The Canadian book-tour has well and truly begun..!!!

Now, before the Canadian book-tour journey continues (you know I ain’t normally one for sharing beauty), but this is a must!

During my 5,000 mile Canada run, I didn’t really get the chance to leave the Trans Canada Highway, as I never wanted to add any more miles onto the trip.

So instead, we drove off the highway and trekked up to Gros Morne National Park’s summit - it’s amazing how much distance you can cover with wheels!

As my girlfriend Anna reminds me, “J, we’re supposed to be adventurers, let’s go explore!”

Here's what we found, our first EVER fogbow. Yep, it's a thing and this is what it looks like:

Just so you know the rainbow is real, I promise - it really was like entering a new dimension with not a single soul in sight.

Back to the book-tour, driving to a few towns it was a no show at a couple of events that were booked in last minute. I think I felt worse for the people that came to organise it, as they’d clearly put a lot of work in. It slightly dented my confidence but oh well, onwards and upwards!

I met Mayor Barry Manuel, who came to see me to welcome me into Grand Falls Windsor, which was a lovely gesture.

In Corner Brook, things started to heat up when I met my two friends, massage therapist Anne Solo, and Sylvia for the first time in a long time.

They have been proper momma bears for years and they even brought elves with them to drum up audiences too - Amanda Ball and her sister, Nicole White, a super-nurse!

As we were driving to one of the schools, I heard a shotgun sound go off. Like, a full-on explosion. When me and Anne Solo turned around, our back window was no longer there! We found a top man, Brian McCarthy at Speedy Glass to fix it, and he said, “your window heater got too hot, melted, and made the window explode.”

Quite scary. It wouldn’t be an adventure without some mishaps though, huh!?

Borrowing Anne's car, we ended up visiting five schools in Corner Brook, reaching more than three thousand kids, as well as all their amazing teachers. I’ve had to sign caps, trainers, arms, pieces of paper, even foreheads!

Super-nurse Nicole arranged a talk to over 75 trainee nurses too, which was electric, definitely the right audience for impact and they’re now going to try and build connections all the way across Canada.

The Hollahan family screeched us in as well. Me and Anna are now officially Newfies. All we had to do was repeat Newfie sayings like “arse on dat”, dance to the fiddle, drink Screech rum, and kiss a fish. It was unreal to reconnect with the family, and the kids that created the old cape four years ago that read, ‘jamiemcdonald.org 4 SickKids’ - which has now influenced in creating a new superhero, Adventureman.

Anne and Tony Solo and Librarian Sandee put on an amazing event at Corner Brook Public Library. At the end of the event, I met Paddy McNeil, who is a local hero. At the end of our chat, he said, “Here. I’ve got this for you: a Terry Fox coin (if you're not familar who Terry Fox is, I'd highly recommend watching his 9 minute YouTube documentary here - so inspiring!), RCMP lapel pins and a Canada pin. This is what I was given for being a Mountie and I want you to have it. Just so you know, I travelled along with Terry Fox as his support and as he is looking down right now, he would be really proud.”

I looked up, and he was welling up. I turned to my right and Anne Solo was welling up too. It was a special moment.

From the Corner Brook Library, we got our first bit of TV coverage on CBC News which I'm sure is going to help hugely. You can watch it on YouTube here:

From the video, you'll see it was amazing to see Bridget again, a SickKids Foundation Champion who received a bone marrow transplant from a man which gave her, her own immune system, saving her life. It was unsure how her life would end up, so it really was amazing to see her again, this time so healthy and well. The interview was with Colleen Connors. Colleen was one of my very first interviews back then during the run, so it's incredible to reconnect - Colleen has been so incredible and made such a difference throughout.

It was a lovely surprise to hear that I was on the front page of The Western Star too - Corner Brook has been so supportive!

The drive from Corner Brook to Port Aux Basques was hairy, with 150kmph winds, crossing the famous, WRECK HOUSE. Magster done us proud though and we made it, just.

(Oh - I nearly forgot, cheers for all the name suggestions for the car. In the end we went with 'Magster'! In honour of Maggie Pearce who donated us the car. Rhonda Jackson was the winner and came up with the best name. We just need to make sure now, even if Magster breaks down, we do not bad mouth her, EVER - that would be seriously disrespectful!)

Making our way to the last destination of Newfoundland, Port Aux Basqet. I met Liam at an event. I met Liam over four years ago and he wrote me a letter that really inspired me:

“Trust what you know. Keep going forward. Never give up. Are you going to take off your shoes and quit. Or are you going to tighten your laces, go for miles and go big.”

He inspired me so much and it was something I'll never forget. So it was incredible to see him again, let's just say we enjoyed the moment:

In Port Aux Basques, I went back to the same school that I spoke at four years ago as well. This time, the kids dressed up as Superheroes & raised $400 for our charities. Unreal.

And to finish it all off, we spent the night at Hotel Port Aux Basques, where Cathy, the owner, put me up for free. Again!

We've not long landed in Nova Scotia from a rocky ferry crossing.

?Still no sign of a MOOSE throughout. Well, a real one that is (Newfie Anne Solo felt bad for us, so she brought us one instead to take with us!)?.

This book tour is brewing up to be a monster... So from me, Anna & Monty the Moose, thank you, and thank you Newfoundland!?

(PS: here's the rest of the book-tour schedule and more info about how you can help and get involved: https://www.jamiemcdonald.org/canada-book-tour/ - THANK YOU ?????? ??????)