Man pushing shopping cart across Canada arriving in P.E.I.

A former homeless man who is pushing a shopping cart across Canada will make his way through P.E.I. over the next six days.

Joe Roberts, who calls himself the "Skid Row CEO," is raising awareness for youth homelessness -- to make sure they don't end up "pushing a shopping cart."

• Former homeless man pushing a cart across Canada to raise money and awareness

"That shopping cart is that symbol of chronic homelessness that we're trying to avoid,"he said.

Push for change

8 years ago

Duration 0:54

Joe Roberts, a former homeless youth, began pushing a shopping cart across Canada to raise awareness and dollars to prevent and support the end of youth homelessness.

Roberts began is 517-day, 9,000-kilometre walk in Cape Spear, Nfld., on May 1. After passing through Nova Scotia, he is expected take the ferry from Pictou and arrive in Montague sometime Saturday -- Day 77.

Finishes Sept. 30, 2017

He'll make his way across P.E.I. and is scheduled to arrive at the Confederation Bridge on July 22, before beginning the New Brunswick leg of the journey. He plans to finish the trek in B.C. on Sept. 30, 2017.

It's a great investment to help before they end up on a piece of cardboard in front of the liquor store.- Source

"I'm an unlikely candidate to walk across Canada," he told CBC-Radio's Weekend Mornings from just outside Truro, N.S., Saturday morning.

"I'm 49 years old. When we started I was 50 pounds overweight. And would never describe myself as an athlete."

But Roberts is motivated to help youth in need because he was once an addict, living on the streets of Vancouver in 1989.

'Second chance'

"I got a second chance to do my life over and became successful in business after going to college and this is my opportunity to pay it forward," he said.

Four years ago he started the Push for Change Foundation, a registered charity to help end youth homelessness.

"It's a great investment to help before they end up on a piece of cardboard in front of the liquor store," he said.