THUNDER BAY – A Kelowna man’s cross-country trek to call attention to what he calls the neglect of veterans and First Nations passed through Thunder Bay over the weekend.
Warren Parke, who also goes by The Old Man online, has been walking with a large, 40-pound wooden cross since mid-December, when he left Kelowna.
The dramatic gesture is a culmination of his frustration with the federal government and desire to drive positive change, he said Sunday as he visited the Terry Fox monument just east of the city.
“There are just certain things that are being neglected, I feel,” he said. “If the powers that be aren’t going to do their job, I feel it’s up to us as Canadians to do it ourselves.”
He specifically highlighted inadequate services for veterans and the Trudeau government’s failure to resolve drinking water issues for First Nations.
“I had come to the end of my rope when I was working on a First Nations Reserve which had no drinkable water,” he writes on his gofundme page. “I couldn’t even brush my teeth without buying a bottle of water.”
The walk has raised nearly $9,000 through gofundme and donations he’s received in person along the route. He plans to end the walk in Ottawa, he said, disbursing the proceeds to organizations dealing with issues including veterans, First Nations, mental health, autism, and cancer.
A small group of supporters showed up at the Terry Fox monument Sunday to see him off, drawn by passion for the causes he supports, admiration for his feat of endurance, or a shared dislike of the Trudeau government.
One woman who identified herself as Ava had hosted Parke while he rested for three nights in Thunder Bay. A former massage therapist, she wanted to offer support after hearing about his journey on social media.
Parke has sustained multiple injuries over the course of his walk, he reported, including a dislocated shoulder and injured foot, which was in a brace as he set off Sunday.
“His body was a little bit of a wreck,” when he arrived, Ava said.
However, she had no doubt he could make it to Ottawa.
“What he has is the power of his mind, and he’s very determined,” she said.
