Il fut le premier cycliste à réaliser la traversée du Canada en 1947 ( Halifax à Vancouver, 11 265 km ). Il a accompli cet exploit en  67 jours.

    C'est le (14) quatorze août prochain que ce pédaleur devant l'éternel fêtera ses 95 ans. L'ouverture officielle du pont Jacques Cartier, le vingt-quatre mai 1930, demeure un souvenir vivant. Deux jours plutôt, monsieur Morin avait acheté son vélo au coût de quarante-cinq dollars. C'est avec lui qu'on le retrouve toujours.

    M. Morin est le seul survivant d'une famille de seize enfants. Il demeure à Montréal depuis 33 ans.

    M. Morin c'est marié en 1967, à l'âge de 60 ans avec Marie-Paule Journeault 52 ans.

    Fondateur de plusieurs clubs cyclistes à Montréal dont le défunt Club Cycliste Métropole, il s'est retrouvé à la tête du premier rallye cycliste qui se déroula entre Montréal et Ottawa en 1943.

    C'est trois tours complets de l'Amérique du Nord qu'il revendique, (23)  vingt-trois pays visités et plus de 327 000 km avec son vélo de soixante-dix ans, fidèle compagnon de toutes ses randonnées et aventures.

    M. Morin peut se féliciter d'avoir fait, en 1952, dix-sept milles trois cents soixante-quinze (17 375) km en (7) sept mois. En 1950 ; New York - Los Angeles (12 875 km). Il visite dix-huit pays d'Europe en 1951. Il parcourt durant ce périple plus de onze milles kilomètres. Le tachymètre de son vélo indique trois cents vingt-sept mille (327 000) kilomètres (220 200 milles) soit environ huit fois le tour de la terre. 

    Un beau coup de chapeau à cet homme et à sa fidèle monture.

    Je ne peux passer sous silence sa fameuse phrase:

    Un cycliste qui a beaucoup voyagé est un cycliste qui a beaucoup appris !

    Roméo Morin bought his bicycle from a french compagny BGA, may 22 1930, for $45. BGA made weapons, so this bicycle was made with the same strenght, it still has its original parts.

    Mr.Morin has traveled 325 275 kilometers and has made eight trips around the world. He used to travel from April 1 to October 1, an average of 100 kilometers a day, but he’s a little bit slower these days.

    He was the fist to bike from halifax to Vancouver.

    He did this trip in 1947, 67 days of traveling for a total of 11 265 kilometers. Mr. Morin bought his fist bicycle, a CCM, at the age of 19 year old. He used to make deliveries on his bike. At the time though, you had to be 21 to buy and ride a bike on public roads, so his mother had to sign for him to be allowed to purchase his bicycle.

    He used to go the cinema to see movies about U.S. National Parks, so one day he decided he wanted to see them with his own eyes. He traveled across Canada's Montains where there were no residents. Once, he rode on 255 km of impossible roads, the worst raods in North America. Half the trip was on unpaved road. He rode 37 kilometers in the middle of the wood with a bike who no gear and brake! 

    Once, Mr. Morin tried a bike with gears, but he will never try one again, he did not like it.

    He recorded a new personal record in 1950, 12 875 km- New-York to Los Angeles. 

    In 1952,  he rode 14 485 km from LA to Washington whit a stop by Mexico City and Miami. On his way, he went up to Evans in Colorado, the highest peak in North America.

    In his many trips, Mr. Morin has rode across 6 deserts including The Salten Sea Desert in California where he traveled 200 km in one day in 52C.

    Europe 

    In the spring of 1951, Roméo Morin took a boat to Southampton. In 3 months, he had traveled through 18 European countries for a total of 11 265 km.

    We asked him what he remembered of Holland. He answered: "I remember, in Holland and Belgium, there were many water channels. Also, that it is excellent bike terrain, quiet and flat. There were very few cars. Is it still like that?''

Reporter- ( Laugh) " No!"

Mr. Morin-" It was the fist time I had seen parking spots for bicycles."

Reporter-" What do you remember of the other European countries?"

Mr. Morin-" I rode through these small countries so fast, I don't remember them very well."

    Mr. Morin traveled in Europe 6 years after the war. He saw many bombed cities. Food was difficult to come by, especially for a tourist. " In germany, there were not enough food stamps for the population, so you can imagine for a tourist."

    Mr. Morin bought a weapon because he was sometimes days in isolated areas, so he needed protection mostly against animals, such as wolfs, bears and buffalos.

    Once in Alberta, he encountered a bear, so he hid behind a tree. The bear smelled the bike, and decided there was nothing interesting for him, so he left.

    Mr. Morin had no accident until the age of 72. He was hit by a car and had a bad fall but nothing serious.  The next day he was sent home from the hospital.

    He had plans to bike through Australia in 1953, and Russia in 1954, but his mom got sick and he wanted to be at her side. He cancelled for life. He got married at the age of 60.  He still biked, but ended his long travels. He has no regrets though, he doesn't feel guilty.

    Mr. Morin used to take two weeks of vacation time from work for his trips, but once into his trips, he would send postcards to his boss announcing that his trip would take longer (months) and he was having too much fun. He had the freedom to take these long trips because he had no family. For his fist 15 years of working, he never took one day off!  All of his trips equal to 660 days of wok days. "I could have built a nice house." Says Mr. Morin. But Mr. Morin has no regret he says "I lived like a prince"

    Apart from his bicycle Mr. Morin had hundred of pictures but a flood ruined most of the photos, maps of his trips that were stored in the cellar where he lived. He has no family left but 1 cousin. His wife, brothers and sisters are dead. "I bike and read 6 papers every day. I go to the opera to understand life." Mr. Morin says jokingly ``can you believe I was turned down by the Army because I was not athletic enough! ``

Reporter- Thank you Mr. Morin.

Citation from Mr. Morin-

"A cyclist has traveled a lot is a cyclist that has learned a lot."