Latest / Coffee In The Park with Jennifer and Cam / A Coffee with Don Patterson, Managing Partner & Broker of RE/MAX Excellence in Edmonton

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A Coffee with Don Patterson, Managing Partner & Broker of RE/MAX Excellence in Edmonton · Coffee In The Park with Jennifer and Cam

• 0:21
  Well, good morning, everybody, and welcome to another edition of the ABA Coffee In The Park.
• 0:25
  My name is Cam Milliken, and I am here with my co-host extraordinaire, Jennifer Herrick, the Executive Director of the Acheson Business Association.
• 0:34
  Good morning, Jennifer.
• 0:35
  Well, good morning, Cam, on this beautiful, sunny day.
• 0:38
  Man, is it nice out there today.
• 0:40
  It's like almost summer, but not quite.
• 0:42
  You know, you sound a little better today.
• 0:44
  Yeah, yesterday was a bad allergy day.
• 0:46
  I want our listeners to know.
• 0:48
  It wasn't a good day.
• 0:48
  I didn't know if Cam was going to make it yesterday.
• 0:50
  Oh my goodness, eyes, nose, throat.
• 0:53
  It was not a good day yesterday, but medication is a wonderful thing.
• 0:57
  And I went to bed, Jennifer, at like, I was going to go to bed at 8.30.
• 1:00
  Good thing there was no hockey game.
• 1:02
  I was going to go to bed at 8.30.
• 1:03
  Ended up going to bed at 9 and slept in this morning till about 7.30.
• 1:08
  So that was, or no, till about 6.30.
• 1:10
  So that was pretty good.
• 1:11
  I know that's what I needed.
• 1:12
  And I feel better today.
• 1:13
  So I don't think it's over yet.
• 1:15
  The trees are going to bud and all that kind of stuff.
• 1:17
  But hey, thanks everybody for joining us today.
• 1:19
  We are coming to you live from the Wall Coffee Roasters in the heart of beautiful downtown Acheson.
• 1:26
  So if you hear some coffee machines whirring in the background, people talking, kids screaming.
• 1:31
  No kids in here today.
• 1:32
  Oh yeah, right there.
• 1:33
  Look at that one.
• 1:34
  Anyway, don't worry about it.
• 1:35
  We're live at the coffee shop and we love being here.
• 1:39
  And if you've never been to the Wall Coffee Roasters, you need to come.
• 1:42
  So if you're listening to us in other parts of the world, when you fly to Canada, make this a destination point.
• 1:50
  In beautiful downtown Acheson.
• 1:51
  We've had people actually come here looking for beautiful downtown Acheson.
• 1:55
  We have.
• 1:56
  I'm sorry folks, the sign hasn't been put up yet.
• 2:00
  And you won't see condos or anything like that yet.
• 2:02
  Maybe one day we'll develop it a little bit.
• 2:04
  But hey, Jennifer, tell us about some very important people.
• 2:07
  We would like to thank our gold corporate sponsors, which include the Myshak Group of Companies, Genics, Parkland County, and Bow Valley Credit Union.
• 2:15
  That's right.
• 2:15
  Without them, we would not be able to do what we do.
• 2:19
  So thank you very much.
• 2:20
  We appreciate it everybody.
• 2:21
  Jennifer, anything else you need to tell us?
• 2:23
  Well, there's lots going on, but I think we should just get right into it.
• 2:27
  I'm excited about our guest today because he's done some pretty incredible things.
• 2:31
  He is.
• 2:31
  And I'm so excited to talk about all of the things he's done.
• 2:34
  Right on.
• 2:35
  Let's introduce him.
• 2:36
  Let's kick it off.
• 2:36
  Our guest today is Don Patterson, who is the managing partner, broker, owner of RE/MAX Excellence here in Edmonton.
• 2:45
  Don, good to have you.
• 2:47
  Good morning.
• 2:47
  Glad to be here.
• 2:48
  Glad you're here.
• 2:49
  Don, so just for disclosure, I got to know Don a little bit.
• 2:53
  I was involved in some political processes stuff, and Don and I sat on some boards together.
• 3:00
  Great guy.
• 3:00
  Awesome guy.
• 3:01
  Don, I'm so glad you're here and took the time.
• 3:03
  Don is busy, right?
• 3:04
  Because, man, real estate is on the up and up in Edmonton.
• 3:07
  Yeah, absolutely.
• 3:08
  I think we're in the best real estate market in Canada.
• 3:11
  So if you're listening to us in Taiwan or Vietnam or somewhere, and you want a good place to move, Edmonton is a great place to move.
• 3:19
  Anyways, we're going to start right from the beginning.
• 3:21
  We always do.
• 3:22
  We always do.
• 3:22
  Don, tell us a little bit about yourself.
• 3:25
  Where were you born?
• 3:26
  Where did you grow up?
• 3:28
  I was born in Edmonton, grew up there, went to Toronto later in life, raised our family and then came back 10 years ago.
• 3:40
  We're blessed with three kids and seven grandkids.
• 3:44
  Seven, yeah.
• 3:45
  That we see quite, quite often.
• 3:47
  My daughter has twin boys who are six.
• 3:50
  I'm a cyclist.
• 3:51
  We'll talk about that.
• 3:52
  Yeah, we'll talk about that, yep.
• 3:53
  The boys, actually they got involved in a little bit of cycling.
• 3:58
  We were at the bike ride and the kids, they take their training wheels off and they're out riding their bikes.
• 4:06
  And this is the six year old.
• 4:07
  So I ride my bike over and the one little guy says, Grandpa, I'm glad you brought your bike so you could try to keep up.
• 4:13
  Right on.
• 4:16
  I love it.
• 4:17
  So you went to high school here.
• 4:19
  Yes.
• 4:19
  What high school did you go to?
• 4:20
  Ross Shepherd.
• 4:21
  You did not.
• 4:22
  How come I never knew this?
• 4:24
  So did I.
• 4:25
  We are Ross Shep alumni.
• 4:27
  This is the first on the podcast.
• 4:29
  This is because we ask everybody this question.
• 4:31
  I can't believe that you went to Ross Shep.
• 4:34
  Yeah.
• 4:34
  And we actually, I got my old football jacket.
• 4:36
  Come on.
• 4:37
  1970, where we won the city championships.
• 4:40
  OK.
• 4:41
  I also had the cleanest uniform on the team because I sat on the bench.
• 4:47
  No.
• 4:47
  Don, this is crazy.
• 4:49
  I played the first year I played junior football, but I was like you.
• 4:52
  I basically sat on the bench.
• 4:54
  Then the coach came to me and said, Cam, we really like you, but there's a problem.
• 4:58
  You're too short and you're way too skinny.
• 5:00
  You're going to get killed out there.
• 5:02
  So that's it.
• 5:03
  So I went to the swim team.
• 5:04
  I went to the coronation pool right next to Shep there.
• 5:08
  And so you and I, we are T-birds, we're Thunderbirds, so that's pretty awesome.
• 5:12
  Well, we've never talked about that.
• 5:14
  I never knew that.
• 5:15
  That's pretty incredible.
• 5:16
  So you graduated high school, did you go to university here or go to college?
• 5:21
  Yes, I went to university here.
• 5:23
  Here or did you go to Toronto?
• 5:24
  No, here.
• 5:25
  Here, yeah.
• 5:26
  And I went to law school here.
• 5:29
  I was also doing real estate development at that time as well.
• 5:33
  And my previous summer job was as a roofer.
• 5:39
  I started my real estate career, but then in 1983 with the National Energy Program.
• 5:46
  Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 5:47
  So you went to Toronto.
• 5:48
  And no, I was still here.
• 5:50
  Okay.
• 5:51
  I'm trying to find a position as a lawyer because I've got my degree, so there's nothing there.
• 5:56
  So I actually went back in 83, 84, I'm a roofer in Edmonton to pay the bills.
• 6:01
  So I'm probably the most educated roofer in the city.
• 6:03
  I was going to say, you'd want Don as your roofer because if he fell off a roof, well, he'd just sue you.
• 6:10
  He'd sue you himself.
• 6:11
  But no, I didn't even know you were a lawyer.
• 6:14
  This is like way to blow my mind.
• 6:17
  We've actually spent a fair bit of time together, Don and I, but we've never talked about this.
• 6:22
  So this is just blowing me away.
• 6:23
  So how many years did you do roofering in Edmonton?
• 6:26
  Oh, I just did for, I did for a couple of years when I was going through university.
• 6:30
  Oh, okay.
• 6:31
  Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 6:31
  And then a few months.
• 6:33
  Did you ever fall off?
• 6:34
  Yeah, a few times, yeah.
• 6:39
  Okay, I was going to say, did it hurt?
• 6:42
  That's just a stupid question.
• 6:43
  Well, you're roofering in the wintertime.
• 6:45
  Yeah, that's right.
• 6:45
  You've got to shovel the snow and whatever.
• 6:48
  Okay, so then you graduated law school, U of A.
• 6:51
  Yeah.
• 6:52
  How soon till you moved to Toronto?
• 6:54
  Well, we moved actually, it's an interesting story.
• 6:57
  If we've got a minute here.
• 6:58
  Yeah, we've got a few minutes.
• 6:59
  I did practice law for three years, from 83 to 86.
• 7:05
  Okay.
• 7:05
  The market was still pretty slow in real estate here.
• 7:09
  So my wife, we've been looking to have kids, we've been married for eight years.
• 7:14
  Yeah.
• 7:14
  We didn't have kids, so we decided, okay, well, we're going to move away to France, learn to speak the language.
• 7:20
  We bought the tickets and we're ready to go.
• 7:23
  My wife comes home and says she's pregnant.
• 7:26
  Oh.
• 7:26
  We convinced my mother that there had been kids born in France before.
• 7:33
  We moved away there and it was a wonderful time.
• 7:36
  We didn't travel around quite as much there.
• 7:38
  Yeah.
• 7:40
  But it was a wonderful experience.
• 7:43
  And that's actually one example was we're seeing the doctor, Le medecin, and my wife is eight months pregnant.
• 7:52
  And he's saying, well, in French, he's saying the best way to learn French is to have a French girlfriend.
• 7:58
  Then he looks at my wife, then he looks back to me and he says, but not for you, monsieur.
• 8:05
  So the baby was born in France?
• 8:06
  Baby was born in France.
• 8:08
  And then we landed in Toronto.
• 8:10
  Yeah.
• 8:11
  Where my wife has family.
• 8:13
  Right.
• 8:13
  I actually got a position with TD Bank.
• 8:16
  Okay.
• 8:16
  And I worked there for 15 years.
• 8:18
  I took care of the real estate, and on a family side.
• 8:22
  A few years later, we adopted my younger sisters, kids who were four and six.
• 8:27
  And my daughter was six at the time.
• 8:29
  Right.
• 8:29
  They're three months apart.
• 8:31
  So she would try to explain this in school.
• 8:33
  Yeah.
• 8:34
  That's right.
• 8:35
  That would be, yeah, that would be.
• 8:37
  And then I moved on to the brokerage side, building, managing teams.
• 8:42
  And then 10 years ago, I came back to Edmonton.
• 8:45
  What brought you back to Edmonton?
• 8:46
  What was it that brought you back?
• 8:47
  There was an opportunity.
• 8:49
  Plus my daughter is a lawyer here.
• 8:51
  She followed in my footsteps and family.
• 8:54
  And one thing moved to the other.
• 8:56
  And then I got a position managing and having an ownership position in this brokerage.
• 9:01
  So it's been quite a trip.
• 9:03
  You know, here's the thing.
• 9:04
  You could be with work with somebody.
• 9:06
  And not know.
• 9:08
  This is blowing me away.
• 9:09
  Like we just never knew.
• 9:11
  This is incredible.
• 9:12
  I mean, I knew a little bit of the story, which we'll get into in just a minute, but this part of the story, I didn't know.
• 9:17
  So you moved back to Edmonton.
• 9:19
  That's good.
• 9:21
  You glad you made the move?
• 9:22
  Obviously, no, yeah.
• 9:23
  Yeah, it's been great.
• 9:24
  I mean, Toronto.
• 9:25
  I mean, Toronto is Toronto, but yeah.
• 9:28
  No, I mean, we were there for 25 years in Toronto and friends, and I was on the Toronto Real Estate Board as well.
• 9:35
  Lots of connections, but no, it's great.
• 9:37
  It's great to be back.
• 9:39
  I love the city.
• 9:41
  So many opportunities here as well.
• 9:43
  I joke with people in Edmonton, you can wear sunglasses at 10 o'clock in the morning.
• 9:49
  Yeah.
• 9:51
  In the winter, not so much.
• 9:52
  Right.
• 9:52
  No, no.
• 9:53
  We all know this time of year, you have to dress in layers.
• 9:56
  Yeah.
• 9:56
  Because it's still pretty cool in the morning.
• 9:58
  But by the mid afternoon, you're doing great.
• 10:00
  The sun's out.
• 10:01
  It's wonderful.
• 10:01
  It's beautiful.
• 10:02
  Well, Don, that's incredible.
• 10:03
  What a story.
• 10:04
  I didn't know that.
• 10:05
  That's fantastic.
• 10:07
  Question going through my brain, just my brain, Cam's brain, if your daughter was born in France, is she a French citizen?
• 10:14
  No, she isn't.
• 10:15
  She's not.
• 10:15
  They changed the rules a little bit.
• 10:17
  It's different in the US.
• 10:18
  Right.
• 10:18
  So we would have had to remain in France for at least five years.
• 10:23
  Okay.
• 10:24
  So she's a Canadian through and through.
• 10:27
  She's fluent in French.
• 10:28
  And she's a lawyer?
• 10:29
  Yeah, she's a lawyer as well.
• 10:31
  Okay.
• 10:32
  A little different.
• 10:32
  She's a criminal defense lawyer.
• 10:34
  Really?
• 10:35
  She's very good at that.
• 10:36
  And so one of the things is, I talked to her about that.
• 10:39
  I said, you probably don't have client appreciation days.
• 10:44
  And she says, dad, no, there's no party room.
• 10:48
  There's no party room at the remand center.
• 10:52
  All right.
• 10:52
  Well, this is good to know in case we ever need a criminal lawyer.
• 10:55
  Let's hope we don't.
• 10:56
  Well, let's hope we don't, but if we ever do, I'm just saying now we know one.
• 10:59
  We have a connection.
• 11:00
  We have a connection.
• 11:01
  So that's really cool.
• 11:02
  Wow.
• 11:02
  That's fascinating.
• 11:03
  What a wow.
• 11:04
  Fascinating.
• 11:06
  And I know you came back to Edmonton.
• 11:08
  You like you say, you're a managing partner and part owner of of RE/MAX here, RE/MAX Excellence in, well, in my neighborhood, actually.
• 11:17
  And you and I got to know a little bit of each other.
• 11:20
  We sat on on on our constituency board for the UCP and we got talking.
• 11:25
  And then one day you start telling me about this incredible thing you did that still just blows me away, where you decided to... take it away.
• 11:36
  OK, well, firstly, I've been a huge supporter of the YMCA over the years.
• 11:40
  Yeah, my kids grew up there and I'm a big believer in the programs that they have.
• 11:45
  Right.
• 11:46
  Especially for disadvantaged kids.
• 11:49
  And so, you know, what I was looking at, you know, is that a lot of kids of the Y are subsidized in their membership.
• 11:57
  Right.
• 11:58
  Yeah.
• 11:58
  Nobody knows who's subsidized and who isn't.
• 12:00
  Yeah.
• 12:01
  And so I really wanted to get out there.
• 12:03
  Is there some way I can promote the Y, that message, the importance of getting kids active and healthy, plus raise money for the YMCAs?
• 12:12
  So I don't want to interrupt you, but can I just tell you, I am one of those kids.
• 12:16
  So my mom was a single mom.
• 12:19
  My dad passed away when I was two years old, and we lived here in Edmonton on the West End, or in West Glen area.
• 12:25
  And I went to West Glen Elementary School, and because of a donor, like yourself, there was a Y right next to the school there with a pool.
• 12:35
  I went through five years, maybe six years, grade one, grade six, of swimming lessons, all paid for by a donor who paid so that I could go and take swimming lessons.
• 12:46
  Yeah, yeah.
• 12:48
  Incredible.
• 12:49
  Like I'm thankful to that.
• 12:49
  So when you say that, that just amazes, that's incredible.
• 12:52
  So you chose YMCA?
• 12:54
  Yeah, yeah, that's right.
• 12:55
  So our kids grew up there, and we would, you know, we'd work out at the Y.
• 13:00
  We also did kids triathlons.
• 13:03
  I participated in triathlons as well.
• 13:06
  I still do.
• 13:07
  Yeah, yeah.
• 13:07
  Though I'm probably the only one in my age group.
• 13:09
  So that's kind of nice.
• 13:11
  But anyways, after after the kids moved out, I decided, well, is there something I can do for the Y?
• 13:17
  And so I planned a trip to ride partway across Canada.
• 13:21
  And so ride your bike.
• 13:23
  Yes, ride my bike.
• 13:24
  This is a pedal bike, people, not a motorbike.
• 13:26
  That's right.
• 13:27
  Or a battery powered bike.
• 13:29
  No, not an e-bike either.
• 13:30
  So you're going to go halfway across Canada.
• 13:32
  So I went from Victoria to Thunder Bay, actually finished up at the Terry Fox monument in Thunder Bay.
• 13:40
  So I did the other half of the ride.
• 13:44
  So I got back and I raised money for the YMCA.
• 13:47
  I did that over about three and a half weeks.
• 13:51
  And I was 56 at the time.
• 13:53
  I thought it was pretty good.
• 13:55
  I was averaging about 150 kilometers a day.
• 13:58
  And so I got back to Mississauga, where we lived at the time.
• 14:04
  And the guys at the Y says, well, Don, you only went halfway.
• 14:08
  So they started giving me this nickname, Halfway Don.
• 14:11
  Oh my goodness.
• 14:12
  So I thought it was pretty good because I did 3,500 kilometers.
• 14:16
  Riding to the corner store is pretty much, you know what I'm saying?
• 14:19
  But I didn't...
• 14:21
  Thunder Bay.
• 14:22
  So Victoria to Thunder Bay, that's halfway across Canada?
• 14:25
  Yes.
• 14:27
  I didn't know that.
• 14:27
  See, I would have thought that it was much further.
• 14:29
  Yeah.
• 14:30
  Yeah.
• 14:30
  I would have thought Manitoba was halfway.
• 14:32
  I don't know.
• 14:32
  I'm a typical Westerner.
• 14:33
  What do I know about it?
• 14:35
  That's incredible.
• 14:35
  Okay.
• 14:36
  So Victoria to Thunder Bay, halfway.
• 14:39
  Now you're Halfway Don.
• 14:40
  Yeah.
• 14:40
  So I figured I got to get rid of the nickname, but also, you know, I figured there's, you know, there's ways that I can really set up, you know, work with the Y.
• 14:48
  And so we developed a program and I think of really aiming high, setting goals and never giving up.
• 14:56
  Right.
• 14:57
  So my plan was, okay, I've got four weeks of holidays.
• 15:00
  Can I ride the whole way?
• 15:02
  And I thought, well, you know, maybe I can.
• 15:05
  There was one kid who was 20 years old who did it in 24 days.
• 15:09
  Oh.
• 15:10
  So I thought, well, that'd be a challenge.
• 15:12
  Can I do that?
• 15:13
  So I started winter training in Mississauga, because if you're going to be riding 10, 11 hours a day, you gotta be training in the wintertime.
• 15:22
  So I'm riding out there in the countryside.
• 15:25
  It's about 10, 15 below.
• 15:27
  I've got my ski mask on.
• 15:28
  Oh my goodness.
• 15:29
  And I'm pedaling along.
• 15:31
  Now, the other part of it was at the end of my ride that day, I stopped into my local bank.
• 15:36
  Yeah.
• 15:36
  And the teller fortunately recognized me, probably because I've got a big nose, and she says, Don, you probably want to take off the ski mask.
• 15:45
  Yeah.
• 15:46
  So I told people that, you know, Halfway Don is now bank robber Don.
• 15:53
  That's right, coming from the banking world.
• 15:55
  Yeah, that's right. We'll give you all the money.
• 15:58
  Take it, just go.
• 15:59
  Yeah.
• 16:00
  So anyways, I've heard that, you know, wearing a ski mask is great for winter cycling.
• 16:05
  Not so good for banking.
• 16:06
  Yeah.
• 16:07
  So, but let me, you're going to take your four weeks vacation.
• 16:10
  Yeah.
• 16:10
  What's your wife, you're taking up all your vacation to ride across Canada.
• 16:15
  What was she thinking about all this?
• 16:17
  Well, she probably thought, okay, go ahead and do it.
• 16:19
  I love it.
• 16:20
  That's great.
• 16:23
  You know, even my bike shop, because it was quite a challenge.
• 16:26
  Yeah.
• 16:27
  I can imagine.
• 16:28
  You know, can he really make it?
• 16:29
  He's got a pedal over 250 kilometers a day.
• 16:32
  Holy smokes.
• 16:34
  They set up a pool.
• 16:35
  They told me afterwards that the over under was 14 days.
• 16:42
  Oh my goodness.
• 16:42
  What do you mean by that?
• 16:43
  Says, well, you'll quit before or after 14 days.
• 16:49
  But they told you that after.
• 16:50
  Yeah, they told me that after.
• 16:51
  So, sorry.
• 16:52
  How old were you now?
• 16:54
  Now?
• 16:55
  58.
• 16:55
  58.
• 16:56
  Oh my gosh.
• 16:57
  58.
• 16:57
  Okay.
• 16:58
  And you're going to ride across Canada.
• 16:59
  Yeah.
• 16:59
  So what I did was I worked with YMCA Canada, and this was the first program that they had, working with the local YMCAs.
• 17:09
  And so what we did, I set up donation pages for every YMCA across the country.
• 17:15
  Oh, okay.
• 17:16
  Yeah.
• 17:16
  Yeah.
• 17:16
  So it's really cool.
• 17:17
  Yeah.
• 17:17
  So what I would do, I'd ride all day, I'd eat everything that wasn't nailed down.
• 17:21
  Yeah, I bet.
• 17:22
  I would do a blog at night.
• 17:25
  And so my typical day was I would get up at 4.30 in the morning, check the bike, start riding by 5 a.m., stop at the restaurant around about 7, pedal all day.
• 17:42
  I was eating about 7,000 calories a day.
• 17:44
  Unbelievable.
• 17:44
  How many calories were you burning?
• 17:46
  You had to be burning.
• 17:46
  I was burning 10,000.
• 17:47
  10,000, yeah.
• 17:48
  And so here's the issue, is that I'm burning 10,000, but I'm eating 7,000, which is quite a lot.
• 17:55
  Yeah.
• 17:55
  I make it into Sault Ste.
• 17:57
  Marie after 15 days, and I'm down 15 pounds.
• 18:02
  And people say, well, how do I get on that diet?
• 18:04
  Well, yeah.
• 18:05
  Yeah, exactly.
• 18:07
  It's the Ride Across Canada diet.
• 18:08
  Right?
• 18:09
  You can't afford to, I mean, I know nobody sees us.
• 18:12
  We're doing, you know, our podcast is taped.
• 18:14
  And if you saw Don, he's tall and very thin.
• 18:17
  When I stand next to Don, I have to look up.
• 18:19
  That's how tall he is.
• 18:20
  But he's very, you couldn't afford to lose that.
• 18:23
  No.
• 18:23
  So what I had to do was that I had to change my diet.
• 18:26
  And so I switched to every morning, after I'd been pedaling for a couple of hours, I'd stop at the local truck stop and order the Hungry Man Special.
• 18:36
  So the first day I'm in there, there's two truckers, they're kind of nibbling on their food.
• 18:43
  And the first platter comes out, and it's three hotcakes, syrup and butter, and I wolf those down.
• 18:49
  And then the other platter comes out, and there's three eggs, toast, hash browns, and your three basic meats, ham, sausage and bacon.
• 18:59
  So I'm shoveling the last piece of bacon in my mouth, and the one trucker turns to his buddy and he says, that skinny guy can really eat.
• 19:06
  Yeah. Unbelievable! So I'm peddling down the road.
• 19:14
  So is there anybody with you?
• 19:15
  No, no, I rode all by myself.
• 19:17
  So you don't have anybody following you or going ahead of you?
• 19:20
  No, just you.
• 19:21
  Yeah.
• 19:21
  And so I just, you know, every day I'd ride as long as I could.
• 19:25
  Yeah.
• 19:26
  Sometimes you're into a big headwind.
• 19:28
  Right.
• 19:28
  Like going from, I think it was...
• 19:30
  I can't imagine.
• 19:30
  No.
• 19:31
  Yeah.
• 19:31
  Swift current to, you know, to Moose Jaw.
• 19:35
  Yeah.
• 19:35
  And so that was a slow day.
• 19:36
  I did about 168 kilometers.
• 19:39
  That was a slow day.
• 19:41
  But the next day, the wind is blowing.
• 19:42
  Yeah.
• 19:43
  And so in my favor.
• 19:45
  Yeah.
• 19:45
  So I rode right from Moose Jaw to Brandon, 442 kilometers.
• 19:50
  In one day.
• 19:51
  In one day.
• 19:52
  So that was a pretty good, pretty good haul.
• 19:54
  So Don, did you camp?
• 19:55
  Did you stay in hotels?
• 19:56
  Like, what did you do at night?
• 19:59
  I stayed in motels.
• 20:00
  Okay.
• 20:00
  So sometimes I'd ride past my destination.
• 20:04
  Sometimes I'd stop earlier.
• 20:06
  But yeah, I had a little backpack attached to my seat post that included two pairs of cycling shorts.
• 20:15
  But by the third day, I was wearing both pairs of cycling shorts.
• 20:20
  I had a T-shirt and some bike repairs.
• 20:24
  I had three flats along the way that I had to change in that regard.
• 20:29
  So when you stopped, did people say, what are you doing?
• 20:34
  They must notice, what's this guy doing?
• 20:37
  And you're telling them you're riding across Canada.
• 20:40
  What was their response?
• 20:42
  Oh, it was great at times.
• 20:43
  My friends, another truck stop I pull in, and I was chatting with a couple of truckers, and I had a big meal, a big apple pie and ice cream.
• 20:54
  And I go up to pay, and the server says, oh, it's already paid for.
• 21:00
  So it was kind of neat.
• 21:02
  And just a great way to travel across the country.
• 21:04
  We have such a beautiful country.
• 21:06
  So you started when?
• 21:08
  You started in?
• 21:08
  I started in late June.
• 21:11
  Late June.
• 21:12
  In Vancouver.
• 21:13
  Oh, okay.
• 21:14
  On the ocean.
• 21:14
  Yeah.
• 21:15
  And I finished at St.
• 21:17
  John's Newfoundland.
• 21:18
  So you traveled July, August, or just July?
• 21:21
  No, no, just.
• 21:21
  Because you only had four week vacation.
• 21:22
  Yeah, that's right.
• 21:23
  So I finished in late July.
• 21:26
  Okay, so now you made it to Thunder, past Thunder Bay, you're thinking I'm halfway.
• 21:30
  Yeah.
• 21:32
  Yeah.
• 21:32
  And so then I'm going through, you know, going to the different Y's and they had celebrations.
• 21:37
  They had kids out at Sudbury, at Sydney, Nova Scotia, and they'd welcome me in.
• 21:44
  Cheering ya on.
• 21:45
  I took kids out for a bike ride in Sault Ste.
• 21:50
  Marie.
• 21:51
  Yeah.
• 21:51
  That was pretty cool.
• 21:52
  Yeah.
• 21:52
  So we rode for the afternoon and then I headed out on my own.
• 21:57
  I was doing interviews sometimes from the side of the road as well.
• 22:02
  So that was pretty cool.
• 22:03
  That is amazing.
• 22:04
  So when was this?
• 22:05
  2012.
• 22:08
  Okay.
• 22:09
  Did they have iPhones in 2000?
• 22:10
  No, we did.
• 22:11
  Yeah, we did.
• 22:12
  So were you like listening to tunes all the way?
• 22:15
  You were just, just you in the road.
• 22:17
  Just me in the road traveling along.
• 22:19
  However, I did lose my iPhone on the first day.
• 22:26
  I'm pedaling up the, I'm pedaling up the Coquihalla.
• 22:32
  Yeah.
• 22:32
  Yes.
• 22:32
  Yes.
• 22:33
  Oh my goodness.
• 22:34
  And my front derailleur breaks, which means you shift from the big chain ring to the small chain ring.
• 22:40
  And then make it down the other side and pedaling down.
• 22:43
  And my phone must have popped out, smashed in the highway.
• 22:47
  So I call my, call my wife.
• 22:49
  And so she was able to on the second day when I pulled in to Sicamous, order a new iPhone.
• 22:56
  I also went into the bike shop.
• 22:58
  And it was like a little MacGyver.
• 23:00
  He put a twist tie and that held my derailleur together until Thunder Bay.
• 23:05
  This is incredible.
• 23:06
  This is, this is just unbelievable.
• 23:10
  Wow.
• 23:10
  Okay.
• 23:11
  So you, by now you've lost your cell phone, your derailleur goes crazy.
• 23:15
  The guy fixes your derailleur.
• 23:16
  Your wife sends you a new cell phone.
• 23:19
  What else?
• 23:19
  What other?
• 23:20
  Adventure.
• 23:21
  Adventures did you have in this?
• 23:22
  I still can't believe you did this with one bike.
• 23:25
  Yeah.
• 23:26
  Yeah.
• 23:27
  There's a couple of repairs I did on my bike as well.
• 23:30
  Late night flat tire out of Thunder Bay that I'm changing in the rain.
• 23:36
  You do these things.
• 23:37
  But anyways, I was determined every day to get up.
• 23:44
  There's a great slogan that the Y has, every kid deserves a chance.
• 23:48
  And that really motivated me.
• 23:50
  I never thought once about quitting.
• 23:53
  And so I just kept pedaling.
• 23:55
  We raised probably $30,000.
• 23:58
  But I think more important was just the public awareness and the importance of getting kids healthy and active.
• 24:04
  Absolutely.
• 24:04
  I've done studies on that as well.
• 24:07
  Actually did an MBA study years ago and it was very simple.
• 24:10
  It was active kids lead to higher academics, lead to skilled jobs, lead to a stronger economy.
• 24:18
  And so there's so many benefits if we can work with kids at a young age.
• 24:23
  And that makes a big difference.
• 24:25
  So tell us, so now you're getting close to, where was your end point?
• 24:29
  What was your, what was your?
• 24:30
  The last community you stopped in.
• 24:32
  Yeah.
• 24:33
  So, so the last point was St.
• 24:36
  John's Newfoundland.
• 24:38
  I took the ferry from Sydney, Nova Scotia over to Port-aux-Basques.
• 24:44
  And then it's a long way around.
• 24:46
  It's still 900 kilometers around the Trans-Canada Highway around Newfoundland.
• 24:51
  Oh my goodness.
• 24:52
  And so the first day I'm pedaling from Port-aux-Basques up to Gander and traveling, traveling through the mountains.
• 25:00
  You're going up a long climb.
• 25:01
  You're going down a long climb.
• 25:03
  It's flat for 20 kilometers.
• 25:05
  Well, there you're going up for a kilometer.
• 25:08
  You're going down for a kilometer.
• 25:10
  It's flat for a meter.
• 25:11
  You're going up again and down again.
• 25:13
  Oh, my goodness.
• 25:15
  But I met two, you know, two women who were running the Gander YMCA program.
• 25:22
  Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 25:23
  You know, we had, you know, a dinner and then off early the next morning.
• 25:27
  Right.
• 25:28
  So here, now you're coming to the end of your journey.
• 25:31
  And what was the last night before you reached the endpoint?
• 25:34
  Were you, you must have been just euphoric.
• 25:37
  You must have been just, I want to get there.
• 25:39
  This is great.
• 25:40
  I can't imagine, you must have felt incredible.
• 25:42
  Well, I wasn't feeling that great.
• 25:45
  I guess not.
• 25:47
  I just forgot, he rode across Canada.
• 25:49
  Like, I guess so, right?
• 25:51
  Yeah, yeah.
• 25:52
  But still, yes, I was pretty excited to get there.
• 25:56
  And I stayed at a little hotel and then I was think, about 160 kilometers on the last day.
• 26:01
  I pedaled in and they had a really nice reception for me in St.
• 26:07
  John's as well when I pedaled in and saw all the kids as well.
• 26:10
  So it was pretty exciting there too.
• 26:13
  Did any family fly out to meet you?
• 26:15
  No, no, they didn't.
• 26:16
  No, just myself.
• 26:17
  Just Don's riding across Canada.
• 26:20
  They'll be home soon.
• 26:20
  But let's just say, Don didn't ride back home.
• 26:22
  Yeah, that's right.
• 26:25
  Yeah, put it on the record.
• 26:26
  Put it on the record.
• 26:27
  Don flew back home.
• 26:29
  Okay, I mean, but this is unbelievable.
• 26:32
  I'm sitting here trying to think, and it wasn't that long ago for me, what I was doing at 58, and it was not riding across Canada.
• 26:40
  What Cam you weren't?
• 26:41
  I know I'm not.
• 26:43
  I can't even.
• 26:45
  This is just blowing me away, actually.
• 26:47
  So I have another question, though, with this.
• 26:49
  Yeah.
• 26:49
  So Don, you rode this many days in a row, that many kilometers afterwards.
• 26:54
  How long did it take you to kind of recover from that?
• 26:58
  Because, yeah, it probably took a good month.
• 27:02
  Yeah, I didn't do a whole lot of riding or activities after that. It takes a while.
• 27:07
  A lot of hot tubs.
• 27:09
  Well, that's right.
• 27:10
  But you know, and then I did go to different events talking about getting kids active.
• 27:15
  Right.
• 27:16
  In that regard, actually one of the interesting ones was, you know, Pinball Clemons?
• 27:23
  Yes, yes. For the Eskimos.
• 27:24
  That's right. The Eskimos then Toronto.
• 27:24
  And then, yeah, yeah.
• 27:25
  So, we were at a sports event for kids.
• 27:30
  And I was talking to him about how I had done this spin ride for the YMCA in the winter time.
• 27:36
  I rode for eight hours.
• 27:38
  And of course, I've got lots of slow twitch muscles.
• 27:41
  He's a sprinter.
• 27:42
  Yeah.
• 27:43
  All fast.
• 27:44
  And he said, and he looks to me, and he said, well, how did you do it for eight hours?
• 27:48
  And I said, well, I was listening to music, I had some other kids with me as well.
• 27:52
  And he said, yeah, but what about the other seven and a half hours?
• 27:58
  Unbelievable.
• 28:00
  Don, I mean, this is incredible.
• 28:01
  I mean, you told me the story that you rode across Canada just in that abbreviated form.
• 28:07
  And now hearing you talk about it is just, wow, it's unbelievable.
• 28:12
  It's incredible what you've done.
• 28:14
  Have you done any rides since or?
• 28:16
  No, I haven't.
• 28:17
  So those those two rides.
• 28:19
  Yeah.
• 28:20
  But as I said to people, it's a matter of setting a goal, really aiming high.
• 28:24
  Yeah.
• 28:25
  Setting out a plan.
• 28:26
  And just like with this ride, never giving up.
• 28:28
  Yeah.
• 28:29
  Amazing.
• 28:30
  Wow.
• 28:31
  What a story.
• 28:32
  We're almost done.
• 28:33
  We're almost at 30 minutes.
• 28:35
  Unbelievable.
• 28:35
  We're onto our final question already.
• 28:36
  OK, take it away, Jennifer.
• 28:38
  Don, what is the best piece of advice you've been given, either personally or professionally, that you carry with you to this day?
• 28:49
  You know, I think I was saying set out goals, never give up in that regard, have high integrity and always follow those personal values that you have.
• 29:03
  Wow.
• 29:04
  Amazing.
• 29:05
  It is.
• 29:06
  And Don, I've known you for about three years now, two and a half years.
• 29:09
  And I have to say, I'm honoured to know you.
• 29:12
  I mean that and thank you for what you do for the YMCA, because again, I am one of those kids that was a recipient of that.
• 29:21
  And but just thank you for who you are and what you do.
• 29:25
  And for you, I can just, it's a genuine heart.
• 29:29
  Yeah, you can feel it.
• 29:30
  Yeah, it's just a genuine heart.
• 29:32
  You weren't out to make a name for yourself.
• 29:34
  You weren't out.
• 29:35
  You just wanted to help kids.
• 29:36
  And I think that's phenomenal.
• 29:38
  Again, for those who missed it, maybe, Don is the co-owner of RE/MAX Excellence here in Edmonton.
• 29:46
  And so if you're looking to buy or sell a home, give Don and RE/MAX Excellence a call.
• 29:52
  And I know you're involved in a few other things, politically wise and those kinds of things.
• 29:57
  And it's, it's, I'm just, I'm honoured to know you.
• 30:00
  Yeah.
• 30:01
  Thanks.
• 30:01
  Thanks so much.
• 30:02
  Thanks for taking the time.
• 30:03
  Yeah.
• 30:04
  All right.
• 30:04
  Thanks, everybody.
• 30:06
  What an incredible story.
• 30:08
  I get tired just riding my bike to like the corner store.
• 30:14
  Unbelievable.
• 30:14
  And he rode across Canada.
• 30:16
  58 years old and just wakes up and says, I'm gonna, I'm gonna ride across Canada.
• 30:20
  Like, that's incredible.
• 30:22
  That's unbelievable.
• 30:23
  What an inspiration.
• 30:24
  Yeah.
• 30:24
  And he, you know, like, like he said, and he did it for the kids.
• 30:28
  That's amazing.
• 30:29
  It is.
• 30:30
  Wow.
• 30:30
  What a great story.
• 30:31
  Don's a great guy.
• 30:32
  He's a great guy.
• 30:33
  Just a humble, humble guy and really appreciate it.
• 30:36
  And thanks everybody for listening.
• 30:38
  Hey, make sure you tell everybody about our podcast.
• 30:41
  Tell your friends and your neighbors and your coworkers.
• 30:44
  If you don't have any friends, make one, just so you can tell them about the podcast.
• 30:48
  And you can find it wherever you get your podcasts, or you can go to www.achesonbusiness.com.
• 30:55
  And subscribe.
• 30:56
  Subscribe.
• 30:57
  And you won't miss a new episode.
• 30:59
  Thanks everybody.
• 31:00
  Have a good one.
• 31:01
  See you next time.