Our walk will start in Kingston on Saturday, May 20 and end in Ottawa 9 days later, on Monday, May 29 at Parliament Hill.  Our projected daily schedule is:

Saturday, May 20 - Gather at Mark Gerretsen's office, 841 Princess at 9:15am, Mark will speak - at 10am we'll embark upon our trek, 27 km to the tiny village of Perth Road, on the way to Westport 

Sunday, May 21 - Meet at Perth Road store at 9am and walk the remaining distance to Westport 28 km

Monday, May 22 - Meet at the Cove Inn, 2 Bedford, Westport, at 8:30 am, walk to Perth 30 km

Tuesday, May 23 - Meet at Coutts Coffee, 57 Gore E, Perth, at (Note time change!) 9:00 am, sendoff formalities at 9:30 and start walking to Smiths Falls at 10 am 20 km

Wednesday, May 24 - Meet at Coffee Culture (2 Russell & Beckwith), Smiths Falls, at 9:30 am, walk to Merrickville 21 km

Thursday, May 25 - Meet at Mainstreet Family Restaurant, 112 Main W at 9 am, walk to Rideau River Provincial Park on Hwy 5, near Kemptville 27 km

Friday, May 26 - Meet at Rideau River Provincial Park (entrance on Hwy 5) at 9 am, walk to Manotick 24 km

Saturday, May 27 - Meet at Watson's Mill, 5525 Dickinson at 9:30 am, walk to Vincent Massey Park  19 km - picnic/dinner at the park around 4 - 7 pm; singing and entertainment with Tony Turner ("Harperman") 

Sunday, May 28 - Quiet day, prepare for Monday's walk from Hog's Back Lockstation to Parliament Hill

Monday, May 29 - From Hog's Back Lockstation walk by Carleton U along Colonel By Drive crossing to Queen Elizabeth Drive at Bank Street, to Confederation Park and then to Parliament Hill  9 km - walkers to join the group at several intermediate spots - sing along with Tony Turner - arrive at Parliament Hill at 5 pm 

Following are brief descriptions of each day's activity; click on the link to see a map of that day's walk

Note that our policy is that walkers are responsible for getting themselves to and from the walk. Generally we're assuming our walkers will have a support person who will deliver them to each day's start point, and will meet them at the end of each day's walk. The organizers (Ron, Tom) will of course have support drivers (Lorna, Gerry) and we will in some cases be able to help out, but it's up to the walkers in question to ensure that appropriate arrangements have been made. We'll typically have dinner at a restaurant in the 'target' town most evenings, and arrangements for this can likely be made during each day's walk, but it's optional of course and will also depend on how many participants we have.
We'll generally walk at the rate of 4 1/2 - 5 km per hour, roughly 12-13 minutes per kilometer, so the daily walk will range from 4 to 6 1/2 hours plus time for lunch. So starting at 10am in Kingston on Saturday we should reach Perth Road store between 4pm and 5pm. On subsequent days we'll generally start walking somewhat earlier, which will have the advantage of limiting the time we're walking under a very hot sun and we'll stop earlier in the day. However, later days will be involve shorter walks, so the start times will vary. In addition, there are very few restaurants on most days, once we leave the major town, so it would be wise to pack a lunch.  And we recommend that you consult our FAQ for comments on bathroom facilities - our route leaves a great deal to be desired in this respect.

Saturday May 20 - Kingston to Perth Road (27km 6hours): We'll gather in front of Mark Gerretsen's office at 841 Princess Street at 9:15 am.  Here's the Kingston schedule. Early arrivers may want to have breakfast or coffee at the Star Diner at 849 Princess.  We'll meet with Mark Gerretsen and any other Ottawa stars who show up, and embark upon our journey at 10 am. We'll walk to the Perth Road Store in the tiny town of Perth Road, 27 km, at which we'll expect our supporting drivers to pick us up. The following day (Sunday May 21) the cars will return us to the Perth Road Store, from where we'll continue our trek to Westport.
At Unity Road about 10 km from Kingston, the Glenburnie grocery, an attractive rather upscale establishment (larger than the illustration suggests) will serve us well for lunch. There's no restaurant nearby, but the grocery has a great selection. Unfortunately there are few chairs or tables there, so it's a good idea for walkers to bring a small portable/stowable chair along. If you let us know, it can be kept in one of our support cars - please ensure it's clearly marked so you can easily identify it. Note there's a washroom available at the grocery, and another in Inverary, 7 km further down Hwy 10; none subsequently.  There are no (hm)otels in Perth Road, so it may be wise to plan to drive back to Kingston or forward to Westport for the night. Several of us plan to return to Kingston for accommodation and dinner on Saturday evening .  ETA = 5 - 5:30 pm.


Sunday May 21 - Perth Road to Westport (28 km 6 hours): We'll meet at Perth Road store at 9am and start walking. We'll break for lunch at Bedford Mills (Tett Crescent) about 18 km down the road.  According to Ron Brown ("Backwoods of Ontario"):
"This narrow dirt track was the original Perth Road alignment up to Bedford Mills. From a high granite ridge, Buttermilk Falls cascades into a back bay of Loon Lake. Here, in the 1830s, Benjamin Tett built a sawmill.  Not only was there water power to drive the mill, but Loon Lake led directly into the Rideau Canal.  When the long-awaited Perth Road finally arrived and settlers moved in, Tett added a store and a gristmill to serve the new community.  Bedford Mills boomed and at its peak could claim a powerhouse, a church, numerous private dwellings and a cheese factory.  But after the turn of the century most of the buildings shut down and many of the residents moved away.  The place is now a ghost town...The mill is a private residence, but its location beside both the road and the pond makes it an ideal photo subject.  Avoid trespassing.  Near the mill stands the one-time powerhouse, its flume still visible in the falls.  St. Stephen's Church still stands ... services are held only in the summer.  Beside the church is the plaque that summarizes the history of the quiet little mill village."
Again, we're assuming each participant will ensure they have a lunch available each day as aside from the major towns, there are few restaurants or groceries on the route.  Note there are no washrooms available between Perth Road store and Westport. Be prepared to utilize Nature's facilities or work out a deal with your driver.
For accommodation, there are several (hm)otels in Westport and Perth. In addition, we hope to have more detail on the possibility of setting up a few tents at a farm near Westport - more on that later.
There are several restaurants in Westport including Cove Country Inn, Cottage Coffee House, Steve's Restaurant and Pizza and the Tangled Garden Cafe. Some of us plan to have dinner Sunday at the Cove.  ETA = 4 pm

Monday May 22: Westport continue on Hwy 10 to Perth (30 km 7 hours) Join us at the Cove Inn, 2 Bedford for breakfast at 7:30am, start our walk at 8:30 am. Note there are no washrooms available between Westport and Perth. Be prepared to utilize Nature's facilities or work out a deal with your driver. We'll stop for lunch about halfway.  ETA = 4:30 pm.

Tuesday May 23: Perth on Highway 43 to Smiths Falls (20 km 4 hours) Join us for breakfast at Coutts Coffee, 57 Gore Street at (Note time change!) 9:00 am, sendoff formalities at 9:30, start walking at 10 am. This will be a noticeably easier walk than the previous three days. We'll stop for lunch about halfway, at Port Elmsley. Note the dismal lack of any washrooms along the way.  ETA = 3 pm.

Wednesday May 24: Smiths Falls continue on 43 to Merrickville ( 21 km 4 hours) Join us for breakfast at Coffee Culture at 2 Russell & Beckwith at 8:30 am, start walking at 9:30 am. Again no washrooms between here and Merrickville.  ETA = 3 pm.

Thursday May 25: Merrickville to 43 then turn onto Hwy 23 and River Road, cross bridge at Hwy 44/5 to Rideau River Provincial Park (23 km 5 hours) Join us for breakfast at the Mainstreet Family Restaurant, 112 Main W at 8 am, start walking at 9 am. There is a washroom at the Lock 17 Bistro and store, about 10 km along, which may be a good place to stop for lunch. We'll finish at the entrance to the provincial park on Hwy 5. ETA = 3 - 3:30 pm.

Friday May 26: Rideau River PP 5 & 13 to Manotick ( 24.5 km 5 hours ) Meet at Geronimo Coffee House, 146 Prescott in Kemptville for breakfast at 7:45 am, and at the Rideau River Provincial Park to start walking at 9 am.  There is a gas station about 1 km from the park and a portapotty about 13 km further on.  ETA = 3 - 3:30 pm.

Saturday May 27: Manotick by River Road and Riverside to Vincent Massey Park ( 19 km 4 hours ) Meet at Take Another Bite, 1135 Mill Street at 8:30 am for breakfast.  We'll start walking from Watson's Mill, just down the street, at 9:30 am. There's a washroom at the lock about 5 km along, and a portapotty at Claudette Cain Park 3 or 4 km further.  We'll stop for lunch at Moxie's Bar OR Second Cup, 3967 Riverside Drive, about 14 km from Manotick so we should be there about 12:30.  We'll arrive at Hog's Back Park about 3 pm. Take a look around - especially at the falls - it's worth seeing. Note there's a small licensed restaurant. Then on to Vincent Massey Park, arrive about 3:30 - 4 pm. Between 4 - 7 pm we'll relax and there will be a picnic / supper. Tony Turner ("Harperman") will be there to lead the singing, featuring his new PR song!

Note Sunday May 28 will be a quiet day, preparing for our march from Hog's Back Lockstation to Parliament Hill on Monday.

Monday, May 29: Hog's Back Lockstation to Confederation Park and Parliament Hill (9.3 km 2 hours )
We'll gather at Hog's Back Lockstation at about 2 pm
2:15 pm: Start walking. We'll keep to the East and South-East side of the Canal (the “Eastern Pathway”) up to Bank Street. Cross the canal at Bank Street Bridge and head for Lansdowne Park.
3:10 pm: Arrive at Lansdowne Park (3.7 km away) where we'll meet more walkers.
3:15 pm: Proceed to the west end of Pretoria Bridge and stop in the park just south of the bridge, along the west side of the canal (this is the south-east corner of Elgin St. and Queen Elizabeth Drive) - 2 km.
3:40 pm: Arrive at park just south or Pretoria Bridge. Pick up more walkers. Tony Turner to lead a brief singalong, including his new PR song. Raging Grannies may be there as well.
4:15 pm: Leave for Confederation Park, singing all the way with Tony Turner - 2 km.
4:45 pm: Arrive at Confederation Park. Pick up more walkers.
4:50 pm: Leave Confederation Park for Parliament Hill, via Elgin Street (west side) and Wellington - 0.8 km.
5:00 pm: Arrive at Parliament Hill! Meet Ed Broadbent, Nathan Cullen, Elizabeth May and David Suzuki!

Plans to meet for breakfast and lunch to be worked out.