A Rainy Morning in Guelph: July 22, 1980*
On July 22, 1980, Terry Fox ran into Guelph, Ontario, as part of his Marathon of Hope. Despite the dismal grey and rainy skies, Fox, following his usual routine, had woken at 4:30 a.m. at the Valhalla Inn In Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario and hit the road by 5 a.m., heading toward Guelph on Highway 7 from Kitchener.
His distinctive hop-step gait, a result of running on his prosthetic leg, carried him along Woodlawn Road and toward downtown Guelph via Woolwich Street. He stopped briefly at the intersection of Speedvale and Woolwich before turning around and heading back to the Parkview Motel, where he rested and fueled up for the next leg of his journey.
By 11:45 a.m., Terry Fox arrived at Guelph City Hall, greeted by an enthusiastic crowd. Mayor Norm Jary and other dignitaries were present, honouring him with handshakes, speeches, and donations. The City of Guelph declared July 22, 1980, as “Terry Fox Day”, and Fox was presented with a special commemorative plate inscribed with the city’s insignia.
Fox left Guelph around noon, continuing down York Road toward Rockwood, then onward to Georgetown for a special dinner that evening.
Fox’s Determination and Strength
At the time of his visit to Guelph, Terry had already run for 100 days and 3,700 kilometers, raising three-quarters of a million dollars for charity. Despite his unwavering determination, signs of exhaustion and the toll of his illness were becoming more apparent.
But Terry wasn't one to complain about it. In a phone call from a payphone in St. Mary’s, Fox reassured the public that he was “getting along fine”, despite rumors that he might need hospitalization. His prosthetist, Ben Speicher, was concerned but acknowledged Fox’s relentless spirit:
“He’s not the type to complain about it, but he’s got to be hurting.”
Despite the pain, Terry refused to slow down. During his speech at City Hall, he made his unwavering commitment clear:
“I’m not going to give up, no matter how tough things are going to be.”
He even noted that the cancer treatments he endured were harder than the marathon itself.
Beyond Guelph: The Marathon Cut Short
Terry Fox had initially planned to run straight across Canada but he decided to extend his route through Southern Ontario due to its high population density. Sadly, Terry was forced to end his Marathon of Hope on September 1, 1980, near Thunder Bay, Ontario, after running for 143 days and covering 5,373 kilometers. The osteogenic sarcoma (bone cancer) had spread to his lungs, making it impossible to continue. He passed away less than a year later. Although he was unable to complete his journey, he has inspired people worldwide and continues to have an impact. His final words were,
“If I don't make it, the Marathon of Hope must continue.”
Logging This Virtual:
Please read carefully!
Failure to upload all images to your "found it" log within 24 hours of posting *will* result in your log being deleted. There are no excuses that will be accepted to log this virtual without the proper images included in your log.
You are welcome to send one set of answers for all of the questions if you are travelling in a group but EACH group member MUST upload their own INDIVIDUAL pictures. It is NOT acceptable to say things like, "You can see me in the picture in JohnnyP's log."
Group pictures are welcome in your log but cannot take the place of your own individual pictures at each location. This is a D5 virtual and this difficulty rating reflects the amount of work that will need to be done to claim this smiley.
This virtual will have you retracing Terry Fox's route through Guelph. You are required to take an INDIVIDUAL photo of yourself for each stop along the route. There are questions to answer: some answers are found in the above write up, some need to be found via an internet search.
1. At The Posted
This is the point where Terry Fox officially entered Guelph after running from Kitchener-Waterloo (although this sign was not there at the time). Answer the following question and send it to me. Do NOT include your answers in your "found it" log.
A) How many bolts are there that secure the sign to the supports?
B) From the posted coordinates, take a photo of yourself (you do not have to show your face) and upload it to your online log with the sign clearly visible in the background. If you don't wish to show your face, options to include in the photo are a thumbs up, your GPS, a special caching momento, your caching name on a piece of paper. YOU MUST UPLOAD YOUR OWN INDIVIDUAL PHOTO as part of your "found it" log.
2. Waypoint #2
There is suggested parking for this location.
Terry Fox ran along Woodlawn Road and then made a short stop at the location across the street from where you are standing (see Waypoint "Where Terry Stopped"). Answer the following questions and send them to me. Do NOT include your answers in your "found it" log.
C) What is the name of the (major) street that Terry turned onto from Woodlawn Road? (hint: you're right next to it)
D) The building that has the waypoint "Where Terry Stopped," is still standing but it has been renovated. It used to be called the Parkview Motel. What is the current name of the building?
E) Consider the two pillars on your left where you are standing. What are the words on the two pillars?
F) What kind of stone do you think these pillars are made of?
G) At Waypoint #2, take a photo of yourself (you do not have to show your face) with one of the pillars in your photo, plus the building across the street, and upload it to your online log. Use the sample photo below as a reference.
If you don't wish to show your face, options to include in the photo are a thumbs up, your GPS, a special caching momento, your caching name on a piece of paper. YOU MUST UPLOAD YOUR OWN INDIVIDUAL PHOTO as part of your "found it" log.
3. (Old) City Hall
This is where Terry Fox was greeted and honoured by the citizens of Guelph, along with the Mayor at that time. The new City Hall that is next to old City Hall did not exist when Terry came to town. Answer the following questions and send them to me via the geocaching messenging service. Do NOT include your answers in your "found it" log.
H) Norm Jary was the Mayor of Guelph who honoured Terry. There is another important man mentioned here who has a statue made in his honour. What is his name?
J) Near the statue (mentioned in question H), next to the sidewalk, is a small, silver plaque on a stand. What is the final LETTER on this plaque?
K) (Old) City Hall is no longer Guelph's City Hall. What is its purpose now?
L) (Old) City Hall was designed in what style? (Note: the answer is NOT civic architecture).
M) At the (Old) City Hall Waypoint, take a photo of yourself (you do not have to show your face) with the front doors in the photo (this is where Terry stood), and upload it to your online log. If you don't wish to show your face, options to include in the photo are a thumbs up, your GPS, a special caching momento, your caching name on a piece of paper. YOU MUST UPLOAD YOUR OWN INDIVIDUAL PHOTO as part of your "found it" log.
4. A Place Of Hope
Note: The driveway to the parking lot and the parking lot have been waypointed
This is a place that Terry Fox did not visit in the City of Guelph but it is a very important location regarding the impact he had on the city of Guelph. Answer the following questions and send them to me. Do NOT include your answers in your "found it" log.
N) Every year, something special starts at this location. What is it?
O) Who dedicated this special item here?
P) Take a photo of yourself (you do not have to show your face) with the object of interest here, and upload it to your online log. If you don't wish to show your face, options to include in the photo are a thumbs up, your GPS, a special caching momento, your caching name on a piece of paper. YOU MUST UPLOAD YOUR OWN INDIVIDUAL PHOTO as part of your "found it" log.
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.
*Note: there is some conflicting information about this date: some sources say July 21st; others say July 22.
Thank you to KayTeeAre for helping me with this virtual.