Why Is Road to the Monument Campaign Important to Me

Why am I involved with the Road To The Monument campaign? It will be a two-week-long commitment of personal finances and time away from home. The weather will be unpredictable and the route – as much as we can plan it out in advance – will be arduous at times. So why, at age 61 and four years out of EMS, is this campaign so important to me?

About three years ago, I founded the non-profit organization The Human Behind The Responder. Our premise centers on a fundamental truth: behind every 911 call is a human being. Our motto, "movement is medicine," reflects my lifelong belief that physical activity and community are vital to everyone’s well-being—and it is no different for first responders.

This is The Human Behind The Responder motto

That is why the Road To The Monument (RTTM) campaign is a deeply personal calling. For over a decade, the Canadian Paramedic Memorial Foundation has worked toward establishing a National Paramedic Monument in Ottawa. Canadian paramedics still do not have a dedicated national space to honour their commitment, service, and at times, the ultimate sacrifice—a reality that hit us earlier this year when PEI paramedics Mike McKenzie and Jenna Croucher died while on duty.

When the RTTM Crew starts Year-1 from St. John's, Newfoundland, we aren't just riding bikes across tough terrain and into Atlantic headwinds. We are carrying the legacy of Canadian paramedics forward. Our crew is so far comprised of Dwayne & K9 George, Michael, Randy, Natalie, and me. The heaviest work will be in the planning. We only have six months from today to lay down a solid plan. Once hundreds of details are covered ahead of time, the execution of this campaign should be smooth.

Road To The Monument logo

While cycling 1,500 km through unpredictable weather and rugged terrain demonstrates our level of commitment, this campaign is not about the bike. The bike is simply the vehicle. We will refrain from posting how many kilometers we do each day, because that’s not what is important.  We will post about the people we meet.

The Route from St. John's to Halifax

The true heart of this mission happens off the saddle: in-person meetings with MPs, paramedic service employees, families of the fallen, and community members along the route. By showing up in person instead of sending an email and, while taking our own health seriously by training up for this activity, we will amplify the message: that behind every dispatch and paramedic uniform is a human. It is the people of the profession of paramedicine who deserve to be recognized with a national monument. May the RTTM campaign be a catalyst for the realization of an idea spawned by the CPMF over a decade ago.

The goal of the RTTM mission is to put hundreds of these 'message in bottle' into the hands of people we will meet along the route

Movement is medicine

Many Partners. One Mission. One Monument.