Reservations and coordination of activities
- Trip leaders and basic bike mechanical service and repair
Please note:
- Beer, wine, and alcohol and extra snacks are at your own expense.
- Group meals are meals that we prepare together at camp or at picnics along the road.
- Meals and snacks on rest days and event days are at your own expense.
Date | Route | KM |
Saturday, May 15, 2021 | Sooke to Victoria (Mile 0) to Sidney | 76 |
Sunday, May 16, 2021 | Sidney to Mission (ferry Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen) | 84 |
Monday, May 17, 2021 | Mission to Harrison Hot Springs | 58.4 |
Tuesday, May 18, 2021 | Harrison Hot Springs to Hope | 41 |
Wednesday, May 19, 2021 | Hope to Manning Park | 66.3 |
Thursday, May 20, 2021 | Manning Park Resort to Princeton | 68.4 |
Friday, May 21, 2021 | Princeton Rest Day | – |
Saturday, May 22, 2021 | Princeton area event day | – |
Sunday, May 23, 2021 | Princeton to Keremeos | 62 |
Monday, May 24, 2021 | Keremeos to Osoyoos | 54 |
Tuesday, May 25, 2021 | Osoyoos to Midway | 69 |
Wednesday, May 26, 2021 | Midway to Grand Forks | 55 |
Thursday, May 27, 2021 | Grand Forks to Nancy Greene Provincial Park | 75.7 |
Friday, May 28, 2021 | Nancy Greene Provincial Park to Marsh CG | 57.1 |
Saturday, May 29, 2021 | Marsh Creek Campground to Nelson | 64.3 |
Sunday, May 30, 2021 | Nelson Rest day | – |
Monday, May 31, 2021 | Nelson area event day | – |
Tuesday, June 01, 2021 | Nelson to Kootenay Kampground, Sanca | 73.4 |
Wednesday, June 02, 2021 | Kootenay Kampground to Yahk | 77.4 |
Thursday, June 03, 2021 | Yahk to Fort Steele | 81.5 |
Friday, June 04, 2021 | Fort Steele to Canal Flats | 66.2 |
Saturday, June 05, 2021 | Canal Flats to Radium Hot Springs | 61.6 |
Sunday, June 06, 2021 | Radium Hot Spring Rest Day | – |
Monday, June 07, 2021 | Radium Hot Springs to Kootney Park Lodge | 63.6 |
Tuesday, June 08, 2021 | Kootney Park Lodge to Banff | 72.1 |
Wednesday, June 09, 2021 | Banff to Ghost Lake Recreation Area | 80.2 |
Thursday, June 10, 2021 | Ghost Lake Recreation Area to Calgary | 57.7 |
Friday, June 11, 2021 | Calgary Rest Day | – |
Saturday, June 12, 2021 | Calgary event day (Start of Stage 2) | – |
Sunday, June 13, 2021 | Calgary to Beiseker | 75.4 |
Monday, June 14, 2021 | Beiseker to Michichi | 92.9 |
Tuesday, June 15, 2021 | Michichi to Youngstown | 98.9 |
Wednesday, June 16, 2021 | Youngstown to Alsask | 89.1 |
Thursday, June 17, 2021 | Alsask to Kindersley, SK | 63.1 |
Friday, June 18, 2021 | Kindersley Rest Day | – |
Saturday, June 19, 2021 | Kindersley area event day | – |
Sunday, June 20, 2021 | Kindersley to Rosetown | 84 |
Monday, June 21, 2021 | Rosetown to Outlook | 74.5 |
Tuesday, June 22, 2021 | Outlook to Kenaston | 55.6 |
Wednesday, June 23, 2021 | Kenaston to Nokomis | 88.7 |
Thursday, June 24, 2021 | Nokomis to Punnichy | 62 |
Friday, June 25, 2021 | Punnichy to Ituna | 67.8 |
Saturday, June 26, 2021 | Ituna to Melville | 56.3 |
Sunday, June 27, 2021 | Melville rest day | – |
Monday, June 28, 2021 | Melville to Russell, MB | 113 |
Tuesday, June 29, 2021 | Russell to Shoal Lake | 75.7 |
Wednesday, June 30, 2021 | Shoal Lake to Neepawaw | 88.8 |
Thursday, July 01, 2021 | Neepawa to Portage la Prairie | 101.1 |
Friday, July 02, 2021 | Portage la Prairie to Winnepeg | 98.3 |
Saturday, July 03, 2021 | Winnipeg Rest Day | – |
Sunday, July 04, 2021 | Winnipeg area event day (Start of Stage 3) | – |
Monday, July 05, 2021 | Winnipeg to Elma | 90.4 |
Tuesday, July 06, 2021 | Elma to Whiteshell | 69.8 |
Wednesday, July 07, 2021 | Whiteshell to Kenora, ON | 55.9 |
Thursday, July 08, 2021 | Kenora to Sioux Narrows | 78 |
Friday, July 09, 2021 | Sioux Narrows to Nestor Falls | 84.5 |
Saturday, July 10, 2021 | Nestor Falls to Fort Frances | 94 |
Sunday, July 11, 2021 | Fort Frances rest day | – |
Monday, July 12, 2021 | Fort Frances to Mine Centre | 68.1 |
Tuesday, July 13, 2021 | Mine Centre to Atikokan | 85.2 |
Wednesday, July 14, 2021 | Atikokan to Kashabowie | 97.3 |
Thursday, July 15, 2021 | Kashabowie to Shabaqua | 47.7 |
Friday, July 16, 2021 | Shabaqua to Thunder Bay | 65.6 |
Saturday, July 17, 2021 | Thunder Bay rest day | – |
Sunday, July 18, 2021 | Thunder Bay event day | – |
Monday, July 19, 2021 | Thunder Bay to Shunia | 59.1 |
Tuesday, July 20, 2021 | Shuniah to Nipigon | 84 |
Wednesday, July 21, 2021 | Nipigon to Schreiber | 91.2 |
Thursday, July 22, 2021 | Schreiber to Marathon | 96.2 |
Friday, July 23, 2021 | Marathon to White River | 91.7 |
Saturday, July 24, 2021 | White River to Wawa | 92 |
Sunday, July 25, 2021 | Wawa rest day | – |
Monday, July 26, 2021 | Wawa to Agawa Bay Campground | 89 |
Tuesday, July 27, 2021 | Agawa Bay to Goulais River | 94 |
Wednesday, July 28, 2021 | Goulais River to Sault Ste. Marie | 39 |
Thursday, July 29, 2021 | Sault Ste. Marie rest day | – |
Friday, July 30, 2021 | Sault Ste. Marie area event day (Start of Stage 4) | – |
Saturday, July 31, 2021 | Sault Ste. Marie to Thessalon | 84 |
Sunday, August 01, 2021 | Thessalon to Spragge | 84 |
Monday, August 02, 2021 | Spragge to Espanola | 71 |
Tuesday, August 03, 2021 | Espanola to South Baymouth | 111 |
Wednesday, August 04, 2021 | Ferry from South Baymouth to Tobermory, bike to Wiarton | 75.7 |
Thursday, August 05, 2021 | Wiarton to Owen Sound | 41.8 |
Friday, August 06, 2021 | Owen Sound Rest Day | – |
Saturday, August 07, 2021 | Owen Sound to Wasaga Beach | 78 |
Sunday, August 08, 2021 | Wasaga Beach to Orillia | 81 |
Monday, August 09, 2021 | Orillia to Coboconk | 57 |
Tuesday, August 10, 2021 | Coboconk to Bancroft | 101 |
Wednesday, August 11, 2021 | Bancroft to Cloyne | 80.6 |
Thursday, August 12, 2021 | Cloyne to Christie Lake | 79.7 |
Friday, August 13, 2021 | Christie Lake rest day | – |
Saturday, August 14, 2021 | Christie Lake area event day | – |
Sunday, August 15, 2021 | Christie Lake to Ottawa | 104 |
Monday, August 16, 2021 | Ottawa, ON to Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, QC | 95 |
Tuesday, August 17, 2021 | Grenville-sur-la-Rouge to Oka | 72.4 |
Wednesday, August 18, 2021 | Oka to Montreal | 53.8 |
Thursday, August 19, 2021 | Montreal Rest Day | – |
Friday, August 20, 2021 | Montreal area event day (Start of Stage 5) | – |
Saturday, August 21, 2021 | Montréal, QC to Lanoraie | 71 |
Sunday, August 22, 2021 | Lanoraie to Trois-Rivières | 71 |
Monday, August 23, 2021 | Trois-Rivières to Portneuf | 73 |
Tuesday, August 24, 2021 | Portneuf to Quebec City | 71.4 |
Wednesday, August 25, 2021 | Quebec City rest day | – |
Thursday, August 26, 2021 | Québec to Saint-Jean-Port-Joli | 95 |
Friday, August 27, 2021 | Saint-Jean-Port-Joli to Rivière-du-Loup | 94 |
Saturday, August 28, 2021 | Rivière-du-Loup to Rimouski | 100 |
Sunday, August 29, 2021 | Rimouski to Sayabec | 85 |
Monday, August 30, 2021 | Sayabec to Causapscal | 53 |
Tuesday, August 31, 2021 | Causapscal to Campbellton, NB | 81 |
Wednesday, September 01, 2021 | Campbellton rest day | – |
Thursday, September 02, 2021 | Campbellton, NB area event day | – |
Friday, September 03, 2021 | Campbellton to Bathurst | 109 |
Saturday, September 04, 2021 | Bathurst to Bathurst to Black River Bridge | 100 |
Sunday, September 05, 2021 | Black River Bridge to Shédiac | 115 |
Monday, September 06, 2021 | Shédiac, NB to Borden-Carleton, PE + Confederation Bridge | 72 |
Tuesday, September 07, 2021 | Borden-Charleton to Charlottetown via Confederation Trail | 67 |
Wednesday, September 08, 2021 | Charlottetown rest day | – |
Thursday, September 09, 2021 | Charlottetown, PE event day | – |
Friday, September 10, 2021 | Charlottetown, PE to Pictou, NS | 92 |
Saturday, September 11, 2021 | Pictou, NS to Antigonish, NS | 74 |
Sunday, September 12, 2021 | Antigonish, NS to Whycocomagh, NS | 104 |
Monday, September 13, 2021 | Whycocomagh, NS to North Sydney, NS | 93 |
Tuesday, September 14, 2021 | Ferry North Sydney to Port aux Basques | – |
Wednesday, September 15, 2021 | Channel Port-aux-Basques, NL to Robinson’s junction, NL | 106 |
Thursday, September 16, 2021 | Robinsons to Corner Brook, NL | 119 |
Friday, September 17, 2021 | Corner Brook rest day | – |
Saturday, September 18, 2021 | Corner Brook, NL to Deer Lake, NL | 65 |
Sunday, September 19, 2021 | Deer Lake, NL to Sheppardville, NL | 96 |
Monday, September 20, 2021 | Sheppardville, NL to Grand Falls-Windsor, NL | 116 |
Tuesday, September 21, 2021 | Grand Falls-Windsor, NL to Gander, NL | 101 |
Wednesday, September 22, 2021 | Gander, NL to Mallorytown, NL | 101 |
Thursday, September 23, 2021 | Mallorytown, NL to Arnold’s Cove, NL | 119 |
Friday, September 24, 2021 | Arnold’s Cove, NL to Whitbourne, NL | 50 |
Saturday, September 25, 2021 | Whitebourne to St. John’s | 89.1 |
Total KM | 8275.3 |
The daily trip plan and activities are adventurous and fun. The trip is all about enjoying the bike travel experience – we will pack what we need, eat well, and connect with each other and the locals along the route.
All group members are part of the team. Everyone will agree to participate in group activities, food preparation, shopping, camp setup/cleanup, and telling the story. Regular rotation of trip activities will include:
- Green team – minimizing our impact on the places we visit and stay
- Journal team – documenting and sharing our daily activities with the group and broader community
- Hospitality team – keeping the group in good spirits
- Cook team – meal planning and preparation, grocery shopping and cleanup
Food and Meals
We will be doing a mix of cooking and preparing our own food at camp or at picnics on the road. We can accommodate most diets and you will be involved in meal planning and preparation to share your favorite recipes with the group. Those who prefer to eat at restaurants or prepare their own food are free to do so at their own expense. You will have the opportunity to shop for food, snacks and drinks most days.
The fun thing about bike travel is that you can pretty much eat as much as you want. The food tastes better, the scenery will change the way you think about nature, and your mind will be clear. There is nothing better than ending a day’s ride by enjoying some snacks or a local craft beer. Sit around a table and share your daily highlights and images from the day. Wake each morning and go for a bike ride and do it all over again.
Our home on the road will be a mix of camping (sometimes not in official campsites) and home-stays as guests of friends and family or communities. As much as possible, we will choose well-maintained campgrounds and local stays with comfortable arrangements including indoor facilities and showers. In more remote backroads camping scenarios, we may have to improvise portable toilets and water features for cleaning up.
Those who prefer not to camp are free to stay in hotels or AirBnBs along the route, at your own expense. We will communicate with you each day about meeting points and other logistics.
Here is some advice from the Adventure Cycling Association. It is entirely possible to tour on nearly any bike — grab your cruiser, strap on a backpack, and go! — but there’s a whole world of bikes and gear created by passionate bicycle travelers that can make life easier and more comfortable on the road or trail (for starters, backpacks are best avoided in favor of on-bike luggage or panniers). Here are some bike options:
Classic touring bike
A classic touring bike sports a steel frame, dropbars, a wide-range drivetrain of up to 30 gears, 700c wheels with 35mm tires, and mounts for front and rear racks onto which you could mount panniers. Built with heavier tubing to accommodate big loads, these bikes are the pickup trucks of the cycling world — rugged, reliable, and able to haul nearly anything from here to there.
Hybrid touring bikes and mountain bikes, “go-anywhere bikes”
A go-anywhere bike share many traits with mountain bikes where simplicity, durability, and efficiency is preferred. They can utilize dropbars or flat bars, front suspension or rigid forks, and can come in a range of shapes and wheel sizes – 26”, 27.5”, 700c or 29er. Typical features include a wider mountain bike tire or touring tire and low gearing. There are typically frame mounts for front and rear racks onto which you could carry panniers.
Gravel Bikes
Gravel bikes range wildly, from high-performance carbon machines built for racing to relaxed adventure bikes well-suited for tours. These bikes often feature dropbars, clearance for wider tires (up to 50mm), and are suited for racks and panniers or bikepacking-style bags depending on the model. These machines are extremely versatile and can offer an excellent compromise between loaded and unloaded riding on a variety of surfaces. Compared to a classic touring bike, gravel bikes are not typically as over-built and rugged as a classic touring bike and may require more maintenance on a long trip.
eBikes
Sometimes a little assist is what it takes to get on tour, and eBikes offer an intriguing option. Premium models aren’t cheap (and cheap models aren’t as reliable for touring), but the modern era of ‘pedelec’ (pedal assist, no throttle) eBikes provide some extra oomph for any tour with reliable motors and long-range batteries. While many models are made for commuting or recreational cycling, touring eBikes are available from most major manufacturers.
Whatever bike you ride, it will be important to be comfortable. Important things to consider are, having the right saddle for you, clip or clipless pedals depending on your riding style, the right bike fit, and many other considerations. Our group leader, Rick McFerrin and his partner Tanya have done multiple around-the-world bike trips. Other members of the team have extensive experience in long-distance cycle touring. We can help you with your bike.
A stage-by-stage description of the 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.
Some people will not have the time to complete the full ride. No problem! We’ve broken the trip into stages, described below.
You may also join us along the way as an overnighter or weekly rider if that fits your schedule better. Please contact us to work out when and where you want to join the group and we will customize your tour experience to fit your schedule.
- The weekly rate (7 days) is $420 per week
- The overnight rate is $65 per day/night
Family discount rates are available. Contact us for details info@connectour.ca or (403) 402-1688
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. READ MORE >>
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. READ MORE >>
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. READ MORE >>
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. READ MORE >>
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. READ MORE >>