Born: January 2, 1884
Died: July 4, 1913 Place of Birth: North Sydney, Nova Scotia
Major Notes:
John Hugh Gillis was the first man to walk across Canada.
In addition, he was an outstanding track-and-field athlete in what is now known as the decathlon.
Gillis came from a large family and over time gained a reputation in the Maritime provinces as a long-distance runner.
Gillis suggested an idea where he and two other individuals would walk across North America starting from North Sydney.
They were to follow railway tracks across Canada and United States to complete a return walk selling souvenir cards along the way to raise funds.
However, the three found the walk full of hardships, such as extreme weather and pests, and Gillis' companions parted from him at Montreal, reached Kalamazoo, Michigan, and returned to North Sydney.
Gillis himself suffered from a medical condition in his feet that made walking very painful.
Nevertheless, John Gillis decided to plod on after his sponsors agreed to make it a cross-Canada walk.
Another well-known athlete, Charles Jackman, heard about the walk and decided to join Gillis, meeting up with him near Ignace, Ontario.
Overcoming many obstacles and personal hardships, the men completed the 1800 mile walk from Ignace, reaching Vancouver September 24, 1906.
Along the way, the men were awed by nature's beauty and by the new automotive technology.
Jackman returned to Halifax but John Gillis stayed in British Columbia where he demonstrated his athletic abilities again.
Excelling in track-and-field events, Gillis gained a prominent reputation as the physical director for the Vancouver Police.
By 1910, he had set a record for the 16 pound shot put (which lasted for 32 years) and had won many track-and-field medal events as Canadian all-round champion.
Gillis was selected for the 1912 Canadian Olympic team but tuberculosis prevented his participation.
John Gillis, an early great Canadian athlete, returned home to Nova Scotia in 1913 where he died at the age of 29.
He has since been inducted into both the British Columbia and the Cape Breton Sports Halls of Fame.
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