Follow Ramesh's Journey

Today was another beautiful day for the Cycle to Walk team in the prairie city of Regina. This morning, Cycle to Walk visited the Living Spirit Community Centre to share the message of polio eradication, education and rehabilitation. The centre is the church-home for Anglican, Lutheran, and United Church members, and there are services scheduled for the different denominations at different times. It was great to sit down with the children to talk about polio and about Cycle to Walk. Several kids even tried out the hand cycle that’s taken us from the coast, through the mountains, and in to the prairies.

It’s so important that Canadians immunize their children from polio. A full 11 per cent of our population is vulnerable to the disease at this time. We’ve had the solution to polio for 53 years now; I contracted polio 25 years after the first vaccine was released. Thank you to the congregations at the Living Spirit Community Centre for inviting Cycle to Walk to share our message of Polio Eradication, Education, and Rehabilitation with you. 

Polio remains endemic in four countries around the world, and it’s so contagious that anyone who’s not immunized is at risk. How can we expect to rid the world of diseases that we don’t have cures for when we’ve had something better than a cure for polio - prevention - for over 50 years, yet it’s still around? Polio is at its weakest point in history, but if we don’t finish it now, it will come back.  Billions of dollars have been invested in to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, and that money will all go to waste if we don’t finish the job. Cycle to Walk is about creating awareness about this issue for Canadians, and encouraging action to fulfill the dream of a polio free world. We’ve never been closer.

This afternoon, we scheduled a leisurely hand cycle with people from the community around Wascana Park near the Royal Saskatchewan Museum. The team enjoyed a day in the sunshine while Craig Lenz and I cycled along the paths through the trees.  Later, we took advantage of Regina’s network of bike paths and cycled almost right to the edge of town before meeting back up with the road team. Thanks to Heather and Craig for organizing the events for the day. You have put a lot of energy in to the Cycle to Walk campaign since we arrived, and we appreciate all of your hospitality and effort!

I’d also like to send out a special hello to Deputy Premier and Yukon Tourism and Culture Minister, Elaine Taylor, who is in Saskatchewan for the Western Premier’s Conference. I hope you’re loving the Land of the Living Skies as much as we are, Minister Taylor! We both have work to do down here, so let’s make the folks back in Yukon proud!