He's 69 and he walks 10 km around this Vancouver park every day
If you were to visit Winona Park in south Vancouver, you might notice a well-trodden path that envelops the park's three sports fields divided by leafy, mature trees.
And if you were to stroll along that path on any given morning, you would likely encounter an older man walking briskly along it.
The man's name is Dr. Dalvinder Singh Toor, and he has been walking along that path for 15 years. Rain or shine. In sickness and in health.
"This is an addiction," Dr. Toor said.
Every day, the 69-year-old family physician walks 11 laps — 10 kilometres — around Winona Park. Toor says his daily walks started as a jog 30 years ago in his native India, and he hasn't stopped since.
The exercise began as a way for Toor to manage high blood pressure. Over the years, it has also become a source of friendship and solace.
Making the move
Toor moved to Vancouver in 2002 from Punjab, India. He had visited the Canadian city in 1989 and didn't want to leave.
Moving to a new country with his wife and two sons wasn't easy, he said. Despite working in a high-level job as the assistant civil surgeon in Punjab, Toor wasn't able to transfer his credentials.
In Canada he first worked as a security guard, then as a first aid attendant.
In 2005, Toor found work as a physician in Brookfield, N.L. In 2007, he moved to Calgary and studied for his Certification in the College of Family Physicians to work in B.C., so he could join his family in Vancouver.
"It was very hard," Toor said of that time.
They don't make 'em like they used to
His son, Dr. Harshbir Singh Toor, says seeing his dad work to earn back his credentials was inspiring.
"I've seen him study more hours than I can imagine," Harshbir said. "He's a very hard working man. And they don't make them like they were made back in the day anymore."
The father and son work alongside each other in a family practice that also includes Harshbir's wife. They live together in a South Vancouver home that spans four generations. In the evenings, Dalvinder Toor runs after his four grandchildren or takes them out for a ride in his plane at Boundary Bay airport.
Harshbir Toor remembers his dad jogging around the Hong Kong Airport on their way to Canada so he wouldn't miss a day of exercise.
In 2017, his dad underwent bypass surgery and jogging became a brisk walk instead. The surgery led to some complications, including an irregular heartbeat. So he bumped what was then a 5.5-kilometres walk up to 10 kilometres. It takes him one hour and 40 minutes to complete it.
'Part of the park'
Toor used to walk around the nearby 2.7-kilometre path around the Langara Golf Course, but he switched to Winona Park after he tripped over a tree root and fell.
Despite the repetitiveness, he says he doesn't get bored. Toor meditates and thinks about God while he walks. The people and animals he encounters along the way also help pass the time.
"I love this place," Toor said. "I love the people around. I play with the kids."
Lee Iverson lives across the street from the park. Iverson has known Toor for about 10 years, including the past seven years while he has owned his German shepherd mix, Hannah.
"He's just part of the park," he said. "It's nice to see him."
Toor always keeps bread in his pocket to feed friends like Hannah.
The daily walks may have started as a way for Toor to manage his health, but he has realized that he also wants to be an inspiration to his family and his patients.
"I'm trying to be a role model for them," Toor said. "Exercise — that's the secret of health."
