Trek “nothing compared to the effects of cancer treatment”

Led by Commissioner Edna Elias of Nunavut, this past May, five courageous women set out on a 224-km trek from Bay Chimo to Cambridge Bay to raise money for the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton.

 “It was in my bucket list to someday do a long distance walk,” said Elias.

When she lost a younger sister to breast cancer, Elias was inspired. Her sister had been treated at the Cross Cancer Institute.

Elias was accompanied by five other women, whom she hand-picked, and her aide-de-camp, Captain Yanick Fergusson. She said she screened the women to ensure they were models of health and physical fitness and ready to complete the journey. Of the 13 days spent trekking, the women had to sit out two and a half days due to inclement weather. They were accompanied by five guides on snow machines carrying their gear. All were volunteers.

Although it was spring, the average temperature was between -5C and -10C, and there was still lots of snow, said Elias. They trekked through rain, high winds, and sleet that made the ground slippery and slushy. She said at first it was hard to get the layering of clothing right as they would get soaked through very quickly from sweating.

Apart from the natural elements, they had to watch out for grizzly bears and the four- to five-foot open cracks in the ice, which they used a travel sled as a bridge to get around.  Despite their struggles, they kept a positive frame of mind.

 “We were always thinking positively, thinking of the people who suffered through chemotherapy and radiation treatment,” said Elias. “Our sore leg muscles, cramps and blisters were nothing compared to the effects of cancer treatment.”

Elias’ leadership has garnered interest in other regions of Nunavut that are planning similar Steps of Hope walks. The women of Kivalliq, on the western Hudson Bay are planning a walk for next year. And the year after that one is planned for the Baffin region. Elias’ dream is that Steps of Hope will become an annual event in communities across Nunavut, similar to the Terry Fox Run.

She said it was “absolutely unbelievable how the residents responded and those from outside of Canada who donated online.” They exceeded their $80,000 target, presenting a cheque for $95,000 to the Northern Alberta Breast Cancer Program in July.

As chair of a peer review committee, Dr. John Mackey, head of the Northern Alberta Breast Cancer at Cross Cancer, will review proposals for clinical trials in breast cancer through a grant application process and choose the best.

“When we see six women walking across the most difficult terrain in the world, it is tremendously inspirational and motivational. This kind of money is not easily generated in the least well off, extreme Northern communities. It touches everyone’s heart and reminds us of who we are doing what we are doing for,” said  Mackey.

With such limited resources in the community, cancer patients travel to Edmonton if they need radiation treatment. Elias said, her sister finally gave up. “She couldn’t take the travel anymore, a defining factor to let nature take its course.”