Crossing Canada can be a beast of a trip at the best of times. Tackling it in an electric-powered pickup adds a few unanticipated unknowns with a plethora of positive outcomes, says one North Saanich couple.

The 2023 60-day trip coast-to-coast and back was a bucket list item borne of Sally Biggar鈥檚 breast cancer diagnosis in 2018.

鈥淥nce you have a disease like that it makes you think about what you want to do with the rest of your life, and I have a list,鈥� she told the Peninsula News Review.

On the list was driving across the country with husband Kerry D鈥橝rgis 鈥� specifically in an EV. 鈥淲e wanted to see all of Canada and we knew it was going to be a bit of a challenge in the truck but also rewarding,鈥� Biggar said.

The pickup was a natural transition from the North Saanich couple鈥檚 first electric foray, predictably a Prius 鈥� that just didn鈥檛 cut it when it came to hauling gyprock, lumber and insulation.

鈥淪o then when there was the opportunity to get the F-150 truck that was the natural choice,鈥� Biggar said.

They鈥檇 only used it on smaller trips to Pender Island so some research was in order.

D鈥橝rgis downloaded apps that showed where chargers are in each community, packed a tent in the back and plotted a course. Accompanied by their dog Lucy, a Maltese mix, the couple covered just shy of 19,000 kilometres in the round-trip to Newfoundland in their F-150 Lightning 鈥� making friends with others along the way.

Like many apps, the charger listings lean on user input, so at times they arrived at a listed station and found the charger not working, barely working or it stopped working after a few minutes 鈥� throwing a wrench in the plans.

鈥淵ou would see a charger and head that way and sometimes they weren鈥檛 working at all. We had to adapt,鈥� D鈥橝rgis said. 鈥淵ou just had to adapt along the way with the challenges you have.鈥�

Northern Ontario is the scariest, both agreed, recalling a barely working charger ahead of the 400-kilometre trek south to Sault Ste. Marie. That night they slept in the cab of the truck.

鈥淲e figured if we set the tent up the police would come,鈥� D鈥橝rgis said with a chuckle.

The sleepover scored them enough power to go an estimated 535 kilometres.

Other times it just meant a longer stop, getting lunch, walking the dog and taking in the sights of smaller communities.

They learned campgrounds were a wealth of both power and community as the perks of the truck made them popular.

The onboard exportable power charged their phones and tablet (serving as television) as well as powered the coffee maker, portable electric barbecue and the ice cube machine 鈥� key for a chill evening drink.

While all of Newfoundland was neat to see, the best bit was coming around the corner and catching that first glimpse of an iceberg 鈥� two or three actually 鈥� bobbing in the water. The Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec comes in a close second.

鈥淚t was neat going across Canada and seeing all the different towns and the way people live in different areas. It was really interesting and educational. Each province is different,鈥� D鈥橝rgis said.

The return trip was easier because they had a lay of the land and some chargers that weren鈥檛 working on the way out, were working on the way back.

The North Saanich residents who recently celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary no longer have the tent 鈥� instead hauling a teardrop trailer 鈥� but continue to adventure and plan future big trips.

鈥淲e want to go up to Tuktoyaktuk,鈥� D鈥橝rgis said.

Driving the whole way depends heavily on if they get chargers in past Dawson City.