Cyclists make long trips across Canada all the time during the warmer months. Only a few bike Canada91裸聊视频檚 roads in the winter, but Iliajah Pidskalny braved the cold for a cause, recently passing through Hope on the last leg of his journey.

Pidskalny is raising money for the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, aiming to raise awareness and advocate for a human rights approach to drug policies, shedding light on socioeconomic and psychological problems that may lead some people into a life or drugs or crime. He has been on the road since the beginning of January.

The recent college graduate fell in love with cycling while attending the University of Saskatchewan.

91裸聊视频淚 got hooked on cycling [in college] and I first did a cycling trip from Saskatoon to Vancouver 91裸聊视频� this exact [route], pretty much 91裸聊视频� with a buddy of mine when I was 19,91裸聊视频� Pidskalny said. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 when I first fell in love with it and have done a trip since every single year.91裸聊视频�

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On this latest journey, he91裸聊视频檚 passed through Drumheller, Calgary, Revelstoke, Kamloops and Hope, to name a few.

On his travels, Pidskalny said he91裸聊视频檚 spoken to a number of people living on the street who have struggled with drugs and some who ended up homeless without struggling with addiction but rather with untreated mental health issues.

91裸聊视频淟iving on the road like this started to expose only some of the challenges involved with being homeless,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淥f course, what I91裸聊视频檓 doing is totally luxury compared to that because it91裸聊视频檚 optional and heavy gear. I started to realize if you stand in the wrong place too long, it91裸聊视频檚 illegal. If you sleep anywhere outside, it91裸聊视频檚 illegal. All these things started to pop up.91裸聊视频�

This isn91裸聊视频檛 just for the overdose crisis... it91裸聊视频檚 for a poisoning crisis, a suicide crisis, a homeless crisis, a depression crisis. This is for a mental health crisis. A crisis of miseducation and misunderstanding, of greed and inequality. Stop the stigma. 馃洃

91裸聊视频� Iliajah Pidskalny (@IliajahP)

In Pidskalny91裸聊视频檚 view, the 91裸聊视频渨ar on drugs91裸聊视频� has overlooked underlying mental health issues for decades, and he said it91裸聊视频檚 time for a more empathetic approach.

His reasons for biking in the winter are dual: because it draws more attention to his cause and because that91裸聊视频檚 when he had the idea to do it.

91裸聊视频淚 really take this issue seriously, and I really wanted to gain as much awareness about it as possible,91裸聊视频� Pidskalny said. 91裸聊视频淓ven though it91裸聊视频檚 extremely challenging and I really hate the cold I was like, 91裸聊视频極kay, I know I can do it.91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频�

He said he did a test run, biking east in October and November.

The wind has posed the biggest challenge for Pidskalny so far.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 always the same with any of these bicycling trips, the headwinds,91裸聊视频� he added. 91裸聊视频淭hey kind of had stopped after Canmore and I feel like I91裸聊视频檝e been moving pretty quickly since then.91裸聊视频�

Pidskalny has kept in good shape throughout the journey, suffering frostnip 91裸聊视频� an injury just shy of full-on frostbite 91裸聊视频� on his toes. He91裸聊视频檚 survived on rice noodles, peanut butter and energy bars of his own creation made of dates, peanut butter, chocolate and nacho tortilla chips.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檇 first done it without the tortilla chips, and I was like 91裸聊视频楳an, this needs some more [substance],91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚t clicked; it91裸聊视频檚 so good. Slightly salty, slightly crunchy.91裸聊视频�

Pidskalny is no stranger to living on the road, having lived in a tent for several summers. His original pre-pandemic plan for the past year was to bike from Saskatchewan to Mexico, but COVID-19 curbed that dream for now.

Aside from the ongoing fundraiser, Pidskalny said he has no immediate personal ties to the cause.

91裸聊视频淢eeting people on the street, every conversation is personal, Every person is a person. I don91裸聊视频檛 think everyone should wait until they lose a loved one to start to care about this,91裸聊视频� he said.

There91裸聊视频檚 a lot of people working really hard at this and have been looking at policies for decades,91裸聊视频� Pidskalny added. 91裸聊视频淚 couldn91裸聊视频檛 describe the detailed policies. I know decriminalization at least with possession of certain amounts of illicit drugs seems to be a good starting point, that way people are not criminalized for this issue and they can start to reach out for help.91裸聊视频�

Pidskalny surpassed his fundraising goal of $20,000. As of Wednesday morning, his GoFundMe page states he91裸聊视频檚 raised $21,379 from 276 donors.

Up until he spoke with The Standard on Tuesday, Jan. 27, he91裸聊视频檇 believed he was somewhere around the $15,000 mark.

91裸聊视频淲hoa! Really?91裸聊视频� he exclaimed when he learned of the total. 91裸聊视频淚 swear it was $15,000 yesterday. Holy, that91裸聊视频檚 a big jump! That91裸聊视频檚 awesome.91裸聊视频�

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Pidskalny said the journey so far has been filled with memories.

91裸聊视频淚 feel like I could pull a day out of a hat and claim that as my most memorable, and that91裸聊视频檚 what I want out of life,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚 just want each day to be this memorable day, even if the day was full of nothing, even if I just sat at the top of a mountain and slept all day, that could be memorable. I don91裸聊视频檛 think I could choose something without changing my mind later.91裸聊视频�

After Pidskalny wraps up his fundraising trip, he plans to head to Vancouver Island.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檇 be really cool to just volunteer and keep living like this as long as I can, but I91裸聊视频檒l pretty quickly need to start taking care of myself,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚 make a lot of soaps, I thought about selling soap. I don91裸聊视频檛 know, something weird and niche. I don91裸聊视频檛 need much to survive, so I91裸聊视频檇 be pretty content doing something like that.91裸聊视频�

While Pidskalny will still support the message behind his cause, he has yet to decide what his next step is when it comes to activism and volunteering.

91裸聊视频淭his [undertaking] was a lot,91裸聊视频� Pidskalny said. 91裸聊视频淚 think I91裸聊视频檓 just going to pull back for a bit and try to figure myself out before I take the next step.91裸聊视频�

Pidskalny expects to finish his ride on Friday, Jan. 29, at Jack Poole Plaza where the Olympic Cauldron burned during the 2010 games.

Pidskalny chronicles his travels at twitter.com/IliajahP.