B.C. man's lonely cross-country trek against tobacco nears end

An anti-tobacco industry lobbyist expects to make Montreal this weekend, the end of a cross-Canada trek that began in Victoria in May.

Errol Povah, who runs and walks 42 kilometres a day, six days a week, is making the solo trek to spread awareness of the hazards of the tobacco industry and raise funds for the Variety Club (the Children's Charity) of British Columbia, B.C.'s Children's Hospital and Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto.

The Surrey, B.C., man hopes to collect $47,000 in donations — a dollar for every death from tobacco in Canada each year.

So far, the 57-year-old retired BC Ferries officer has raised about a tenth of that.

"It's a huge struggle," Povah said from Ottawa Tuesday, adding the lack of support crew or sponsors is a major disappointment.

Because he is doing it solo, he's worked out a complicated daily schedule in which he parks his van on the side of the road and runs or walks back five kilometres or so, then returns to the van and does the same in the other direction.

He then drives it ahead 10 kilometres and does the same thing all over again, for a total of 42 kilometres — essentially a marathon.

After the trek ends in Montreal, Povah hopes to make a dogleg through the U.S. in November to visit the New York City headquarters of the Philip Morris cigarette company.

Povah said 30 per cent of money raised will go to the charities, while the rest will go to the anti-tobacco lobby group he runs, Airspace Action on Smoking and Health.