SASKATOON -- Early Monday morning a Saskatoon cyclist embarked on a 3,000 kilometre trip around Saskatchewan, visiting each federally-recognized residential school in the province.
“I’m travelling by myself. I carry with me a small tent and tarp and just a sleeping bag so I’ll just sleep wherever,” B’yauling Toni told CTV News.
Toni said as Canadians we all need to do what we can to move towards reconciliation. As a long-distance cyclist, this trip is his path to reconciliation.
“I think it’s our own responsibility to do whatever it is we can … but it’s a personal journey to take whatever you have and work with that.”
With him, Toni is bringing 20 pairs of baby moccasins to leave on the steps of each residential school in Saskatchewan as a memorial for all the children who never made it home from residential schools.
Along the way he’s also collecting donations for the Orange Shirt Society, a non-profit organization out of B.C., supporting Indian Residential School reconciliation.
Beginning Monday morning, Toni expects to be cycling for about a month, returning to Saskatoon on Aug. 25, he said. His first stop is to Punnichy, Sask., 225 kilometres southeast of Saskatoon.
Toni will be updating his social media pages as his trip progresses.
