Tour de Rock ride makes its way to the Comox Valley
Nearly two dozen Tour de Rock riders made their way into the Comox Valley on Wednesday, the fifth day of their cycling journey across Vancouver Island to raise money for childhood cancer research.
The year marks the 25th anniversary of the event, and rider Robin Campbell from Courtenay, B.C., was happy to be heading for her hometown.
"It's for a great cause," Campbell said. "I have a little junior rider. Her name is Amaeya. She is my shining star and I’m doing this for her."
The Courtenay rider is also part of the Cups for Cancer campaign, an equestrian fundraiser that benefits the same cause.
"This year, there’s a little girl from an elementary school we're going to be going to who raised $6,000 for a buckle that was in memory of my previous partner," she said.
The $6,000 donation was just one of many collected at school events in the region.
"A lot of people look at this as a two-week commitment," said Steve Robinson, a Saanich police officer and the team's spokesperson. "But the team has been training for eight months, so this is really full-time, really a lifestyle while you’re training for this ride.
"I had a fairly significant bout with my own cancer in 2009 and tried out for the team the next year and actually made one of the bike seats in 2011," Robinson added.
John Belanger has spent 12 years with the team as a motorcycle escort, keeping the team safe as the riders travel down island highways and streets.
"I always tell people you have to have your head on a swivel, otherwise somebody's going to get hurt," he said.
The Tour de Rock ride is expected to make it to Victoria at the end of their 1,200-kilometre ride on Oct. 7.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Gangs netting up to US$3 trillion a year as Southeast Asia human trafficking becomes a global crisis, Interpol says
Human trafficking-fuelled fraud is exploding in Southeast Asia with organized crime rings raking in close to US$3 trillion in illicit revenue annually, the head of Interpol has said in comments that reveal the huge profits being earned by cartels.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Statistics Canada reports real GDP up 0.6% in January as Quebec strikes end
Statistics Canada says real gross domestic product grew 0.6 per cent in January, helped by the end of public sector strikes in Quebec in November and December.
Ukrainian child asylum seekers in St. John’s get class of their own
Roughly 50 children will gathered in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.