Biker from PEI drove 14,000 kms over 47 days

By Joan Janzen

The wind literally blew Bill MacCannell into Kindersley last Friday afternoon as he fought a crosswind while driving his 2024 Honda motorbike. He had departed from his home at Canoe Cove, PEI, forty-seven days ago, travelling across the entire country all the way to the Yukon and then Alaska. He had put on 14,000 kms over 47 days and will put on another 6,000 kms by the time he arrives back home.

“I retired on June 8 and left on my expedition on June 10,” he said. I told my story every day wherever I went.” His story involved complications after surgery in 2020, which resulted in a lengthy recovery.

“That November, I bought a motorbike. I didn’t have a motorbike licence and never drove a motorbike before. I got my bike licence in 2021,” he explained. “That summer, I loaded up my new bike with camping gear and headed off to Newfoundland for a 16-day camping trip.”

Bill MacCannell from PEI retired on June 8, 2024 and headed out on his biking adventure on June 10. This photo was taken on Day 20.

Bill MacCannell from PEI travelled across Canada, to the Yukon and then on to Alaska. On his way back he spent the night in Kindersley and took some time to share his adventure with us.

Bill thought the Bunkhouse at Dawson was great. It’s a popular destination for motorcyclists.

During the summers of 2022 and 2023, Bill ventured out on two more bike expeditions, which planted a seed to travel across Canada. “With my retirement coming up, I opened up a map of Canada and realized I could pick wherever I wanted to go,” he said. I had all the time in the world and could stop wherever I wanted.”

Bill avoided touristy areas and was curious about all the little towns on the prairies. In Manitoba, he came across a ten-foot-tall smiling rock on the side of the road. He was puzzled by it, but after seeing the town of Gladstone sign, he made the connection.

At Canora, Sask., he looked for a giant Greek Orthodox Church. He discovered rolling hills and greenery once he crossed the border into Alberta and travelled to Edmonton. From there, it was on to Fort St. John, where he met another rider from Dryden, Ontario.

Then it was on to the Alaskan Highway up to northern BC and Whitehorse, where he had the tires replaced on his bike. “From there, I thought I’d take a crack at the Dempster Highway; it was bone-jarring rough. I wanted to see Dawson City; that was the highlight of my trip. I had to soak in the atmosphere there. From there, I went to Alaska,” he said.

Another highlight was the ferry ride from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy (Northern Vancouver Island), which took from 7 in the morning until midnight. Bill had to sleep on the ground that night.

“When I was in Whitehorse, the main road towards Dawson was closed because of wildfires,” he recalled. “I was on the Klondike road from Whitehorse to Dawson Creek. Plumes of smoke and smouldering fires were on the roadside. Later on, I saw flames right on the side of the road; it was like a science fiction movie. The adventure part of it was the dirt road from the Klondike to Nunavut through a mountainous area.”

Bill had planned to make his way to Jasper, but the fires changed his plans. Bill spent the night at Golden instead. While having breakfast at a restaurant, he overheard a local firefighter. “He had been at the site at 2:00 in the morning and was describing the situation: 200 ft flames,” he recalled.

Most importantly, he appreciated all the friendly people he was able to talk to during his travels. “You meet so many great people,” he said, tears filling his eyes. People like the cyclist from Edmonton who offered him a seat at his table. They enjoyed a friendly chat before the man left.

“He paid for my lunch. He did what I would have done,” Bill said. “There’s a lot of good, genuine people across the land. Just say hello and the conversation starts very quickly.”

Now, Bill is on the homeward-bound stretch of his journey. He paces himself at 400 kms each day.

“While driving through the mountains, you have to be quite alert all the time for the traffic, and road and weather conditions. But once I hit the prairies, it was so relaxing,” he noted.

We wish Bill a safe and relaxing journey back home. Thanks for sharing your adventure with us.