By Canadian Press

Musher closing in on New Brunswick destination after 100 days of sledding

May 6, 2018 | 11:21 AM

A New Brunswick man making his way across Canada on a dog sled says he’s on track to arrive at his final destination in a week’s time after being set back by warm weather and flooding.

Justin Allen was originally slated to arrive in Saint John, N.B., in mid-April, but said in a phone interview Saturday from Perth-Andover, N.B., that he was forced to do daily route reassessments to contend with muddy trails and washed out roads caused in part by the flooded Saint John River.

The 34-year-old is in the final stretch of mushing from Manitoba to his home province of New Brunswick, and is expected to roll into Saint John on Sunday, May 13.

“Yeah, it’s slowing us down a little bit,” said Allen of the ever-changing weather conditions. “But I guess it needs to be a bit more challenging to make it all the sweeter when we get there.”

Allen embarked from Churchill, Man., near the end of January, and he’s spent more than 100 days travelling through the vast expanses of Canada, towed along by his 12 Alaskan huskies: Acer, Goldie, Alpine, Ash, Bella, J.T., Mouse, Howler, Juniper, Sequoia, Willow and Tamarack.

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Seeing the frozen landscape and the tree-lined trails throughout the country was a nice bonus, but Allen said the highlight of his trip was watching his dogs mature.

“It’s not my journey, it’s their journey,” he said. “Watching them grow, and develop, learn, and have all these new experiences, that’s been an honour, that’s been a blessing.”

As temperatures climbed into the positives and snow began to melt, Allen traded in his sled runners for wheels instead, now alternating between a fat bike and a stripped-down all-terrain vehicle.

Originally from New Brunswick, Allen spent the past six years living in Manitoba volunteering at a dog kennel and learning about mushing from an Indigenous mentor.

His motivation to mush his way across the country was twofold: he wanted to both promote the sport of dog sledding, and learn more about Indigenous communities.

A small crew of three people are following a similar route by truck, meeting up with Allen at pre-established checkpoints to drop off food and other supplies.

Allen’s girlfriend Danielle Sinclair is one of them, and said in an interview Saturday that she’s pleased for the opportunity to work closer with him and see more of the country at the same time.

“My mother and my grandparents grew up with sled dogs as a lifestyle, and it’s kind of been lost as a traditional way of life,” she said. “So for me to be able to support him in this aspect, it’s a way to keep tradition alive.”

In recent years, mushing has drawn criticism from some animal rights activists. PETA has included dog sled racing under their list of cruel sports, the Vancouver Humane Society has spoken out against the activity and groups like the Sled Dog Action Coalition have cropped up to raise awareness about conditions for animals in the Iditarod sled dog race.

But Allen said he wants to show that the sport is humane and enjoyable for the dogs when the owners take cues from the animals and stop when they get uncomfortable or tired.

“I wanted to showcase it from a positive perspective and give people the opportunity to see these dogs firsthand and how much they’re loved, looked after, respected, and how much they love what they do,” he said.

“There’s people out there who treat dogs poorly, but to shove everyone in a box and say we’re all the same … I feel like I’m under attack when I see my sport being attacked.”

After he gets back to New Brunswick, Allen intends to go into business with his canine friends. Boss Dog Expeditions will offer dog sled rides, dog-assisted hikes and camping trips.

Alex Cooke, The Canadian Press