A 48-day cycling trek that began on Canada Day in British Columbia culminated with a welcoming home for a Port Dover family on Sunday afternoon and more than $285K for Norfolk Haldimand Community Hospice.<\/p>\n
Published Aug 17, 2025 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 51\u00a0minutes ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 2 minute read<\/p>\n
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Dan Johnson (centre) and his wife Jill (right) are joined by about 160 cyclists as they return to Silver Lake Park in Port Dover on Sunday August 17, 2025. Dan Johnson cycled from British Columbia to his Port Dover home over 48 days while his family followed in a recreational vehicle. Photo by Brian Thompson \/The Expositor<\/p>\n
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Dan Johnson places his late son Luke’s BMX bicycle next to the bike upon which he cycled from British Columbia to his Port Dover home over 48 days, while his family followed in a recreational vehicle. Johnson made the final leg of the journey Sunday on his son’s bike.Photo by Brian Thompson \/The Expositor<\/p>\n
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Dan and Jill Johnson pose with their late son Luke’s BMX bicycle upon their return to Silver Lake Park in Port Dover on Sunday.Photo by Brian Thompson \/The Expositor<\/p>\n
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Jill and Dan Johnson thank supporters upon their return to Silver Lake Park in Port Dover on Sunday.Photo by Brian Thompson \/The Expositor<\/p>\n
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Miranda Mullett and her nine-year-old daughter Lucy placed their painted thumb prints on a board to be presented to the Johnson family on Sunday at Silver Lake Park in Port Dover.Photo by Brian Thompson \/The Expositor<\/p>\n
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Christine McCoy of Simcoe was among a long line of people to greet Dan Johnson on his return to Port Dover on Sunday.Photo by Brian Thompson \/The Expositor<\/p>\n
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Dan Johnson (centre) and his wife Jill (right) are joined by about 160 cyclists as they return to Silver Lake Park in Port Dover on Sunday August 17, 2025. Dan Johnson cycled from British Columbia to his Port Dover home over 48 days while his family followed in a recreational vehicle. Photo by Brian Thompson \/The Expositor<\/p>\n
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Dan Johnson places his late son Luke’s BMX bicycle next to the bike upon which he cycled from British Columbia to his Port Dover home over 48 days, while his family followed in a recreational vehicle. Johnson made the final leg of the journey Sunday on his son’s bike.Photo by Brian Thompson \/The Expositor<\/p>\n
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Dan and Jill Johnson pose with their late son Luke’s BMX bicycle upon their return to Silver Lake Park in Port Dover on Sunday.Photo by Brian Thompson \/The Expositor<\/p>\n
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Jill and Dan Johnson thank supporters upon their return to Silver Lake Park in Port Dover on Sunday.Photo by Brian Thompson \/The Expositor<\/p>\n
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Miranda Mullett and her nine-year-old daughter Lucy placed their painted thumb prints on a board to be presented to the Johnson family on Sunday at Silver Lake Park in Port Dover.Photo by Brian Thompson \/The Expositor<\/p>\n
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Christine McCoy of Simcoe was among a long line of people to greet Dan Johnson on his return to Port Dover on Sunday.Photo by Brian Thompson \/The Expositor<\/p>\n
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A 48-day cycling trek that began on Canada Day in British Columbia culminated with a welcoming home for a Port Dover family on Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n
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Dan Johnson cycled about 5,000 kilometres in the Live Like Luke Canada Crossing fundraiser to benefit the Norfolk Haldimand Community Hospice, while his wife Jill and children Hosanna and Pearce followed in a recreational vehicle.<\/p>\n
Johnson was joined by more than 160 cyclists just before noon on Sunday for the final leg from Port Ryerse to Silver Lake Park in Port Dover. He entered the park riding his late son\u2019s BMX bicycle.<\/p>\n
The family lost their youngest child Luke at the age of eight to a brain tumour in July of 2024, and before his passing utilized end-of-life care at the Stedman Community Hospice in Brantford.<\/p>\n
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Haldimand Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady said she watched the daily videos the Johnson family posted to their Facebook page and praised Dan for his perseverance.<\/p>\n
\u201cDan\u2019s ride was not just about endurance or distance. It was about honouring the memory of a very special boy: Luke,\u201d Brady said. \u201cHe was known for his big heart, courage, and the joy he brought into the lives of absolutely everyone he met, and those that knew him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Johnson\u2019s initial request was for people to donate $50 that would represent one brick in the to-be-built NHCH in Jarvis.<\/p>\n
Donations collected at Silver Lake Park on Sunday afternoon totaled $7,275 that, combined with fundraising by local Domino\u2019s Pizza outlets and an anonymous donation of $25,000, brought the total raised so far to $285,791.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe Johnson family has done an incredible job promoting the Live Like Luke Canada Crossing project,\u201d said NHCH executive director Andrea Binkle. \u201cTheir story is heartfelt in regard to what they went through and their experience with the hospice, and their belief that we need a hospice in Haldimand Norfolk.\u201d<\/p>\n
Binkle said that 10 acres of land outside of Jarvis have been donated for the NHCH project. Architects are working on applications for rezoning with Haldimand County, and artist renderings will be going up on the hospice website soon. Building permits will be applied for once rezoning is done.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are about 25 to 30 per cent towards our goal of $14 million so this will help us move closer to that 50 per cent mark,\u201d Binkle noted. \u201cEvery day, Dan talked about the hospice, the value of it, and how important it is to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Dan Johnson thanked the hundreds who showed up to welcome the family back to Port Dover on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you for being here,\u201d he told the crowd. \u201cThe project was built to honour and inspire the life of Luke: who he was, what he stood for, and how he lived.\u201d<\/p>\n
An emotional Jill Johnson said she didn\u2019t realize the blessing of hospice care until it was needed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that a hospice is a very special thing that can be brought to our communities,\u201d she observed. \u201cAnd we don\u2019t know it yet, but it will be a very special place. It will be a place of honour, volunteering, and a wonderful place of love. That\u2019s what we experienced with Luke. I hope that all families in Haldimand Norfolk will have that experience, if needed.\u201d<\/p>\n
bethompson@postmedia.com<\/p>\n
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