Wildfire smoke, G7 border security, swarms of horse flies, and meeting incredible Rotarians are among the memories Cochrane Rotarian Dan Paarsmarkt will carry from his epic 1,600-kilometre cycling journey.
Paarsmarkt, a 25-year resident of Cochrane, was joined by a small group of cyclists today, June 17, to ride the final kilometre through Historic Downtown Cochrane, where they were greeted by cheers at the Legion Hall.
His ride, which began June 4 at the N.W.T. border and concluded at the Montana border, was in support of Rotary International’s mission to eradicate polio.
“What a beautiful province,” said Paarsmarkt. “Touching the Northwest Territories border, touching the Montana border, and seeing all the sights in between—what a fantastic province.”
While grateful for those who joined him today, his thoughts turned to northern Albertans affected by wildfires.
“While we were staying in High Level, the hotel was housing evacuees. I’d get on the bike in the morning and see all these people who had just been displaced. It really put things in perspective.”
Access to his starting point on Hwy. 35 was initially blocked, then briefly reopened—only to close again just as he neared Manning.
“I made it about three-quarters of the way there. The next day we planned to continue, but when we woke up, the road was closed again. We had to divert 5 1/2 hours to get back on course, and eventually returned to Cochrane.”
He used two scheduled rest days to make up the lost kilometres.
At the Montana border, he encountered heightened security due to the G7 Leaders Conference. They weren’t letting cyclists across, so he had to stay on the Alberta side.
Paarsmarkt and support driver Hank Pilotte stayed with Rotarians in Pincher Creek, Whitecourt, and Drayton Valley.
“They were wonderful people who also donated to the cause. We talked about the kinds of projects they’re doing and the values we share as Rotarians. It was a great experience.”
He also made some unwanted friends north of High Level. Horse flies, something we don't see in abundance here. He said he got bitten at least nine or 10 times.
"I'm riding along, and behind me, it looked like a tornado. It was a swarm of horse flies that created a shadow, and all you could hear was the buzzing. They followed me for two hours."
On remote stretches with no services, he learned about their behaviour.
“They’d land on my arms or handlebars, then chase after passing vehicles. Their animal instincts blew me away.”
Pilotte, who drove the support vehicle provided by Cochrane Toyota, is new to Alberta and was impressed with the sights.
"I was totally amazed with what a beautiful province it is. I've lived in B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, and B.C. is beautiful, but this place is fabulous.
“Most days we started at 8 a.m., and Dan would ride six hours, averaging 130 to 140 kilometres—sometimes up to 170. He’s a madman. There’s no quit in him.”
Other than a few scrapes on the Cowboy Trail, Paarsmarkt made it through unscathed. His bike held up without issue.
With Calgary set to host the 2025 Rotary International Convention, expected to draw 15,000 delegates from 172 countries, Paarsmarkt wanted to support Rotary’s “End Polio Now” campaign.
“We hatched the idea back in October, and it culminated today with the final kilometre—which was the toughest one of all.”
So far, he’s raised $7,146 toward a $16,000 goal. Donations can be made through Challenge – Raise for Rotary. For every dollar raised, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation contributes $2.
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“I hope we can bump up the total before the convention. Every dollar goes toward vaccines and programs.
“Just last month in Pakistan, 40 million children were immunized in a single day. It’s a massive effort, especially reaching remote villages.”
He said there are currently just 12 known cases of polio in the world.
“You might think, how hard is it to wipe out 12 cases? But in 2005, there were over 100. We’ve come a long way, but there’s still work to do.”
Rotary International has worked to eradicate polio for over 35 years, reducing global cases by 99.9 per cent since its first vaccination project in the Philippines in 1979.
The organization has contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours, helping protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries. It has also spurred governments to commit over $10 billion toward the cause.
Rotary’s mission doesn’t stop at eradication. It’s also working to keep the rest of the world polio-free.