Photos: Courtesy of the Turnbull family
When Andrew “Andy” Turnbull and his son Judah Turnbull arrived in Thunder Bay in June as part of their 7,500-kilometre charity ride, they found both help and a warm local welcome.
During their stay, the pair attended a Sunday service at Hilldale Lutheran Church and returned the following morning for the church’s weekly pancake breakfast.
The Turnbulls cycled across Canada, from Victoria on the Pacific coast to St. John’s on the Atlantic. Their Ride for Resilience journey, undertaken in support of nurses’ mental health, began on May 7th and ended 58 days later, on July 4th.
A local connection
Father and son reached Thunder Bay on Saturday, June 6th. A connection with a local volunteer and experienced long-distance cyclist Kari Jämsä had already been made before their arrival.
Kanadan Sanomat Editor-in-Chief Liisa Qureshi had been in contact with Andy’s brother Carl Turnbull through her work and learned about the ride from him. Carl, who joined the cyclists in Winnipeg on May 31st and served as their support driver for two weeks, told Liisa that they would be travelling through Thunder Bay. She suggested that he contact Jämsä.
On Sunday, June 7th, Andrew and Judah attended the service at Hilldale Lutheran Church at Jämsä’s invitation. Andy had a chance to speak to the congregation about the journey, its background and their fundraising goal.
Jämsä’s local knowledge also proved useful in a practical way. Bicycle problems during the journey meant the pair needed a replacement part and repairs. Jämsä told Kanadan Sanomat that he helped them find the replacement part and a repair shop open on Sundays, allowing them to continue their journey.
As an experienced long-distance cyclist himself, Jämsä understood what riders on such a long trip might need. Carl’s assistance with transporting their gear covered the particularly demanding stretch between Nipigon and Sault Ste. Marie, which Jämsä knew from experience for its long, steep hills. He has cycled from Thunder Bay to Toronto and from Thunder Bay to Sudbury twice, each time for the Finnish Canadian Grand Festival. Some of his long-distance rides in both Canada and Finland have also raised funds for causes including youth sports and the festival.
On Monday morning, the Turnbulls resumed their journey near Kakabeka Falls, where they had finished Saturday’s leg. They returned to Hilldale for the pancake breakfast before continuing toward Nipigon for another long day of cycling.
Andy also spoke about the fundraiser, and those gathered showed considerable interest in the journey and supported the cause with donations. Carl told Kanadan Sanomat that just over $500 was raised for the fundraiser at Hilldale.
In his travel blog, Andy described the people they met at Hilldale as friendly and genuinely interested in their cause. He wrote that he and Judah were grateful for the support they received and for a second breakfast before setting out on the long ride ahead.
Riding in support of nurses’ mental health
Ride for Resilience grew out of the life story of Andy’s mother, Debby. She was working as a nurse at Pasqua Hospital in Regina when she injured her back while assisting a patient.
According to the family, Debby was diagnosed with serious mental illness following the workplace injury, was unable to return to nursing, and has lived in institutional care for more than 20 years. She has since also developed cancer.
On the fundraising page, Andy writes that despite the difficulties she has faced, his mother has retained her warmth, sense of humour and a “compassionate nurse’s heart.” Through her long-term care, the family has seen firsthand how important the care and support provided by nurses has been throughout Debby’s life.
The purpose of the ride was to raise awareness of the mental health challenges faced by nurses and to raise funds to help address those challenges. Andy wrote that true resilience also means relying on others and accepting support when it is needed.
The fundraiser initially aimed to raise $15,000. Donations were directed through CanadaHelps to the Canadian Nurses Foundation and its Healing Healthcare Initiative, which supports nurses’ mental health through local training programs.
After reaching St. John’s and completing the ride, the Turnbulls raised their fundraising goal to $20,000 before the fundraiser ends on August 14th.
As of August 9th, the CanadaHelps fundraising page reported $20,651 in donations.
The Turnbulls’ Thunder Bay stop included a visit to Hilldale Lutheran Church’s Monday pancake breakfast, a weekly Finnish-Canadian community gathering. Read more about the breakfast tradition here.
