2023 ReconciliACTION Ride for Wenjack

Where: Starting in downtown St. Albert, from the parking lot between Perron Street, St. Thomas Street and St. Anne Street.

When: 10am, Saturday October 21

What: An imperial century from St. Albert, to Alexander First Nation, to Lac Ste. Anne and back.

The ReconciliACTION Ride is the start of your journey fostering empathy & sympathy. I hope whatever next steps you take will be more deliberate & purposeful.

In the spirit of #DOSOMETHING, you’ll become more aware of the Metis and First Nation history of St. Albert and Lac Ste. Anne. These are Treaty 6 lands that we ride on. These historical peoples would have lived on and roamed these lands mostly by foot, while we ride bikes today. St. Albert was founded in 1861 as a Catholic mission and Metis and Cree agricultural community, the first of its kind in Alberta. All these peoples traditionally gathered at Lac Ste. Anne, even before the arrival of the Catholic missionaries.

How: This ride is completely self-supported. Understand that the children who would have been trying to run away from residential schools would also have been self-supported. Become aware of the distances they would have contemplated travelling to get back home. There will be opportunities to stop at convenience stores along the way, if you must. You are encouraged, though, to pack all you think you’ll need for this journey with you in your pockets or on your bike.

Chanie Wenjack thought he could walk 600kms to return home. After a week of walking, on October 22, 1966, the 12-year-old’s body was found at the side of the railway tracks, having died of exposure and starvation. All he had with him at the end of his attempted journey was a small jar with seven matches in it.

You are encouraged to make a donation of $1/km (about $160) to the Downie Wenjack Foundation.

Please use this >>ReconciliACTION Ride Signup Form

The full 163km Strava Route is here: https://www.strava.com/routes/3150187076045153070

And for those without a Strava account, you can download the road route here: ReconciliACTION Ride GPX File

The shorter 112km Strava Route is here: https://www.strava.com/routes/3018327412558655968

And the GPX version of the 112km route is here: ReconciliACTION Ride 112km GPX File

Emergency Action Plan (EAP)

Always carry your ID.

If any mishap happens to you or another rider in your group:

1. Ensure you are safely off the road.
2. Call 911
3. Station a rider to direct traffic away from the scene.
4. While waiting for 911 help to arrive, administer any first aid you know that will help.
5. Send a cyclist for help if necessary, or to direct emergency services to the site.
6. Call Coach Kevin at (780) 999-6052 to inform him of the situation (Please put this into your phone now)
7. Nearest Hospital is: Sturgeon Community Hospital, 201 Boudreau Rd, St. Albert, AB T8N 6C4