Long before there was a Trans-Canada Highway, before there were even roads, there were drivers attempting to cross the breadth of Canada by car and motorcycle. Mark Richardson tells the stories of those who succeeded and those who failed: Thomas Wilby and Jack Haney, who hated each other but almost made it across in 1912, Perry Doolittle who took to the rails in 1925, Jimmy Oates who made it in 1928 but was barely noticed, Alex Macfarlane who won a medal for it in 1946, and others lost to obscurity — until now.

This online talk will take place over Zoom and is part of the Canadian Automotive Museum's Third Thursday lecture series. These online talks are free and open to the public, but registration is required. The Canadian Automotive Museum is a registered Canadian charity and a suggested donation of $10 goes toward covering the cost of hosting these virtual events. Donors who make an annual contribution of over $25 will receive a charitable tax receipt. 

About Our Speaker

Mark Richardson is an automotive journalist with The Globe and Mail, where his writing can be seen every week in the online edition of Globe Drive. His book Zen and Now: On the Trail of Robert Pirsig and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, was published by Knopf in 2008. His latest book, The Drive Across Canada: The remarkable story of the Trans-Canada Highway, will be published in May by Dundurn Press, and will be officially launched at the museum on May 8. All are welcome!