A 9-foot high bronze statue, set on a 45-ton granite base with a foundation of local amethyst, commands a breath-taking view of Lake Superior and the Sleeping Giant. (Unfortunately, the two RV Gypsies were there on a rainy day, so Lake Superior is difficult to see in the photos below.)
The statue was erected in memory of Terry Fox, the courageous one-legged runner who embarked on a cross-country run for cancer research - the Marathon of Hope. The site is not far from the place where he ended his 5,342 km (3,339 miles) run, stricken with the disease that ended his life on June 28, 1981. |
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As per the above plaque: Terry Fox never understood why Canadians honored him with so many awards. Governor General Edward Schreyer invested Terry Fox with this nation's highest civilian award on September 19, 1980. The youngest companion of the order, awarded to Canada's heroes, Terry Fox shared the honor accepting it for all who made his run a success. In addition, Terry was named "Canadian of the Year" in 1980 and 1981 and winner of the Lou Marsh Award for Canada's outstanding athlete of 1980. On August 29. 1981, he was posthumously inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. He was also presented with the Province of British Columbia's highest honor, The Order of the Dogwood. And from the American Cancer Society, he received their prestigious Sword of Hope. And from the Canadian Cancer Society, he was awarded The Terry Fox Citation of Honor. |
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Below: Karen Duquette at the Terry Fox Monument. Since
the date was June 27th, Karen was wearing the shirt she made in honor
of her son, Brian Lee Duquette. The shirt has a red heart with Brian's
initials inside the heart. Each year, this is an extra tough day for
the two RV Gypsies to enjoy, but they have no choice except to continue
on with their daily lives, even on this date. For more about Brian use
the "Brian button"
in the main navigational menu which is at the bottom of most pages.
Brian is always in the hearts and souls of the two RV Gypsies and his
family |
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Below: A panorama view of
the highway and Lake Superior and the Sleeping Giant (beyond the trees) |
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Note: In August of 2009, the two RV Gypsies were in Robson, British Columbia, Canada and came upon the Mt. Terry Fox Rest Area. There was a rock with a plaque plus two large signs about Terry Fox, a nice picnic area, and a hiking area up a hill with an amazing view of a river. To see those photos, use the TOC button above and then choose the letter T. |