Hiking the Dream: A Family's Four-Month Trek Along the Trans Canada Trail

Christine Hughes is manager, Policy Coordination, Developmental Services
Branch, Ontario Ministry of Community, Family and Children’s Services.

In May 2000, Kathy Didkowsky, her three children ranging in age from 13
to 21, and a visiting exchange professor from Germany left their home in
Nova Scotia for St. John’s, Newfoundland, where they started out on
Hike 2000. This four-month adventure involved walking 20 kilometres a
day for 10 days in each province for a total distance of 2000 kilometres
along the Trans Canada Trail, the longest trail in the world, linking
Canada from coast to coast. Other family members and friends joined them
as they made their way across Canada to their final destination of
Victoria, B.C.

This book, beautifully illustrated with many black-and-white and color
photographs, as well as route maps, is divided into chapters starting
with Newfoundland and working westward to British Columbia. The
chapters, which trace their trip as each day was traveled, contain diary
entries from the various hikers and those who walked short distances
with them along the way. It is not written as a guidebook for others
interested in hiking the Trans Canada Trail, although the Didkowsky
family certainly might inspire them. Rather, it tells the story of a
family’s love of Canada and the people they met along the way who
unstintingly shared their homes, food, stories, song, and camaraderie.

Much of the Trans Canada Trail is built along abandoned railway lines
and Didkowsky, who was a founding member of the Nova Scotia Trans Canada
Trails Council, purposefully sought out and interviewed former
railroaders throughout her trip. One gets a sense of the devastating
impact of the decline of Canada’s rail system on numerous small
railway communities dotted along the Hike 2000 route.

Readers of this book will certainly come away with a greater
appreciation for the vastness and beauty of Canada.