The man who walked everywhere in Saskatoon

Much was gained and much was lost.

Bruce Johnson gained knowledge and lost about 20 pounds. He gained a new scar from an injury that took five stitches to close and lost (wore out) five pairs of running shoes.

Johnson recently gathered with friends at city hall to celebrate the end of what can only be described as an epic three-and-a-half year challenge that saw him walk every street in Saskatoon.

There was one gentleman who had an airplane in his yard.- Bruce Johnson

In an interview with CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning, Johnson said it all began simply enough.

"I started walking in the morning just to clear my head," Johnson said.

But then, a friend, as friends often do, floated an idea, one that was likely pitched with tongue firmly in check, but the thought resonated with Johnson.

"Somebody looked at me one day and said, 'Hey why don't you just walk the entire city?' and I kind of went hmmm, so I just started expanding and going further out."

Where the gnomes are

As Johnson expanded his horizons, Saskatoon itself was expanding too, adding new streets. In an effort not to find himself in a never-ending quest, Johnson decided on an official map of the city circa May 2018 and then set out to conquer the map one street at a time.

Johnson, 56, has always lived in Saskatoon, but said that when you walk every street in a city, you tend to pick up information that might otherwise pass you by. For example, he said, he now knows West Mount has the most garden gnomes.

Johnson said he gained a new admiration for the unsung Lawson Heights neighbourhood.

"I was kind of shocked at all [the] beautiful homes," he said.

Plus there is no one — with the possible exception of veteran letters carriers — more qualified to rate the quality (or lack thereof) of local sidewalks.

"The worst sidewalk in Saskatoon is on Lansdowne Avenue between Isabella and Adelaide Street," he said. "That was the absolute worst sidewalk in the city."

Johnson also took note of some pretty "quirky things."

"There was one gentleman who had an airplane in his yard. The wings were on one side of the house and the fuselage was on the other."

Mindful journey  

Johnson said the journey was meditative for the most part, an opportunity to walk and listen to his favourite podcasts. While he skipped some days here and there, the journey went on through summer heat, rain and the icy winter cold.

This month, Johnson hit the finish line with that celebration outside city hall, an experience he described as a little anticlimactic. Now he's wondering what to do next.

For now, Johnson is busy doing the math. He readily admits he didn't do the best job of keeping track of his daily walks so there is some data missing. Right now, the total distance walked is about 800 kilometres, but about a full year of walking is missing.

In the meantime, Johnson said, he's still wandering.

"I'm still walking around the neighbourhood. I go for an hour every morning, but I haven't decided where I'm going to go next."