SASKATOON -- A Saskatoon man is hoping to capture the city's hidden gems by walking every street.
Mike Berko started the Walking with Mike project on Dec. 27, and hasn't missed a day since. After taking part in a charity walk, he realized he needed to walk more. He decided to get outside with his camera and document it for those who can’t get out.
His plan is to cover every street in Saskatoon, taking photos of known and unknown aspects of the city along the way.
Berko said some of his favourite finds include an old police booth in Greystone Heights, a rare 1988 limousine motorhome in Fairhaven and an old west-themed fence in the Exhibition area, adding to his list of quirky or unlikely finds.
“If there’s a decoration that’s out there or some certain lighting or an interesting vehicle, you name it, as long as it’s not a picture of the house or the family, I try to stay away from that,” Berko said.
He said he's had people join in and walk beside him, saying he feels like a Forrest Gump: “If you look on my page you’ll see a picture of him.”
He often takes someone with him like family and friends or even city councillors like Randy Donauer.
Donauer, the Ward 5 councillor, said walking with Berko gave him a new perspective of Saskatoon, allowing him to recognize things he wouldn't normally notice.
“The canopy of trees on Spadina is an example. It opens up into Kinsmen park and the carousel and merry-go-round. You don’t see a carousel like that in too many cities,” he said.
When he travels to other cities, Donauer said he makes an effort to take in the surroundings, but that it doesn’t happen in his home city.
“We sometimes don’t appreciate all the beauty and amenities because we see it everyday. If I was in any other city, I would’ve pulled over and taken pictures,”`he said.
“It has helped me stop and appreciate our city in the time of COVID-19.”
The pandemic was also one of the reasons Berko wanted to take this journey.
With so many people confined to their homes and unable to get out, Berko said he wanted to bring the sights to them. He’s even had requests from the public asking him to photograph certain spots in childhood neighbourhoods to let them take a walk down memory lane.
With more than 80 trips so far since he started, some as long as 14 kilometres, Berko said he’s lost some weight too, and will be moving on to his second pair of shoes soon as the first pair is getting worn.
He said he walks in any weather. At his current pace, walking every day, he expects to cover the entire city in just under two years.
You can follow his Walking with Mike journey on Facebook.
