Good People is a bi-monthly column highlighting McGill students doing community-oriented work on and around campus. Because it’s important to celebrate good people doing good things.
In 2024, an estimated 67,219 Quebecers were diagnosed with cancer: in other words, 184 new cases each day. Gabrielle Lavoie, a U4 undergraduate student in Computer Engineering at McGill, knew she wanted to take a stand in the fight against cancer. In honour of her grandfather, who loved the outdoors and recently passed away from cancer, Lavoie launched Le Quémino, an initiative to walk 142 kilometres to raise funds for the Quebec Cancer Foundation. “I hope you can see my support as I carry your strength with me every step of the way,” Lavoie writes to her grandfather on Le Quémino’s website.
Between October 24 and October 28, Lavoie, alongside her boyfriend and uncle, walked from downtown Montreal to Mont-Tremblant along the P’tit Train du Nord trail, walking 20 to 45 kilometres every day. (That is equivalent to walking a half or full marathon for five days straight!)
The Daily spoke with Lavoie about the walk, the wide-reaching impact of cancer diagnoses, and persevering through difficult times.
This interview has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
Enid Kohler for the McGill Daily (MD): I wanted to get started by asking how your walk was. How are you feeling today?
Gabrielle Lavoie (GL): I’m feeling good. It was definitely a challenge physically, but I was happy to complete the full 142-kilometre walk.
MD: What prompted you to begin this project? Where did the idea come about?
GL: Cancer touches so many lives around us: families, friends, our loved ones. So this walk is an act of solidarity to support the thousands of Quebecers affected by cancer. Personally, my grandpa recently died from cancer, but there’s multiple people around us who are also affected, so this was an initiative to support all of those touched by the disease.
MD: Is there a specific moment or memory of the walk that stands out to you?
GL: Looking back to see that I had traveled such a large distance at the end of the walk was very gratifying. Even driving the distance by car to come back home, you could really see just how many kilometres had been walked.
MD: Can you tell me more about the route you took? Was there an intention behind choosing it?
GL: I wanted it to start in downtown Montreal at McGill, where I live and study, and end in Mont-Tremblant. The stops in between all followed the P’tit Train du Nord trail, which is a very popular scenic trail in the Laurentian region. The stops in between ensured the distance was between 20 and 45 kilometres every day.
MD: Did you encounter any particular challenges during the walk? Was there ever a moment where you wanted to give up?
GL: Definitely. It was very physically challenging; every night, my legs were very sore. There were days I walked up to 12 hours, where I would start in the morning and end after sunset. Walking in the dark was definitely a challenge. I was very grateful to have people next to me supporting me on the journey, and I was always proud to be able to raise money for the Quebec Cancer Foundation.
MD: What do you hope will be the long-term impact of this project?
GL: I hope this walk can inspire other people and show them that any initiative, no matter how small, can make a difference.
MD: The theme of this column is “good people doing good things.” In the context of your work with Le Quémino, what does being a “good person” mean to you?
GL: That’s a big question to think about. This walk was really about putting one foot in front of the other, having the perseverance to keep going, and having the overarching goal of doing something good for the world. In general, if someone is able to do small actions and trickle positivity in the world in their own way, people together can make the world a better place.
So far, Le Quémino has raised $2,300 for the Quebec Cancer Foundation. To make a donation, visit canadahelps.org/en/pages/le-quemino.
End note: If you know good people doing good things who you would like to see featured in this column, email news@mcgilldaily.com.