Man makes it his mission to walk every Saskatoon street

For the last 3 1/2 years, a Saskatoon man made it his mission to walk along every street in the city.

Bruce Johnson told 650 CKOM that the walks started as a way to clear his head before work.

“I had a friend look at me one day and say, ‘Why don’t you keep expanding and do the whole city?’ ” Johnson said. “That’s where the idea was born.”

Every day, Johnson would walk between eight and 10 kilometres and check off the streets he visited using a map on his phone. He admitted that, sometimes, it was a daunting task.

“Some days, it was tough to get out of bed,” he said.

Johnson explained that, while sometimes it was tough to get going, he enjoyed the walks, even in frigid winter conditions. He believes the daily treks helped put everything in perspective to start the day.

During his adventure, Johnson said one thing he learned is how safe Saskatoon is.

“I’ve walked every street and never had a problem with anyone,” he commented.

If Johnson had to pick one neighbourhood as his favourite, he said it would be Lawson Heights.

“There’s a lot of beautiful homes down in there and crescents I had never heard of,” he explained.

He said the alphabet and downtown areas were the most difficult to get through simply because of their grid layout.

The 56-year-old finished his walk of Saskatoon in front of city hall earlier this month. He celebrated with some friends and family at his finish line.