Day 1: Halifax to Miramichi

MIRAMICHI, N.B.--The phrase, "You have to know where you've been, to know where you're going," certainly applied today.

The morning, for both myself and my 14-year-old daughter Olivia, started with a flight from Ottawa to Halifax. The journey would finish by turning around and driving west, back home in our nation's capital and then farther on to Vancouver in nine days. In a Smart car. In fact, a really, really bright $22,945 Steam Green 2006 Smart ForTwo CDI Cabriolet.

Thanks to Steve McLean at O'Regan Mercedes-Benz in Halifax, our lime liveried microcar was ready in time to make our date at our semi-official starting point -- Canada's Immigration Museum at Pier 21 in Halifax Harbour.

Before we recorded our own mile zero, Pier 21's Stefani Angelopolous explained how the restored award-winning National Historic Site exists to tell the stories of 1.5 million immigrants, war brides, displaced children and Canadian military service personnel who passed through its doors between 1928 and 1971.

(See how that whole, "where you've been/where you're going" thing came into play, again?)

From Pier 21, we headed north, for a short driving stint to Moncton. The planets had aligned, and we were to briefly meet with another cross-Canada driving junkie: Thane Silliker.

JOHN LEBLANC FOR THE TORONTO STAR

Thane Silliker rode a motobike across Canada in less than 57 hours. The catheter down his leg helped.

Silliker, who hails from the southwestern Ontario town of Mount Brydges, holds the Halifax to Vancouver driving record of 56 hours and 36 minutes. Except he did it on two wheels -- his 1998 Honda ST 1100. His record time was helped by a strategically placed catheter to reduce the need for pitstops.

Needless to say, Silliker found our Smart downright luxurious. His only concern with the car was where to hook up his external catheter....

Finally, we bid farewell to Silliker, and finished the day in Miramichi, New Brunswick.

JOHN LEBLANC FOR THE TORONTO STAR

Silliker seems bemused by the luxury of the Leblancs' Smart car.

Tomorrow, we tackle the tricky Plaster Road that crosses the top of the province, a short cut to Quebec's South Shore. Then through Montreal and back to Ottawa for a quick overnighter.

Today's 300 km was merely a warm-up, a teaser, an appetizer. Next up is the first of many 12-hour, 1,200 km days.

Plenty of time to discuss where we've been and where we're going.

Day 1:
Thursday, June 21, Halifax to Miramichi, N.B.
Distance: 285 km
Average fuel consumption (L/100 km): 6.19
Weather: Overcast, intermittent showers, 15C
Smart car count: 4

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