Fernie father and son Ben and Ian Shopland are cycling across Canada to raise money for the Terry Fox Foundation — and they are riding the long way.
Most cross-country cyclists follow pavement, highways and the most direct lines they can find. Ben and Ian are choosing a different kind of route: a 13,600-kilometre backcountry bikepacking journey that follows gravel roads, dirt tracks, rail trails, forest roads, singletrack and remote trail networks wherever possible.
The result is a cross-Canada ride that is longer, richer and more connected to the landscape than a traditional road tour.
Ben, 18, is riding with his father Ian in honour of Terry Fox and to raise money for cancer research. The Fernie residents recently passed through their hometown before continuing east, with Ben posting daily updates from the ride on Instagram.
The route is a major part of the story. Rather than simply pedalling asphalt across Canada, Ben and Ian are following the spirit of the Great Northern Bikepacking Route, a coast-to-coast dirt and gravel route designed as an off-road alternative to the standard cross-Canada cycling journey. The route links together backroads, trails and rougher surfaces across the country, creating a ride that is about adventure, endurance, self-reliance and a deeper connection to the places they pass through.
This is not about finding the shortest line across Canada. It is about riding the best route — through the backroads, trails, mountains, valleys and communities that make the country worth crossing.
By the numbers, the challenge is immense: roughly 13,600 kilometres, major elevation gain, and a route that is primarily unpaved. A kilometre on gravel or dirt can take more effort than a kilometre on pavement, especially when the ride includes mountain passes, washboard roads, rough rail beds, remote valleys, changing weather and long stretches with limited services.
But the point is not just that the ride is harder. It is that it is better suited to the spirit of the journey.
Backcountry bikepacking means travelling closer to the land — through gravel roads, rail trails, forest routes, mountain passes and small communities that are often missed from the highway. It means seeing Canada at bike speed, away from the traffic and noise of the main road, with each day shaped by terrain, weather, people and place.
In British Columbia, the ride began with a heavy dose of mountain terrain. Ben’s daily posts have shown the pair riding from the coast through Vancouver Island and onward into the province’s interior before reaching the Kootenays. By the time they arrived in Fernie, they had already crossed a major section of B.C.’s backcountry. After passing through town, they continued east toward the Rockies and the long ride ahead.
For Ben, the effort is part of the tribute.
“At 18, Terry Fox got diagnosed with a life-changing cancer which led to a journey that changed Canada forever,” Ben wrote in his campaign statement. “This summer, as a fellow 18-year-old, I’m biking 13,600 km primarily on dirt or gravel across Canada with my dad in honour of Terry Fox and his profound impact.”
Ben said Terry Fox’s story first resonated with him during a school Terry Fox Run in Grade 6. At the time, Terry’s Marathon of Hope felt like a story from the past. As Ben grew older, cancer became much more personal.
“I watched the strength of my mother and grandmother as they both faced breast cancer, an experience where they showed incredible resilience, but also one where they were fortunate in their outcome,” Ben wrote. “I have also witnessed the more harsh reality of this disease, where often, despite immense fighting and courage, the deadly reality of the illness prevails.”
For Ben and Ian, the ride is a tribute to those affected by cancer and a way to support research that can change outcomes for families across Canada.
“As my dad and I bike across Canada, every pedal stroke, every climb and every headwind is a tribute to those affected,” Ben wrote. “We are pushing our physical and mental limits to raise awareness and funds for cancer research, with the hope that one day, no one has to lose a loved one to this brutal disease.”
For Fernie, their ride carries a familiar spirit: mountain travel, long days, backroads, self-reliance and purpose-driven adventure. It is a father-and-son journey rooted in one of Canada’s most powerful stories — and a reminder that Terry Fox’s impact continues to inspire new generations.
Residents can follow Ben’s daily updates on Instagram at @ben.shopland and support the ride through the Terry Fox Foundation donation link.
Editor
Photos Instagram
