Manitoba couple completes Red River cart journey for Ukrainian children
A Manitoba couple has completed a two-week journey by Red River cart to raise money for children in Ukraine.
Armand Jerome and his wife Kelly spent years planning their Red River cart trip along the same trail used by the Red River Metis more than a century ago.
The two were originally supposed to take the journey in 2019 as part of Manitoba's 150th birthday celebrations.
"We were involved in the Manitoba 150 celebration. We had done the dog sled trek from Kenora up to the Whitemouth River," Jerome said. "A couple of months later we were supposed to pick up the Red River carts and hook them up with horses, and then we were supposed to finish the trek."
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic put an end to those plans.
A few years later, Jerome still had the urge to complete the journey – he just needed a good reason to do it. He found it on the nightly news.
"We discovered that there was these children that were suffering, innocent children suffering the effects of the (Ukraine) war out there and we felt really bad about them we kind of heard their call for help," said Jerome.
They decided to take their Red River carts on a nearly 100 kilometre journey along the Dawson Trail. The group started in Hadashville, Man. and rode west to the centre of Canada, all in an effort to raise money for children affected by the war in Ukraine.
Jerome's background is Metis and his wife's Ukrainian, so he felt it was a great way to bring the two sides together.
The Jeromes brought two Red River carts on their trek, along with four covered wagons, and a few outriders on horseback scouting ahead. They stayed at various campsites along the way, garnering donations through a GoFundMe page.
Jerome said they had many people join them along the way. "We left it open for them to come and join us, they're more than welcome to come with us and they're inspired to do something like this, to make a difference," he said.
He added that the trip was not an easy one with a few injuries along the way, and some stressful moments. "It became a level four forest fire hazard, we had to kind of rush out of there towards Richer," Jerome said. "That made for a very long strenuous day."
The group came together to finish the journey Sunday at the longitudinal centre of Canada, just east of Winnipeg.
Jerome said it was an amazing experience. "We had some rough days, we had some really good days in the end we made it to the Centre of Canada on time and were just really proud of what we did."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Federal government bans watercraft from Manitoba lake popular with tourists
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
Her SUV was stolen in Montreal. A Good Samaritan on Facebook helped her get it back
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.