A French couple from Paris is currently travelling across Canada on bicycles to raise funds for reforestation.
They reached Medicine Hat on Tuesday.
Solene Soton and Kevin Firmin started the Green Bikes project when they witnessed the wildfires in Kelowna last year.
Their trip started in Vancouver at the beginning of April and is expected to end in Quebec in early to mid-June.
Soton said they aren’t dedicated cyclists, but took on the challenge to support a cause.
“We’re trying to raise $10,000 to replant 10,000 trees in areas affected by wildfire,” Soton said.
“Everything will be donated to an association, which is called One Tree Planted. We are trying to get as much visibility as we can so people can donate and help us and support the cause,” she added.
“It’s not only for Canada. It’s for the planet in general.”
The couple has averaged close to 100 kilometres per day on their trip so far, staying in hostels and with host families.
“We moved to Canada a year ago, mainly living in BC and a bit in Alberta, like traveling and working. And we’ve always wanted to cross Canada to visit the eastern side,” Soton said.
“We decided to do it by bike because we want to promote green tourism too. We have a two-year visa, so we are quite settled in Canada for now,” she added.
“It’s a beautiful country, so we might stay a bit longer.”
Their Medicine Hat host family picked them up off the side of the Highway 1 near Suffield on Tuesday, because they got a flat tire on their way from Brooks in the rain.
They are planning on leaving Medicine Hat on Thursday after conditions improve.
Fermin said there has been a number of challenges including the weather and wind on the prairies.
“One of the biggest challenges is the mental, because you have to spend a lot of hours on the bike and it’s long. It’s really long,” Soton said.
“You have to find a way to escape like listening to podcasts or music or thinking about a lot of things,” he added.
“The biggest challenge was the Rockies because of the elevation gain. And it was pretty hard because it was at the beginning of the trip, so the body wasn’t used to biking all day long.”
The couple has enjoyed the friendliness of Canadians.
Those interested in supporting the couple’s effort can visit thegreenbikes.com to learn more or donate. Donations can also be made through One Tree Planted.
