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SOS 2 Ottawa Trekkers Tale

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Created on Sunday, 20 May 2012 15:58
Written by Press Release
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402 KM IN 14 DAYS, SOS TREKKERS WON’T STOP BEFORE CHANGE
A group of seven trekkers and two dogs are on day 15 of their cross-Canada walk to Ottawa as an initiative to facilitate the empowerment of people living in Canada.
 
The group left Mile 0 in Victoria, BC on May 1st, making their way up Vancouver Island to Nanaimo before crossing to the mainland. The trek is currently about two days behind the intended schedule, which can be found on their website (www.sos2ottawa.wordpress.com), as the group faced several set-backs in the Lower Mainland.
 
Despite these hold-ups, the trekkers are in good spirits and have been enjoying the support of community members along their route, who have been offering meals, lodging, and constructive discussion about a better Canada. The SOS trekkers left Chilliwack just after dawn on May 15th and are determined to make it to Hope where they will spend the night before embarking on HWY 3 through lower BC.
 
 
On To Ottawa SOS Trek Creates Network Of Change-Makers,
Spreading Message of Empowerment All Across Canada
 
Inspired by the original 1935 On-to-Ottawa Trek, this walk, which is in solidarity with Leo Baskatawang's First Nation's March4Justice and the Aboriginal Unity Walk, aims to connect people from all across the country in order to build strong collaboration and momentum around the various and diverse issues faced by people living in Canada.
 
The trek is networking with communities all along the 4.5 month route in order to gather in regional meetings, workshops, and demonstrations. Walkers, bikers, and support drivers are encouraged join the trek for a few hours, a few weeks, or a few months in order to bring the peoples' perspective back into power and create an alternate vision to that of Harper's conservative regime.
 
So why should Canadians care about this trek?
 
Emily Gale had this to say:
 
“People always say that Canadians are apathetic, but I see the bigger problem being that people living in Canada are dis-empowered. While some people are completely ignorant to the injustices in our country and world, there are many others who know of these things but feel helpless and hopeless in face of them, thus making apathy the easiest way to cope. I think it is going to take the commitment and energy of hundreds of thousands of people living in Canada to demand and create the changes we need to see, but people need to feel that their voice is important and that they can make a difference. For me, the trek is about building empowerment and a strong network of change-makers all across Canada so that we can support each other as we create change in the most powerful way - together.”
 
Walker Brent Talbot talks about how to support the Trek:
 
“At this point we have decided we are dedicated, really dedicated. We would love for you to join up with us. We have had so much support from everywhere. We are gathering information from different communities - this is our intention. In order for that to happen we need to have events set up, but we need them set up with a little leniency for time, a few hours is usually enough, as we said we never know what’s going to happen on the road.”
 
What the trekkers have asked for is simple things; such as a place to pitch their tents, dog food, water, prepaid phone cards for telus and rogers and for people to come and join them on the journey for justice. Their goal is to get to ottawa before mid-september.
 
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
If you’d like more information on this topic or to schedule an interview with the trek, please email Keith Hirshe at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call him at 250 929 5586 (home) or 250 510 3700 (cell).
 
More information and updates on the website: www.sos2ottawa.wordpress.com