A group of 25 residents have undertaken the challenge by participating in the long-term care home’s new Walking Across Canada program. Residents walk the halls, the courtyard, and outdoors, keeping track of the distances they’ve traveled, explains Andrea Pouliot, a life enrichment aide. Each ‘route’ has been measured, which helps keep track of distances, she adds.

Then, the residents’ progress is marked on a map posted inside the home. “We’re following the highways, from (provincial) capital to capital,” explains Andrea. “We’re drawing a line with an arrow to show our progress.”

Andrea, who co-ordinates the program, helped make it a community project, by encouraging a group of elementary school students to make the map.

“I know some teachers at a local school (Georges Vanier Elementary School), and we arranged for a small group of eager Grade 6 girls to outline and paint a map of Canada. They did a great job,” says Andrea.

The Walking Across Canada program, which was launched in early May, not only provides an opportunity for exercise, but it also gives residents a sense of accomplishment.

“We’ll have a ‘walker of the month;’ we’ll post their name and give them a certificate of achievement,” says Andrea.

Once the residents finish their walk, “we’ll turn around and head right on back,” Andrea says with enthusiasm. “Of course, some kind of celebration would be in order to congratulate all those walkers.”

The Garden Terrace community is continuing to encourage more residents to join the walking program. Signs are posted in the dining rooms, and plans are in the works to send out personal invitations, says Andrea.