Claude Camirand, a man with epilepsy, is walking from Montreal to B.C. to raise awareness. He’ll pass through Sudbury next week with his service dog, Timber.
Montreal Man Embarks on Cross-Canada Walk
Claude Camirand, 34, set off from Montreal in June 2025 on a journey that spans the width of Canada—walking and biking toward British Columbia to raise awareness for epilepsy. His mission, deeply personal and medically significant, has so far brought him more than 800 kilometres along the Trans-Canada Highway, with his next stop being Sudbury, Ontario.
Life-Altering Diagnosis Fuels Mission
Camirand was once a circus acrobat in Montreal. However, a serious fall in 2022 caused a concussion that intensified a hidden condition he had unknowingly lived with since childhood—epilepsy. Following the injury, he began suffering up to 30 seizures a week, a volume doctors warned could be fatal within years. That stark prognosis became his call to action.
Traveling with Timber and a Mobile Shelter
Accompanied by Timber, his trained seizure-alert service dog, Camirand pulls a modified bike trailer that carries essential supplies and serves as his shelter at night. Timber alerts him before a seizure strikes, giving him just enough time to move off the road and lay down safely. Camirand alternates between walking and biking, resting only when locals offer shelter or when fatigue takes over.
Aiming to Educate and Inspire
His goal is to change the way Canadians understand epilepsy—a neurological disorder that affects nearly one in every hundred people, yet remains widely misunderstood. “I may look fine, but inside it’s a mess,” Camirand told Maple News Wire during a roadside interview near Deux-Rivières, Ontario. He said people often don’t know how to respond to seizures or recognize the role of service dogs.
Physical Toll Meets Mental Peace
Despite the physical exhaustion, Camirand reports that his seizures have significantly decreased since the journey began. From 30 a week, he’s now down to just three per month. He credits the reduction to a simpler, less stressful lifestyle on the road. “The only stress I have is to watch behind for a car,” he joked.
Not Just a Journey, but a Statement
Camirand is not setting a speed record. “I’m not in a rush,” he said. “If it takes me into the winter, so be it. If I get sick, I’ll stop and restart. The goal is to stay healthy and spread awareness.” Donations raised through his public Facebook page support the Canadian Epilepsy Alliance and his personal travel expenses.
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