A B.C man who journeyed across Canada by bike in 2023, is eager to share some of his most memorable adventures and encounters.

Jayden Beaudoin of Victoria has journeyed 10,598km across Canada, travelling through all 10 provinces from the B.C coast to Cape Spear, NL. More locally, his route took him through Vernon in the Okanagan, towards Kaslo in the West Kootenay and past Cranbrook in Eastern B.C, on the way to Alberta. 

He travelled an average of 130km per day, making it from coast to coast in 100 days. He spent another few weeks travelling sporadically by train from Halifax, NS to Edmonton, AB., as he made his way home.

Reflecting on the adventure, Beaudoin said he met many wonderful and interesting people along his travels, who opened their doors to him and showed him the cultural diversity of the country.

"It was a really cool window into some peoples' lives and such an open, sort of vulnerable experience. I feel like we don't get that in real life too often," he remarked.

There were a few visits that stood out to him. He found himself at a f锚te in Gasp茅, QC where he was the only English-speaking person in the room, and over in Eastport, NL he tried his hand at shepherding, helping an organic farmer heard the cows home in the evening.

He spent some time with his cousin Brett Vaile and wife Kate in Wycliffe, a community nestled in between Cranbrook and Kimberley in the East Kootenay region of B.C.

Overall, he said the Kootenays were among his favourite regions in Canada.

"The thing that struck me about that whole East Kootenay region was just how stunning the mountains were. It feels like an untapped gem, that Fernie area. You have Banff and Jasper that are quite a bit more touristy. Fernie seems to still have that small-town quaint charm to it that I really love," he said.

The local wildlife was a highlight of his trip. He was particularly taken with the herds of deer roaming in and around town in the Cranbrook area, coming within a foot of one, as it hid behind a tree along the roadway.

His trip was not without its challenges. The mental and physical exhaustion was trying and he did experience mechanical issues with his bike. His bike tubes exploded on his last leg of the B.C trip, and he stopped in Fernie to get some parts.

"My tube just basically exploded so hard that it actually took the tire off the rim and bent the rim slightly," he recalled.

But there were some relaxing moments too. He greatly enjoyed taking the ferry across Kootenay Lake, as he made his way to Cranbrook.

"The Balfour Ferry, for what it was, was the nicest ferry that I saw," he said. "The ferry offered a really nice chance to just pause. There's nowhere to go, nothing to do, but just enjoy relaxing, and the scenery and the experience of just being."

Beaudoin is an avid commuter cyclist, and he began considering crossing Canada by bike a few years ago.

He lived in London, ON at the time, and people who knew him would often comment on his passion for cycling, and tease him about crossing Canada.

"People would joke, 'haha when are you going to ride across Canada.'"

What started off as a joke, soon became a solid idea.

"Over time, it turned into this goal," he said.

Beaudoin is no stranger to travel, having performed across Canada and internationally as a musician with the Vancouver Metropolitan Opera and Royal City Musical Theatre. He's been a member of the Canadian Armed Forces since 2009, and spent eight summers in Ottawa with The Ceremonial Guard. His military involvement has also led him to play in military bands with 15th Field Artillery Regiment, Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery and 5th (British Columbia) Field Artillery Regiment.

He had established a sizable network of contacts on his previous travels, which really helped him integrate into different communities along the way.

 "The tour was a big reunion where I got to see people I haven't seen in five to 15 years sometimes," he said.

Beaudoin has also published a travel memoir titled Cycling from Sea to Sea: One Hundred Days Across Canada. It's his first published work, focusing on the impactful moments of his journey, and some of the reflections and realizations he had upon returning home.

"The book carries strong themes of perseverance, passion, joy, as well as connecting with oneself and the communities that surround and support us," he said.