Lobster’s ‘absolutely epic’ cross-country journey brings Canadians together

A stuffed lobster named Lucky and a trap are on a quest from the East Coast of Canada to the West.

“His journey has been nothing short of being epic. It’s been absolutely epic,” said Karen McCallum, Lobster Quest organizer.

Chris and Karen McCallum were gifted a lobster trap and wanted to bring a piece of where they grew up back to their home in Okotoks, Alta.

But bringing a lobster trap on a plane is a bit of a challenge so the McCallums thought they would call on Canadians for their help.

Thus, Lucky’s quest from east to west was born.

It started at a boutique hotel in Charlottetown with a QR code that brought people to a video of the McCallums telling Lucky’s story and letting people know they could help by bringing Lucky with them on their travels through Canada.

“Every province has taken ownership and have been really highlighting their province and sharing videos of different places that he’s visited across the country. It’s a great way to showcase Canada. And we are seeing places of Canada that we’ve never seen. It’s been it’s been so much fun,” Karen said.

Lucky became popular due to someone finding him and sharing his story on TikTok and ever since he has been a national treasure, with some even taking him on some detours to local historical spots.

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“One of the detours he made was to a scallop festival and … we went to some other music festival in Miramichi,” Chris said. “He’s in a race car rally and won first place in a couple of races. He made it over to Manitoulin Island, and he visited five of the seven First Nations on that island and then back over to Sudbury (Ont.) and then and then along the No. 1.”

Canadians have been helping keep Lucky company by not only helping with his transport but also adding some friends to his trap.

“We got word that there’s a little love bear in there. There are two or three moose. There might be a buffalo. You know, there’s a blue spider, man. There’s all kinds of little crafts that children have made that they’ve put in there,” Chris said.

Canadians have driven out of their way to find Lucky and help him on his journey.

“The first person to move him from Moncton (N.B.) drove an hour to go get him,” Karen said.

Lucky’s quest is more than just for fun and games, it is to help bring Canadians together.

“It represents community. Bringing together a community of people. And I think that that’s extremely important,” said Krystelle Beattie, one of the lobster handlers.

“This may be a stretch, but the last three or four years have been a little divisive across the country…. (This has) maybe drawn a little or started perhaps a thread of connection from the east to the west, and it’s brought people together, unified in a silly cause,” Chris said.

With Lucky’s popularity, the McCallums figured they could give back.

They created Lucky the Lobster merch and the proceeds are being evenly split between the Red Cross for Jasper wildfire recovery and the lobster farmers of the east, to help out both the East and the West.

Lucky is now on his way to Colonsay, Sask.

Maybe you can catch him on his way.

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