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Medicine Hat couple completes Epic Journey

Oct 4, 2018 | 5:47 PM

 

MEDICINE HAT, AB — A Medicine Hat couple completed a journey that was three years in the making.

Bart and Lisa Campbell travelled 10 days in September from Medicine Hat to Hague, Saskatchewan. The reason for the journey’s length? They were doing it in a 1926 Chevrolet Superior V.

Bart got the idea for the journey while reading a book about Saskatchewan’s history during the Great Depression. A photo of a farmer with his children stuck with him.

“I see this photo probably over 300 times in the course of a year, and it starts to intrigue me,” he said. “The parts about the photo, the people with bare feet, the lady holding a baby, the fellow, he looks so disappointed.”

Abraham Fehr is the farmer in the photo. A native of Hague, he travelled west during the Great Depression for better farming opportunities, but eventually had to return to his hometown.

Learning about Fehr’s story inspired Bart to pitch the idea of a road trip to Hague in a similar vehicle to his wife.

“About April this year, when I threw her the idea that we were going to leave like Abraham Fehr with no money, that’s the switching point with the leap of faith where the trip took on an entirely new dimension,” he said.

“I was very uncomfortable and frankly said ‘No, I don’t want to go with you,’” said Lisa. “Then he said, ‘well, I’ll go without you.’ I said that doesn’t sound good. I couldn’t have him there by himself.”

It took three years for Bart to find the Superior V Fehr was driving.

On Sept. 4, the Campbells, along with Fred and Terri Holt, left Medicine Hat in their vintage vehicles, travelling to Saskatchewan.

It was an interesting drive, considering the car only has a top speed of about 50 kilometres/hour, and a three speed transmission.

“The steering is like herding cats,” said Bart. “It’s a loose steering, it likes to grab all the ruts in the road and chase them, and so you are paying attention.”

While on their journey, the two couples performed odd jobs in exchange for food lodging and even extra fuel.

“That people just came up with a Jerry can and put a couple of gallons in, or came with a sandwich, or came with some beef jerky, or came with something, it was overwhelming the emotion,” said Bart.

“It became very humbling as more people joined in and helped out and were just willing to do whatever they could to help us and see us get to Hague,” says Lisa.

When they arrived in Hague, the couple were able to meet three of Abraham’s grown children who were in the photo.

“The Fehr family had 120 people assembled for a family reunion, and these individuals were there,” said Bart. “They got to sit in the car, and the family took thousands of pictures.”

Since returning to Medicine Hat, Bart says people have been inspired

Bart says since coming home, the trip has inspired people in different ways, from wanting to learn more about history, to affirming their faith in the kindness of others.

Although the journey will always be a part of who he is, Bart says he will never try to recreate it.

“I just can’t take what turned out so perfectly and ever change it,” he said. “I want to leave it alone.”

Highlights on the trip can be found on Facebook at My Epic Journey 2018.