As a grieving father pedals across Canada in memory of his son Luke, Dan Johnson is finding unexpected companionship—not on the road, but in the hearts of other bereaved parents reaching out.
Now entering Manitoba after cycling through British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, Dan is raising funds for the Norfolk Haldimand Community Hospice. But along the way, the emotional weight of the journey has grown far beyond physical endurance.
One of the most unexpected parts of Dan’s journey has been the outpouring of love and support from others who have also lost a child.
Some messages come from parents who lost a child decades ago, their grief still raw. Others have given large donations, including two mothers who pledged $5,000 each—one dollar for every kilometre.
Dan explains that even though he’s raising money for a hospice in Norfolk Haldimand for some people it’s more.
While wildfire smoke and the long, flat stretches of road through Saskatchewan—and now into Manitoba—have tested him physically, it’s the emotional stories of strangers that leave the deepest impression. ‘With every mile, I carry their stories with me.’
What began as a personal mission to honour Luke’s memory is now offering a rare kind of healing—for the rider, and for those who know his pain all too well.
Click here to donate to the Live Like Luke Canada Crossing.
Written by Jeremy Hall