Cyclists pedal into New Brunswick for Canada 150 journey

Canada's 150th birthday has prompted two photographers to set out on a cyclingjourney across Canada and share stories of itshistory.

JonathonReed andAsadChishti, both from Kingston, Ont.,have been busy recounting darker stories fromCanada's past and presentwith the help ofinterviews and photos they've posted onto their website, As the Raven Flies.

These stories include the building of theTrans-Canada Railwayby migrant workers, and issues that Indigenous people continue to face today.

"Our expectation of the year [Canada 150] is we would see this really strong mainstream celebration of Canada and we wanted to provide some balance," said Reed.

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The journey started in May and so far, they've interviewed everyone from chiefs anddrummakersin First Nations communities to lobster fishermen and newcomer families.

Their trek will take them from St. John's, N.L. all the way to British Columbia. This week, the cyclists made a stop in Fredericton.

"[Canada] has a history that's a lot deeperthan 150 years," said Chishti.

The project initially started back in 2014 with a goal to documentmarginalizedvoices and experiences across Canada.

Learning along the way

Down the road they're hoping to highlight stories of the Japanese-Canadian interment.

"Our goal is to share and be compilingthese stories as we go," said Reed.

Throughout their journey, they will stay with friends of friendsand find interviews through word of mouth within Canadian communities.

"It's wonderful that our trip is a mixture of both logistical planning as well as having room for magic and serendipity," said Chishti.

Both cyclists have travelled the country before, but have been learning more about topics like the train industry, fish moratorium and traditional festivals when they're not cycling on the road.

After their six-month journey, they're hoping to create a documentary of their findings.

"I thought I knew this country pretty well," said Reed."I repeatedly had the opportunity to find out thatI didn't even know what I didn't know."

The friends hope to be in Victoria by Thanksgiving after they make their way up tothe Arctic community of Inuvik in theNorthwest Territories.

Why not take the car?

Over the years, the duo felt that cycling was the best way to conduct a project like this.

"Driving would be too fast, walking would be much too slow socycling gives us really good pace," said Reed.

"We have time to see the countryside, to see the people ... and not just be racing from one place to the next."