Hat couple gearing up for unique trip to Saskatchewan

By Mo Cranker on July 23, 2018.

NEWS PHOTO MO CRANKER Hatter Bart Campbell puts his 1926 Chevrolet into gear Thursday outside of his home in the city's northeast. Bart and his wife Lisa will be travelling more than 1,000 kilometres in the car in September. The couple will be leaving Medicine Hat with no money or credit cards while driving to Hague, Sask and relying on good deeds to get by.

mcranker@medicinehatnews.com @MHNmocranker

We quite often hear how kind and generous strangers can be — we just don’t usually test it.

‘We’ are not Bart and Lisa Campbell.

The Hat couple will be making a multi-week trip to Hague, Sask. in September solely off the generosity of others.

Oh, and they’re making the 1,000-plus kilometre trip in a 1926 Chevrolet.

“After the long weekend, my wife Lisa and I will be making an epic journey to Hague, Sask.,” said Bart. “We’re going to be recreating a journey a family took back in 1934 during the Great Depression, and we’re going to be making a very similar trip that they did.

“We’re basing it off of an old family photo of the Fehr family, that was one of the most famous photos of that era. We’re also basing it off of a love for Saskatchewan’s history and a love of old cars.”

Bart says the plan is to leave around Sept. 5 and travel to Hague on back roads over the span of a few weeks — all without carrying a single nickel.

“When we leave it’ll be without any cash or credit cards,” he said. “We’ve had the first tank of gas donated to us and we’re hoping that every single thing along the way will come from the generosity of strangers.

“We’ve had people reaching out to us already asking us to make stops along the way — it’s going to be an interesting experience for sure.”

Bart purchased the car in British Columbia more than a year ago, and has only had to put a new set of tires on it.

“When we get cruising we’ll be sitting around 45 km/h,” he said. “There’s a lot of tricks and learning when it comes to a car like this, but we’ve had it for a while and it’s been fairly smooth sailing.

“There’s no mirrors on the side, no turn signals, no fuel gauge — you really have to know the car to drive it.”

Bart says both he and Lisa are looking forward to the trip.

“It took quite a bit of convincing, and she is a bit nervous still, but we know it’ll be a good time,” he said. “I do believe that people are good and that there’s a lot of really good people out there that are going to help us along the way.

“We just hope people follow along and get inspired to go out and check out some of the places we go to.”

To keep up with Bart and Lisa’s journey on their My Epic Journey 2018 Facebook page.