James Caughill with his husky Muck.

Image Credit: FACEBOOK/Homeless James and Muckwah

A well-known Ontario homeless man who has written multiple books about his journey across Canada has made it to the Okanagan after six years of being on and off the road.

James Caughill, better known as Homeless James and Muckwah, spent the night in the hills near Osoyoos last night, Sept. 17 and will be walking along Highway 3 and Highway 1 until he reaches the “Welcome to Vancouver” sign.

In 2016, Caughill became homeless but no shelter in St. Catharines, Ont. would take him in because of his four-legged best friend. That sparked his journey across Canada with husky Muckwah to raise awareness of the issue.

READ MORE: Kelowna's homeless population expected to double by 2026

Since then, 35 homeless shelters across the country have begun allowing homeless people to stay with their pets, all because of his campaign, he said. He’s been through 40 pairs of shoes and 34 tents on his journey thus far.

“I’m probably the world-record holder in tent setting,” he said.

These days, he travels with his tent and supplies in a cart with the sign Homeless James and Muckwah and stays where he can. He takes the winters off, as the “Canadian winter will kill you faster than bullets,” he said. Typically he’ll find someplace to rent or shelter for the colder months and will start walking again in the spring.

He also got stuck for 17 months due to COVID-19, in a small Manitoba town called Cypress River, he said.

“Everything was closed, there was no way to get supplies, we stayed there, we had to extend our stay,” he said, adding people in the community were incredibly generous including a man who rented him a place for $300 a month.

It’s his first time in B.C. but the reaction from residents has been mixed; 60% have been wonderful to him but 40% have been nasty, the 60-year-old said.

READ MORE: Penticton man stuck between homelessness and housed

“People in the mountains seem to hate the homeless,” he said. His campaign is also aiming to bring awareness to homelessness in general.

We're "homeless not helpless," he said. "I would love to see someone who's not homeless push a 600 pound cart across the country."

Once he reaches Vancouver, he will take a train back to his friend in Washago, Ont. where he will hunker down for a few weeks and work on his latest book. The novel will be submitted to film company for a screenplay, then he’ll explore more of the east coast in the spring, including Newfoundland and Labrador and P.E.I so he can say he's walked across the entire country.

The original Muckwah died in 2019, but his second dog, a husky named Muck, remains by his side.

Proceeds from the books he’s written support the campaign and the other 90% of the money supports three homeless shelters in Ontario, he said.

He's been incredibly surprised by the success of his story and the popularity of his books.

Follow Homeless James and Muck through Facebook. His books can also be purchased through Amazon.

James Caughill captured this image of Muck overlooking Osoyoos.

Image Credit: FACEBOOK/Homeless James and Muckwah

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