Sudbury news: Internet sensation ‘Lucky the Lobster’ stops on Manitoulin Island, visits Sudbury and now heads to Thunder Bay

A hitchhiking stuff lobster is making its way across the country from P.E.I. to Alberta and has recently arrived in northeastern Ontario.

A hitchhiking stuff lobster is making its way across the country from P.E.I. to Alberta and has recently arrived in northeastern Ontario. (Supplied)

Karen and Chris McCallum sent ‘Lucky the Lobster’ on a cross-Canada journey in April, starting in Charlottetown, P.E.I. Lucky is a stuffed lobster settled in an authentic Atlantic lobster trap that comes with simple instructions on how to keep the fun and Lucky moving.

“We are relying on fellow Canadians to give him a ride to our home in Alberta,” said the McCallums on social media.

Lobster Quest from East to West 2.0

The couple first attempted such a ‘Lobster Quest’ back in 2010 where ‘that Lucky’ made it to Ontario before taking a detour into the U.S. – where unfortunately he was lost in Chicago. The McCallums decided to give it another try this year when visiting the East Coast, adding an air tag to the trap this time.

Social media has helped spread the word about Lucky, taking off on TikTok and cultivating a following on other social media platforms.

Lucky has moved through the eastern provinces, arriving in Ontario in July.

Lucky has made new friends and fans along the way and even new companions have come to join him on people have added stuffies to the trap. Many Canadians have also signed the trap showing just how far Lucky has come and how many people he has touched.

Internet sensation Lucky the Lobster show here resting on his cage. (File photo/CTV News)

Recent journey

A Meaford, Ont. family, Paul and Dominika Kaminski and their children, had Lucky before he made his way to Manitoulin Island and northeastern Ontario.

The Kaminsks took Lucky to Tobermory and sent him off on the Chi-Cheemaun to Manitoulin Island, where he continued his trip in northern Ontario.

“Lucky’s on the move,” the McCallums said on social media on Wednesday.

“He’s making some movement west we are pretty excited. Paul passed him off … Yep and Lucky got on the ferry heading west – his first ferry ride ever – and he is now where? At Manitoulin Island with Elizabeth with her mom and her son.”

Lucky’s most recent caretaker was Elizabeth Beattie and her family – including my mom and my two children – two and 13 years old.

Elizabeth Beattie made several stops on Manitoulin Island after picking up Lucky the Lobster on August 6, 2024. (Elizabeth Beattie/Facebook)

Making it to Manitoulin Island

On Tuesday, Beattie traveled to Tobermory from South Bay on Manitoulin Island.

Over the long weekend, Beattie told CTV News that she was browsing Manitoulin social media pages when she came across a post looking for someone to take Lucky to Sudbury.

Elizabeth Beattie and her family recently took care of a social media sensation, Lucky the Lobster. She is pictured here in front of the Big Nickel before handing him off to his next caretaker. (Dan Bertrand/CTV News northern Ontario)

Since his arrival on the Island, Lucky travelled through five of the seven Indigenous First Nations there.

“We also did Bridal Veil Falls, where we cooled down because it was a sunny bombing 30 degrees – it was a beautiful day,” said Beattie.

“We also travelled to Randi’s Snack Shack, which was one of Lucky’s bucket list adventures.”

The group enjoy the snack shack’s chicken Burgers before watching the Swing Bridge in Little Current, Ont. open and enjoying some ice cream at 3 Cows and a Cone.

“We have been everywhere,” said Beattie.

“We’re Alberta-bound at this point.”

Another step in the journey

The Beatties handed Lucky and all his gear off to Theresa Handrigan and her partner on Friday.

Elizabeth Beattie hands off Lucky the Lobster, his cages and all of his accessories to Theresa Handrigan at the Big Nickel in Greater Sudbury, Ont. on Aug. 9, 2024. (Dan Bertrand/CTV News Northern Ontario)

The two groups met at Greater Sudbury’s iconic Big Nickel to do the exchange and CTV News was there.

“I grew up here in Sudbury,” said Beattie.

“This seemed like a really great place for Lucky to his view of the big smoke.”

Handrigan told CTV News that she also came across Lucky’s store on social media and she began following his journey.

Theresa Handrigan took over as Lucky the Lobster’s caretaker on August 9, 2024 when she picked him up from Elizabeth Beattie in the Dynamic Earth parking lot near the Big Nickel in Greater Sudbury, Ont. (Dan Bertran/CTV News Northern Ontario)

“I realized that he was in southern Ontario trying to make his way further north – well north and west I guess,” she said.

Handrigan learned that the Kaminski family were hoping to get Lucky to Manitoulin Island specifically.

“Take the more scenic route, take the more scenic route instead of the Highway 400 there,” she said.

Handrigan said she feels ‘lucky’ that everything worked out with the Beattie family so she could take Lucky on the next leg of his journey.

“I can take him onto to Thunder Bay tonight,” she said.

“We are hoping to stop at the Big Looney, which is way less than the Big Nickel – but then our main stop is Chippewa Falls which is a halfway plane on the Trans-Canada Highway.

Handrigan and her partner are planning to stay at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park where they hope to meet up with another family to take Lucky further west – though no firm plans are in place yet.

“The forecast is saying that the Northern Lights might be good tonight so maybe we’ll be able to get a shot with him and our northern beauty.

You can continue to follow ‘Lucky the Lobster’ on TikTok.