7/2/26. 0922. NW Ontario; Sioux Lookout District, E of Hwy 599.
“What’s that ahead?” I asked Jeromy point-ed-ly. We were driving out after a week’s fishing in Palette Lake where the Rice Lake rooted Ouisconsin Club — planted in the 1950s by D.B. Mommsen — owns two cabins. Slowly driving out since that road much less traveled runs over the now extinct Canadian National Railway bed, delivering straight stretches as well as granite hewn curves.
Continuing our slow crawl across the railroad trestle and past the Eva Lake cabin cluster owned by the Club as well as some quite neighborly Canadians, Jeromy’s “bicycle light” guess grew into being.
OK, thought I. Someone from the town of Ignace getting an early start to their weekend. Although still 35 miles distant it was certainly possible. And although warmly welcomed — as usual — at Ignace’s Lone Pine Inn a week prior, I told Jeromy it was “biker’s choice” whether this Canadian wilderness by-passing would include more than a nod or a wink. But little did we expect, as six wheels rolled to a stop…
To not only meet Paul Marcel Touzin but spend 25 minutes in a conversation that often dropped our jaws down farther than my open truck window! For far from starting in Ignace that morning Paul’s ride began in April in WINNIPEG, some 300 miles (via drivable road, that is) to the northwest! That fact plus he’s 70 years young STILL doesn’t equal the most amazing aspect of his truly over hill, over dale pedalings because… he’s crossed the entire COUNTRY of Canada more than ELEVEN times since 1976! “Cycling coast to coast to coast in Canada, Europe, Australia and Beyond” as his business-like card reads, in French and English of coast; sorry, of… course!
What a fascinating man! What an unexpected encounter on that much less traveled, formerly knowing rails/road! Another of life’s God-incidences as I call them! Indescribable! Especially as — several weeks ago — I began this summary Blog through the all-encompassing aura of our time together that morning.
So, what to do? Why, open my MacBook muse and… toss out a search! Surely there must be something in the online ocean about Paul! But my first cast caught nothing, unlike our Canadian fishing foray. Seems even “Marcel Touzin” is a common name up north. Days later, after adding “cross-country cyclist” to my lure, I managed to catch two glimpses of Paul’s life. One from 2010 is not only far “ago” but about as far north in North America as one can… ride a bike; the Dempster Highway north of Dawson City, Yukon Territory! The other from 2018 splashed about his ride to Labrador of which I could actually picture part, having lived in Goose Bay, Labrador, in the 1960’s.
Consider these filets of note carved out of both our conversation and that 2010 article by Amy Nakaska. Amy reported Paul carries only one extra set of clothing, tent, sleeping bag/pad, cooking fuel, first aid kit, map, journal, two water bottles, air pump, some food. And Paul pointed us to the inflatable dinghy he now carries that, should his pump fail, takes him 18 minutes to huff and puff… up!
From the 2018 Facebook post by “The Bicycle Specialist,” a repair shop in Nova Scotia, we learn Paul’s the first Canadian to cycle coast to coast to coast (yep, three); BC to NFLD to Tuktoyaktuk via all the capital cities. That post ends with this mysterious splash not unlike a rock tossed into a lake: “Congratulations Paul. We look forward to your book.”
Hmm… is that book still being written, kilometer by pedaled kilometer? Must be, since my inter-net keeps coming up empty. Hopefully you’ll join in that net-casting, but for now I’ll simply wrap up today’s catch and send it home to fry in this farewell oil, a blend of words from Amy and Paul plus a dash of seasoning from two retired, truck’in Air Force chaplains.
After asking Paul why he bikes Amy delivered a most excellent resolution. “’It’s such a wonderful way to meet people and see things,’ comments Paul, which epitomizes the entirety of his travels.”
Indeed. Whether across “well” or less traveled roads, remember life’s a journey not a destination. Take time along the way to let your wheels roll—slowly, now — to a stop. There. Now you, too, can inhale the goodness of that which surrounds you. Even when you can’t see it, it’s out there; somewhere…
A retired Air Force chaplain, Keith Muschinske (Rice Lake Class of ’72) has spent much of his life on roads less-traveled. He hopes you enjoy reading about some as much as he enjoys blogging about them!