What is the longest walk you have ever embarked on?
Maybe 20 kilometres?
Have you ever walked across your city?
Let me go a step further, pun intended… Have you ever walked not just to the next town but to the next province?
I have.
In July 2024, I walked across the Alexandra Bridge from Ottawa, Ontario to Gatineau, Quebec.
It was only half a kilometre, but it counts.
But how many have walked across the entire country?
We know of Rick Hansen and Terry Fox, but before them there were five individuals who started walking in an impromptu race that gripped the nation.
I’m Craig Baird, this is Canadian History Ehx and today we are wearing out our shoes as we learn about the Halifax Herald Coast to Coast Race of 1921!
Before we take a step… see what I did there…
Let’s get one thing straight…Canada is a big country.
From Halifax to Vancouver, it’s about 4,200 kilometres.
South America is closer to Africa.
North America is closer to Europe, and Australia is closer to Antarctica, than Halifax is to Victoria.
You could walk from Portugal’s Atlantic Coast to Moscow and still have a few hundred kilometres to spare.
So, ya…Canada is big and walking across it is no easy feat.
Beresford Greatheed, also known as Greathead, was one of the first people in post-Confederation Canada to do it.
In 1895, two clubs in Vancouver sponsored a walk around the world.
The winner would receive $50,000, a small fortune at the time.
The only stipulation was that the journey had to be completed within five years.
Many came forward but Greatheed was selected.
He was a good choice. He was 39 years old, six foot tall and weighed a solid 260 pounds. He could speak four languages and was in excellent shape.
He set off across Canada with no money… just the clothes on his back, a satchel with a notebook, and a rifle with some ammunition.
That was it.
As soon as he set off, he averaged 35 kilometres a day and it would take him a year to walk from Vancouver to Halifax.
To survive in unpopulated areas, he hunted using his rifle and when he had to, he slept on the bare ground.
Once he reached Halifax, he was off to Europe to continue his walk around the world and sadly he walked out of our story.
He did return to Canada, and claimed he did the full walk including being arrested in China and going through 19 pairs of boots.
I don’t know if he ever got the $50,000 though.
For our next cross country walk we fast forward two decades.
In 1921, Canada was still recovering from the First World War.
It had been four years since the guns had fallen silent, and the soldiers returned home.
But then the Spanish Flu hit, killing 50,000 Canadians.
Almost every family was impacted by either war, or illness, or both.
Halifax was still recovering from the worst event in its history when a 2.9 kiloton explosion in Halifax Harbour left 2,000 dead and 9,000 injured.
You can learn more about that in my episode about the Halifax Explosion from early 2024.
So, Canada in 1921, was looking for something inspirational and uplifting…also a bit of distraction.
Enter Charles Burkman and Sid Carr (PAUSE – MUSIC TRANSITION)
Charles Burkman was 20-years-old.
In early January 1921, he had just lost his job at the shipyards in Halifax.
He had worked there for a year because during the war, the shipyards were booming but after the war ended, t business dried up.
Like Burkman, Sid Carr was also young and unemployed.
With no prospects in Halifax, they decided to look for work elsewhere.
We don’t know who suggested Vancouver, but as a result both men decided to walk there to try their luck in the booming economy of the Pacific coast.
To make money, they would sell postcards featuring photographs of their travels at 10 cents each.
The Herald, looking for stories to brighten up the doom and gloom of the early-1920s recession, jumped on board at the suggestion of regular dispatches from their adventure.
On Jan. 15, 1921, the Halifax Herald announced Burkman and Carr were going to walk across the country.
While they wanted to walk faster than Greatheed did twenty years earlier they were in no hurry and planned to take seven months to make the journey averaging28 kilometres a day.
Winter would be a challenge, slowing them down to e no more than 21 kilometres per day but could make up time through the flat prairies.
Since no road existed across the country, their plan was to walk mostly along the Canadian rail system, with a brief foray into Maine in the United States.
On Jan. 17, 1921, the two men were given a letter by John Parker, Mayor of Halifax, to be hand delivered to Robert Gale, Mayor of Vancouver and then… they departed from Halifax City Hall heading west as a large crowd cheered them on.
An unnamed admirer begged to join them, but they refused.
This walk was for the two of them and eventually the wannabe interloper e faded away and sat down on a stone to wave goodbye.
As the men completed their first 21 kilometres to Windsor Junction, they heard cries of “here they come” from a crowd ready to greet them.
That night, they were treated to dinner and given a spare bed to sleep in from a family who requested to be anonymous in the dispatches back to Halifax.
Two-and-a-half days later, the two friends reached their first 100-kilometre milestone as they walked into Truro, Nova Scotia.
Burkman and Carr were given free meals and a room at the hotel.
The Stanfield Underwear Company also provided the men with a pair of long johns.
This proved to be a very fortunate and timely gift because as they set off the next day, the temperature hovered at around -12 degrees Celsius with heavy snow.
They were undeterred, things were going well, and for the next five days and 157 kilometres, the men continued their journey west.
But then on Jan. 22, they received news that would change everything.
Their walk was about to become…. a race.
Because of their dispatches, people in Halifax were transfixed by Burkman and Carr’s efforts.
Especially Jack and Clifford Behan, a father and son team who, like Burkman and Carr, were unemployed.
Both had served in the First World War where Jack rose to the rank of sergeant, while his son Clifford was wounded three times in the conflict.
Father and son thought if those other guys could walk across the country, surely, they could too.
So, Jack Behan went to the Dartmouth Commercial Club to ask for help and wanting to outdo their rivals across the bay the organization gave the pair, boots and backpacks for their journey.
Next, they went to I.W. Vidito, the Mayor of Dartmouth, who provided them with a letter for their journey.
With everything in place, the father and son team went to the Halifax Herald and told them they were going to make the same journey as the other two men but do it faster.
For the newspaper, this was perfect.
Everyone was interested in the walk by Burkman and Carr but with these two it would be a race Jack Behan said,
“We are out to overtake Burkman and Carr, and I am convinced that we will do so before they reach Montreal.
When Burkman heard about the father and son team from Dartmouth he said,
“Well, you can tell the people backing them that no one will overtake us between Amherst and Vancouver unless we break a leg.”
On Jan. 25, Jack and Clifford Behan walked out of Dartmouth City Hall, ready to overtake Burkman and Carr who were 137 kilometres north in Amherst.
Burkman and Carr knew they had to speed up and, on that day, walked 43 kilometres despite a snowstorm as they entered Moncton.
The father and son team were eight days behind them, but they were making fewer stops and after only two days had already gained a few kilometres on the frontrunners.
All of this was too much for Carr.
He wanted a simple walk, and when it became a race, the fun was gone.
He later stated it had sapped his joy for the walk.
Burkman and Carr made it to Moncton, relaxed in the city and only added a few kilometres that day.
But by now they were getting on each other’s nerves.
Burkman wanted to stay ahead of the Behans, but Carr just wanted to walk, he wasn’t interested in the competition.
Meanwhile, the Behans were 180 kilometres behind them in Truro, and they were having the time of their lives.
Jack Behan said, “This hiking is great fun. I had no idea the kind of stuff that boy of mine is made of.”
And just when things seemed like they couldn’t get more interesting, they did when a third team entered the race.
On the same day that Jack Behan boasted about how well things were going, Frank and Jennie Dill walked into the Halifax Herald’s office and announced that they were going to join the race.
The Halifax Herald readily agreed to publish their reports from the road.
Frank and Jennie Dill were a husband-and-wife team from Dartmouth that had been married since 1919.
While Frank was a gifted runner back in his youth in Windsor, Nova Scotia, he would have never joined the race if not for Jennie.
Born to a fishing family, she spent her youth hunting, camping and enjoying the outdoors. She was also a good hockey player and was called the fastest skater in the Maritimes.
After reading the reports from the road Jennie decided that if those guys could do the cross-country walk, she could as well.
As the song from Annie Get Your Gun goes… “Anything you can do, I can do better; I can do anything better than you.”
So, Jennie was sure she could walk across the country and do it faster than all of them Frank may have not been completely on board with the adventure, but he loved his wife, and he knew that once she put her mind to something, there was little stopping her.
Jennie said,
“It was I who suggested the trip. We have both worked hard since we were married and now, we are going to see the world. We have no home ties, not a chick nor a child.”
Frank’s mother would be cheering them on from home and he made sure to call her on a regular basis.
While the Dills prepared, the leading team of Burkman and Carr crumbled.
On Jan. 28, Carr announced that he was no longer happy.
He said,
“I won’t be forced into racing anyone across Canada.”
Carr hopped on a train and returned to Halifax, while Burkman continued alone.
By month’s end, Charles Burkman had covered 479 kilometres, while the Behans walked 254.
They were still well behind but had been able to narrow the gap by 37 kilometres.
On Feb. 1, two weeks after Burkman and Carr and nearly a week after Jack and Clifford Behan entered the race, the Dills walked out of Halifax on their journey west.
2,000 people gathered outside the Halifax Herald office to cheer them on
They were slowed down by heavy snow but gained speed in an effort to catch the three men in front of them.
The Dills were the fan favorites thanks to Jennie, who never wasted an opportunity to state that anything a man could do, a woman could do just as well.
Women came out in droves and when they entered Truro, 1,200 people were waiting for them and they sold 220 postcards.
Like the other walkers, the Dills also received long underwear from Stanfield.
That same day Burkman walked into Maine after completing a hard 32 kilometres in heavy snow.
Despite his good pace, the Behans gained another nine kilometres on him.
Maine would be the only time the racers entered the United States because it was easier to cross through northern Maine to get to Quebec, than go north through New Brunswick to walk along the coast until a railroad bridge could be found.
Meanwhile, the Dills were doing their best to make up time, but throngs of admirers were slowing them down.
At one small town people stopped them to give them gifts and food.
Frank was also becoming a sex symbol and when the couple passed Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, a large group of young women ran out to greet Frank. Jennie wrote,
“I hope we do not pass any more girl college towns on this hike.”
Some questioned whether a woman would be able to walk as far as a man.
Jennie wrote,
“Tomorrow, we will at least go as far as Moncton, 20 miles away, and perhaps, if Frank can stand it, I’ll take him further.”
Jennie, it seemed was racing against men and sexism.
Meanwhile, Burkman was not only racing but gaining popularity as well.
He became The Lone Hiker, and many sided with him after his partner abandoned him.
In Danforth, Maine, a local pastor ushered his congregation out of the church as Burkman passed by and urged them to buy postcards from him to help in his journey.
The Halifax Herald wrote,
“the fact that he has plugged along alone has won him a legion of friends.”
Some worried about his safety in the coming wilds of Northern Ontario, and he received advice to carry a gun so he could shoot any wolves that tried to attack him.
Just as Burkman crossed into Quebec on Feb. 9, the Behans walked into Maine.
Burkham averaged 34.6 kilometres a day while the Behans were at 37 kilometres and gaining.
The Dills, still hounded by fans and crowds, were only managing 28 kilometers.
There was no chance that the Behans would catch Burkman before he reached Montreal now.
He reached Sherbrooke, Quebec on Feb. 15, having walked over 1,000 kilometres and was quickly closing in on Montreal while the Behans were still well behind him.
He wrote,
“I laugh when I think of the boast Jack Behan made about catching me before I reached Montreal. Already I can smell old Craig Street and hear the feet of the French girls skipping along St. Lawrence Maine.”
While Burkman was in Quebec, the Behans were still in Maine, and the Dills were just entering Saint John, New Brunswick.
As they approached, a police officer thought they were vagrants.
He walked up to them and put his hand on Jennie’s shoulder stating,
“This one, can come along with me.”
Frank responded that it was his wife and when Jennie turned around, the police officer immediately recognized her from the newspaper.
He then escorted the couple into Saint John where 1,000 people were waiting for them.
A Canadian National Railroad engineer even wrote a song about her,
“And if your Frank gets weary.
And talks of turning back.
Give him a dose of Nerveline.
Or a bottle of Taniac
Paint his spine with iodine.
Put hemlock oil on, too.
But keep on going, Jennie.
Whatever else you do.”
Meanwhile at the head of the race, Burkman reached Montreal, a month and two days after leaving Halifax on Feb 19 and by now he had gone through 16 pairs of boots while trying to find a pair that fit him well.
All the boots he wore had given him blisters, which he also blamed on his socks.
Optimistic, he said that the worst part was over.
He was wrong.
As Burkman entered Montreal he was greeted as a conquering hero. The Montreal Herald wrote,
“As with head thrown back and chest out, he marched through the streets he was a notable figure, youth and energy vibrated from him.”
That night, he was given a room at the ritzy Windsor Hotel, and he danced the night with his admirers.
Like Frank Dill, he was becoming a bit of a sex symbol and in Montreal he received a stack of letters from admirers in Halifax.
As Burkman danced and fueled a future hangover that would cost him a day of walking, the Behans walked into Sherbrooke, Quebec and 156 kilometres east, the Dills reached Maine.
In Maine, Frank and Jennie were forced to walk through waist deep snow and it was also so cold that while sleeping in a comforter, frost formed on top of them.
In another incident, while walking on the tracks on a downhill section, they had to jump off to avoid a train that suddenly appeared behind them.
They averaged 25 kilometres a day in New Brunswick but were only making 17 to 20 kilometres in Maine.
After Burkman recovered from his epic hangover, he began the 200 kilometre walk west to Ottawa.
He hoped to take a shortcut and gain a day, but he lost his way, allowing the Behans to catch up.
Now, they were only four days behind Burkman.
When they reached Montreal, they were given cigars and new boots, but unlike Burkman, did not spend much time there… They had Burkman in their sights and could taste the lead.
Burkman reached Ottawa and spent a full day meeting with dignitaries.
Prime Minister Arthur Meighen signed his logbook.
He also met F.B. McCurdy, the Minister of Public Works from Halifax and the two played a game of pool.
Ottawa would be the high point for Burkman because his time as leader was coming to a close as the other teams were fast approaching.
Like George Costanza the Behans liked making good time.
On Feb. 28, they walked 56 kilometres in one day, more than double what Burkman walked that same day.
Jack Behan wrote.
“We know we are closing the gap on Burkman and can almost hear him pant as he leads us in the race.”
By the end of February, Burkman had covered 1,490 miles in 42 days,
The Behans 1,382 miles in 34 days and the Dills 928 miles in 27 days.
Hoping to stay ahead, Burkman hoped to walk 85 kilometres in one day to Pembroke, Ontario.
His feet were filled with blisters and instead walked 51 kilometres to Chalk River.
When people told him the Behans were catching up, he said he was going to hold the lead.
Walking into Northern Ontario, and afraid of being attacked by packs of wolves, Burkman bought a gun but then lost an entire day in North Bay while waiting for it to be repaired and had to buy new boots.
The Dills, meanwhile, walked into Montreal where they celebrated their second wedding anniversary on March 10.
They didn’t rest on their laurels and instead, they walked straight through.
Far ahead of them, the Behans were now only one day behind Burkman.
In Halifax a man put down a $1,000 bet that the Behans would finally overtake Burkman by March 12. That would be $16,680 today and was no small bet at the time either.
On March 11, the Behans were only 14 kilometres behind Burkman, and they would have caught him, but Burkman had figured out an ingenious solution to walk on the railroad track.
He took a long stick and attached a roller skate on one end which allowed him to balance on one rail, while the roller skate was on the other rail making him gain speed but not enough.
On March 12, Burkman decided it was more important to visit old friends, which cost him a half a day, in Sudbury as the Behans closed in but the man in Halifax had lost the bet.
After his visit with friends Burkman reached Chelmsford that night and asked a telegraph operator to wire back to Azilda, the station between Sudbury and Chelmsford, to see if the Behans were staying the night.
The Behans told the telegraph operator they were going to stop in Azilda for the night and Burkman remained in Chelmsford and went to sleep with the competition safely behind him.
What he didn’t know was that the Behans had lied and were walking through the night.
They reached Chelmford and slept in the room next to his
The owner of the hotel woke Burkman at 2 a.m. to tell him his competition was sleeping next doo.
Burkman got up quickly and went out into the darkness to continue his walk.
The Behans left their room in hot pursuit.
At dawn, eight kilometres away from Larchwood, the Behans caught up to him.
The men exchanged greetings and congratulated each other on the race so far.
They walked off together in the growing morning light and for the rest of the day until they reached Cartier.
The Behans and Burkman appeared to be happy and 550 kilometres east to the Dills reached Ottawa that same day, also, happy to have crossed into Ontario.
The Dills met with Prime Minister Arthur Meighen and Opposition Leader William Lyon Mackenzie King.
Jennie called the walk into Ottawa the best day of the race so far.
Now walking together, the Behans and Burkman traded the lead and for several days they were even until Burkman pulled ahead on March 18 by fooling the Behans like they a week earlier.
The Behans expected that Burkman tow sleep at Woman River, Ontario because it was late, but he kept walking and slept in the camp of a railroad gang.
Meanwhile, the Behans asked for directions and were led astray. It cost them two days and allowed Burkman to extend his lead.
The Behans were furious and believed that Burkman was behind the ruse.
A few hundred kilometres behind them, Jennie and Frank Dill made their way through northern Ontario when a wolf suddenly jumped out in front of them.
Before Frank could react, Jennie pulled out her revolver and killed it with one shot.
She wrote.
“I was by no means excited.”
Jennie was instead stone cold… but still behind the Behans who finally caught Burkman in White River.
Burkham had refused to wire the Halifax Herald so he could keep his whereabouts secret.
Two days later, Burkman attempted to fool the Behans again by slipping into the night and as he walked in -25-degree Celsius weather, he heard Jack Behan behind him.
They were not going to be fooled again.
The next day, the Behans left before Burkman and arrived first at Lake Superior.
While at a watering station on its shores, a train pulled up and out walked the 9th Duke of Devonshire, Victor Christian William Cavendish, the Governor General of Canada.
He signed their log book and gave them a silver basket full of fruit.
He then left on the train and the duo continued on.
Meanwhile Burkman continued to withhold updates, believing telegraph operators were leaking information to the Behans.
Burkman said,
“Jack Behan is pretty chummy with some of the folks up this way. I know that every day he arrived at a telegraph office, he would try and locate me.”
On March 31, a terrible blizzard enveloped them and The Behans were advised not to continue but they heard a rumour that Burkman had passed them.
That was not true, but they had no way of knowing it.
The father and son walked out into the storm and covered 25 kilometres.
At one point, they crawled across a long trestle 18 metres above the ground as wind and snow swirling around them.
The Behans had no idea where Burkman was and had expected to pass him during the day.
In fact, no one knew where Burkman was.
He appeared to have simply vanished.
(BEAT MUSIC TRANSITION)
On April 1, the Dills had their best day as they covered 56 kilometres.
But at mark 45 Frank Dill began to falter as Jennie pushed him to complete the final 11 kilometres that day.
The next day, the Behans walked into Cavers, Ontario on the north shore of Lake Superior to pick up mail at the post office.
As they looked through their mail, Burkman walked in and slapped them on the back.
He had covered an incredible 62 kilometres to catch them.
For the next few days, the men walked together and were happy to have company as wolves seemed to always be on their heels.
One night, while in an empty cabin, they heard wolves howling outside the door.
On April 6 the trio entered Port Arthur, now known as Thunder Bay, where hundreds of people were at the train station to greet Burkman, their hometown hero.
His parents were also on hand. It had been a long time since Burkman had seen his family and he decided at that moment there were more important things in life than winning a race.
Burkman spent two days with his parents, while the Behans took the lead for good.
He said,
“I promised them that at home and I shall keep my promise. I had hoped, though, when I made that promise to have at least seven or eight days on the Behans, but since I have not there is no use to cry over spilt milk.”
(PAUSE – MUSIC TRANSITION)
While the Behans and Burkman marched from Lake Superior, the Dills were approaching the great lake and Woman River, Ontario.
Throughout the previous few weeks, Jennie Dill had written in her dispatches about her admiration for Charles Burkman. She wrote,
“We are hoping that Charlie wins and we only wish we had as many friends along the route as this boy has.”
Burkman and Jennie Dill also began to exchange letters along the way. and Frank Dill became jealous.
Jennie wrote,
“The other day I got a letter from Charlie Burkman and then today I got another one. I told Frank that he was silly, but he said it looked fishy to him.”
When asked about a possible growing romance between the two walking rivals, Burkman shot things down immediately,
“He need have no fear of me. I did write twice to encourage her along, as I think she is the pluckiest woman in Canada, however, I am not waiting for any woman.”
After the two-day rest, Burkman left his hometown, as the Behans reached Savanne, Ontario, the halfway point of the race.
They were 2,978 kilometres from Halifax and Burkman again went silent, as many believed he was making up ground by taking shortcuts in an area he knew well.
In truth, he had fallen on a slippery rail and injured his hip.
It took him eight days to make the 247 kilometres journey to Ignace, Ontario from Port Arthur.
During that stretch, he still somehow averaged 30 kilometres per day, sadly the same distance was covered by the Behans in half the time.
Meanwhile the Dills reached Cavers on April 13, where they lost time getting their boots repaired and while they waited, they were entertained at a party until it was time to leave.
As they walked towards Gurney, 17 kilometres away, a group of women motored on ahead and cooked a meal outdoors for the Dills to enjoy when they arrived.
Three days later, the Dills reached Port Arthur where they realized they were closing the gap on Burkman.
In the lead the Behans reached Winnipeg, four days later, where they put their feet in the Red River and relaxed while Burkman reached Kenora, Ontario and was now 208 kilometres behind the father and son team.
Burkman was injured and the joy had left him as he had little chance of catching the Behans now.
His morale was low, and the Halifax Herald reports became even more sporadic as he didn’t want anyone to know just how far behind, he had fallen.
The Behans spent two days in Winnipeg visiting with army friends, as Burkman remained at least a week behind as he entered Kenora and The Dills on his heels only 137 kilometres behind him in Dryden, Ontario.
Jennie Dill wrote,
“It is the Behans we are trying to catch. I feel sorry for Burkman, who has been travelling in hard luck of late.”
By the beginning of May, the weather warmed, and the snowstorms of Ontario were long gone.
All three teams would enjoy the flat land of the Prairies and would make excellent time.
Burkman was still plagued by blisters on his feet, and his pace slowed down as the Dills sped up.
On May 9, the Dills reached Whitewood, Manitoba where a telephone operator told them they were only 32 kilometres behind Burkman.
Rather than try to stay ahead, Burkman sat down and waited for them.
His feet were raw from the walking and fortwo weeks, he had been barely able to walk because of the pain.
The Dills passed Burkman on May 10 when they covered 82 kilometres to Indian Head, Saskatchewan.
Now ahead of Burkman, the Dills, and specifically Jennie, had the Behans in her sights.
Knowing that Jennie Dill was going to push hard to catch them, the Behans did their best to stay ahead.
When they reached Medicine Hat on May 17, the Dills were gaining 16 to 20 kilometres a day.
Five days later on May 22, Jennie and Frank were only 99 kilometres from the lead and Jennie had no intentions of slowing down.
She wrote in a dispatch on May 23,
“Race well in hand. Few will ever know what the struggle meant to me, although I feel fine. Frank will never forgive me for the manner in which I have made him walk. When he wanted to rest, I wanted to keep going and while I do not think that Frank is a quitter, I pride myself with the thought that I have kept him going.”
But Jennie, there was trouble ahead as they approached Calgary.
Frank Dill had many friends in the city, and he wanted to stay and visit.
The Behans walked into Calgary on May 24, and the Dills were only two days behind.
On May 25 at 7 a.m., the Behans left the city and walked 64 kilometres towards the Rocky Mountains.
The next day at 2 a.m., the Dills arrived in Calgary having covered 83 kilometres.
Jennie wrote.
“This has been the longest hike we have made. Frank would have been quite willing to stop at the 40-mile mark, but I said, No Frank, I am hungry to win the race.”
Jennie was tired but knew that the race would soon be over, and she could rest in Halifax, until then, she would press on even if it meant dragging Frank along with her.
While she was able to keep Frank from stopping in Calgary for long the couple lost half a day and only walked 16 kilometres
Jennie was not pleased and wrote “I told him not to stay more than 10 minutes, and he stayed almost that many hours and we lost practically a day.”
As Frank lived it up with friends, the Behans walked into Banff, having suffered from nosebleeds the entire day due to the altitude.
The Dills walked into Banff the next day as the Behans slept 56km west outside in Lake Louise.
Jennie could taste victory, and there was little Frank could do to stop her.
On May 30, the Behans arrived in Field, British Columbia in the morning, and the Dills arrived in the afternoon.
They were gaining on them as Burkman lagged behind only entering the Rocky Mountains but appeared to be the happiest, he had been for weeks.
No longer trying to win, he could take his time and just enjoy a walk.
He sent in a dispatch on May 30,
“Some, I suppose, will criticize me for letting a woman pass me but few know what I have done since I left Halifax. It has been a hard, long, lonesome grind and many times I would have felt different if I had company, but I decided to stick and stick I will until I reach Vancouver.”
On June 1, the Behans were walking towards Revelstoke when Clifford suddenly felt a massive spasm shoot through his back.
He told his father to go on without him, and he would take the train.
Instead, Jack ran 32 kilometres ahead to Revelstoke, found a bed for his son at the YMCA and got a doctor who diagnosed him with a cold in the back muscle.
Sleeping outside on the platform in Lake Louise caused the back problem and Clifford recovered after a few hours in bed.
To ensure a fair race, Clifford Behan took the midnight train back to Albert Canyon and then walked back to Revelstoke through the dawn of June 2, retracing the steps his father had already made.
Now nearing the end of the race, the Dills and Behans pushed like never before.
They were covering at least 50 kilometres a day to reach Vancouver.
On June 4, the Behans walked without sleep into Kamloops to stay ahead.
Four days later, the Dills had narrowed the gap to just one day.
Jack Behan wrote in a dispatch,
“The trip is wearing us both down.”
Burkman was making up time and walked 79 kilometres in one day on June 9 to reach Kamloops. After resting for a few hours, he continued on.
The Behans were only 98 kilometres from Vancouver on June 10th and after resting during the day, they set off in the evening and walked for the next 22 hours straight to reach their destination.
The next day at 2:30 p.m., they walked into Vancouver as an immense crowd greeted them.
The Behans were first on June 11 and the Dills were only 97 kilometres behind them.
In her dispatch, Jennie did not congratulate the Behans and blamed the loss on the stopover in Calgary.
Burkman stated in his dispatch,
“I know I’m beaten in the great Trans-Canada hike, but I am going to finish it out and believe me I’ll make better time in the home stretch than any of the other hikers.”
And in that he was right.
He completed the walk from Field to Vancouver, over 500 kilometres, in 12 days. That same distance had taken the Behans 14 days and the Dills 16 days.
On June 14 at 5:30 p.m., the Dills walked into Vancouver.
A few days later, Burkman walked into the city.
The great hike across Canada was over.
But was there a clear winner?
Well, it’s hard to tell…the Behans clearly finished first.
But then things get a bit murky.
The Dills crossed the country the quickest.
Their journey only took 134 days, four days faster than the Behans and six days faster than Burkman.
Using this rationale, the Halifax Herald declared that the Dills the winners.
But what happened after the race was done?
In Vancouver, the Behans, Dills and Burkman were honoured with a large reception and a group photo was taken to commemorate the event.
Even though Jennie Dill was the one who pushed to finish the race faster than anyone else, the Halifax Herald made sure to downplay her accomplishment. “No one should get the impression from this race that woman is better than man. Nature contradicts that assumption in spite of this exception.”
Now that the race was over, almost immediately, all five vanished from the news., to put it mildly, no one cared about them anymore.
All of them spent more than they earned in postcard sales.
The Dills had spent at least $500, or $8,500 today, and made only a fraction back in sales.
Burkman made his way back across the country in the hope he could now walk around the world with his friend Fred Hubly.
Just like before, his walking partner left soon after they started, and Burkman continued on alone.
According to Burkman, he had a wager with someone who would pay him $20,000 if he completed the worldwide walk and received 25,000 signatures on the journey.
On the way back east, he spoke in various towns about his walk.
In Brantford in March 1922, he said,
“I like Brantford about as well as any place I’ve struck yet.”
Burkman never completed that around the world walk.
He married Emily Blakenly in 1925, but she died less than a year later.
Burkman died in Chicago in 1968.
Meanwhile Frank Dill lived only a short while and died in late-1928.
Jennie Dill eventually remarried. She died in 1941 in Halifax.
Jack and Clifford Behan moved to the United States and lived long lives.
In 1956, Jack Behan said of the race,
“We came home broke, our families in debut and we couldn’t get work. We had to move to the United States to pay our debts.”
He died soon after.
Clifford Behan spent the rest of his life in obscurity, and I was unable to find out when he passed away.
So, what can we take from the story of the five who walked across Canada?
They had taken an epic journey and went from obscurity to fame within their first steps towards the west.
But when it was done, everyone else moved on and all the walkers had left were the memories of their journey.
Each had their reasons for the walk, and each lived their lives afterwards.
And as they walked down the street later in life, those around them never knew what they had done years earlier.
The thing is, you never know what others have gone through, unless you walk a mile in their shoes.
And in the case of the five individuals in this story, they inspired a nation, even for a short while.
