NIPIGON RIVER, ON — Thirteen-year-old Jacob Darville and his father, Gordon Darville, were condemned to an additional two days of excruciating silence, Sunday, after a key section of their cross-country route was blocked by the mechanical failure of the Nipigon River bridge.
Jacob and Gordon Darville were on the third day of their journey from Ottawa to Vancouver when they encountered the bridge failure about 100 km northeast of Thunder Bay.
“I think we’re going to wear out this Barenaked Ladies tape,” joked Gordon Darville to reporters at the scene, referring to a cassette that had been stuck in the tape deck of their 1997 Saturn S-Series for over a year. The joke was met with a passive aggressive sigh from his son.
The elder Darville had planned the cross Canada trip in hopes of better getting to know his only son. Despite his intentions, reports from the road have so far recorded Gordon Darville saying fewer than 50 words in the first three days of their journey.
The younger Darville had at times considered a number of topics to break the silence but ruled them out, thinking it would be too difficult to explain to his father the meaning behind a meme or what Snapchat is. Likewise, Gordon Darville assumed it was best he keep his many thoughts on prudent fiscal policy to himself.
Although 1 lane is now open on the Nipigon River crossing, the Darvilles drove 6 hours in the dark to return to Sault Ste. Marie Sunday night so that they could bypass the bridge through the US. Early reports have Gordon Darville taking his son to Sault Ste. Marie’s bushplane museum for a second time, Monday, while they wait for their passports to arrive by mail.
