What do a 142-kilometre trek and the McGill community have in common? A lot more than you might initially think. Over the course of five days—from Oct. 24 to 28—McGill students embarked on a formidable journey from Montreal to Mont-Tremblant on foot, in support of the Quebec Cancer Foundation and the estimated 67,219 Quebecers diagnosed with cancer just last year.
Primary organizer, Gabrielle Lavoie, U4 Engineering, dedicated the walk to her grandfather, who passed away from cancer earlier this year.
“Cancer touches so many lives,” she said in an interview with The Tribune. “Walking in his memory allows me to honour him, carry forward the love he gave, and stand in support of everyone affected by this disease.”
With roughly 184 new cases diagnosed each day, and an estimated 22,800 deaths per year—an average of 62 per day—cancer remains the most pervasive cause of death in Quebec, surpassing even cardiovascular disease. In Quebec alone, someone learns they have cancer every eight minutes, and every 23 minutes, someone dies from it. Walking in memory of those we’ve lost, it’s impossible not to feel the weight of what cancer has taken. Yet it is the courage, resilience, and love it leaves behind that inspires action and fosters solidarity for all those still fighting.
Of all the students who walked, Lavoie was the only participant able to complete the full 142 kilometres. Although she has a background in running and has competed in a half-marathon before, this was an entirely different realm of physical and mental challenge. Some days stretched for 13 hours, taking her past dusk through the Laurentides terrain. Following the P’tit Train du Nord trail with stops in Bois-des-Filion, Saint-Jérôme, Sainte-Adèle, and Saint-Agathe-des-Monts before concluding at Mont-Tremblant, the walk traced a historic railway-turned-recreational path—a route once used daily by local residents, and a path that has connected communities for generations.
Le Quémino is not just an extraordinary act of endurance—it is a testament to the human spirit and the power of will we are all capable of. It is a performance of good-faith solidarity in the face of apathy, an opportunity to look inward and affirm: ‘I believe in possibilities.’
“It is inspiring to see hope in action [….] I’m just a McGill computer engineering student, but the truth is anyone can take on an initiative like this. When we believe something is impossible, it becomes impossible,” Lavoie reflected. “We kind of make it impossible. We often think we know ourselves but we only discover our limits by testing them. Sometimes we need to see what we are capable of to believe in ourselves and sometimes we need to see ourselves in others to act with the kindness and courage that real change requires.”
The fundraiser more than doubled its initial goal, raising $2,300 CAD over the five-day journey.
Lavoie hopes that the project will carry with it a ripple effect, inspiring others to take positive action. “Just because you’re one person doesn’t mean you have to feel powerless. Each person has the ability to step out of their comfort zone and create the kind of change we want to see.”
When asked about a particularly memorable moment on her journey, Lavoie recalled a small navigational hiccup.
“I typed the destination into Apple Maps and it said no route could be found.” This, of course, didn’t stop the journey. “To make a goal a reality you need to take it one step at a time. Though you may not always see the whole way forward, if you put one foot in front of the other and give yourself permission to believe in your own strength, you will find a way.”
“We found a route. We always do.”
