What this man learned about people after embarking on a cross-Canada ‘listening tour’ this year

This twelvemonth, many people travelled crossways the rural area for leisure time. Others trekked or biked across Canada to raise money for worthy causes.

Paul Jenkinson also spent 2025 travelling from coast to coast. But while many would call his journey a worthy one, his motivation was neither for pleasure nor fundraising.

As It Happens first spoke with the retired social worker in the spring when he set out on a cross-Canada “listening tour.”

His approach, he explained at the time, was simple: he sets up in a park or other public space with two chairs, a folding table and a sandwich board that reads: “You are not alone; I will listen.”

And that’s exactly what he does, inviting strangers to sit down, share their stories and be heard, free of charge.

Then the 70-year-old moves on to the next town, relying on the generosity of strangers along the way. 

Back in May, As it Happens host Nil Köksal spoke to Jenkinson in Truro, N.S., about what would make this personal project a success. At the time, Jenkins said if the initiative was “helpful to people and there’s meaningful connection, then that would be success.”

Köksal caught up with him again recently, this time on the other side of the country in Abbotsford, B.C., to see if that mission was accomplished.

Here’s part of that conversation.

So Paul, eight months and tens of thousands of kilometres down the road, has this lived up to expectations? 

Well Nil, it's about 23,000 kilometres. And I think it's exceeded my expectations. And that's probably a good thing because what's exceeded is people have just, joyfully even, seen the sign and said, "Love what you're doing," and either stood or sat with me and opened up their hearts. So who would imagine that one old man with two chairs and a sign would produce that kind of human exchange? 

Well, you imagined it and you're making it a reality. When we first spoke, you were listening to people in a park in Truro, Nova Scotia. Who are you hearing from in Abbotsford today? 

So we've now got to the rainy season, as you know, in Abbotsford. And so I'll be sitting at the Mennonite Central Committee, which has a café, a craft store, and a thrift store. And I sit in the entryway. I've sat there now four or five days, and so people are now coming back recognizing me. I meet grandmothers and grandchildren who know me already. I have a regular set of teenagers that come by for Jolly Ranchers. 

Sometimes you just need candy, yeah. 

And I've given out Jolly Ranchers all across Canada now and Subway cards, about $2,400 worth of Subway cards, which has just been an act of generosity and also helps some of the folks that are food insecure. 

When we first spoke, you weren't sure where you'd be sleeping at night. You were taking it day by day. What are some of the moments that stand out to you at this point? 

Well, I was sitting along a pathway that's well travelled in Calgary, and I saw an older woman being assisted by a 25-year-old. I thought, oh, this is grandmother and grandchild. They came along and I asked, "So what have you been doing together?" 

And the grandmother said: “We were spreading my husband's ashes. The last of his ashes.” 

The other grandchildren had come, but this one couldn't make it, and so this grandmother had held her grief in the form of her husband's ashes, just some of him, and waited until this grandchild had come and then went and they did it together. There was such a love between the two of them. It was beautiful to see. 

And [one] young woman came across the street and she had determination on her face. She sat down and said, "I'm a fake and I'm really worried that I'm going to hurt my friend." 

And I asked, "What are you thinking about? Why this sense of not [being] real?". 

"Well, actually, I'm very accomplished, and a friend has hired me. And I'm afraid that maybe I won't live up to his expectations. I have voices going on in my head." 

And we identified who that was. And she got up and, just full of life, knowing, hey, it's just voices in the head. €œYou're accomplished. Your friend knows you're accomplished. You're going to be fine.”

You stayed with people you'd never met before. You stayed in the homes of strangers. What was that like for you? 

Oh, a delight. A delight. So you would think, “Oh my goodness, what am I getting myself into?” But, I would phone the folks and we would work out arrangements.

You know, people are generally kind-hearted. And so when they saw the kindness that I was extending by listening, even from the most humble person who, it didn't matter to me if it was a person with only a little, or I've stayed in mansions. That didn't matter. What mattered was that we would also have human connection. 

And so I had to make a decision early on that I didn't just listen on the street, on the side of a pathway or something. I needed to just open my heart and when I went home to these folks, I would be prepared to listen into the evening. By not having a hard boundary about that, then I just had these wonderful experiences.

What have you learned, Paul, through your listening, that the people who are listening to our conversation now might be able to apply to their own lives? 

One of the big things I learned is please do not start with an "I am" statement. €œI am a vegetarian. I am MAGA. I am Liberal, a Conservative.” As soon as you start with that, the other person now is required to say, "Well, I am this." If they agree, nobody learns very much. If we disagree, those are kind of like fighting words.

But if I say to you, "Tell me a bit about yourself. I'm just fascinated with people and I promise I'll listen. I won't interrupt," then people feel — and if you ask them for wisdom — then they feel enabled. They feel like, "Ah, this person actually understands I've learned things in my life and I have something to share with the world," which is a good thing. 

People stand up afterwards, and they've been touched by the experience. And I think if you want to listen to people, watch how they leave you. Are they more alive? Are they downcast? Are they angry? Did you contribute grace into their life? These are all things we can do by listening.

Journalist

Audio produced by Chris Trowbridge. Q&A edited for length and clarity

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