Around midnight, Patricia Robinson, 90, sat in the back seat of a rental car, trading life stories with two men she’d met only a few hours earlier. They were on a seven-hour road trip.
“What kind of crazy 90-year-old would be getting in the car with two strangers?” Robinson said.
It’s not how she expected to arrive to her birthday celebration. That morning, she had been traveling alone from her home in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to Kelowna, British Columbia — a gift from her family who lives there and had flown her out to celebrate her milestone.
About 50 minutes into the flight on Aug. 8, the pilot came on the intercom: Wildfires burning across Western Canada had closed the airspace, and the plane was turning back to Calgary.
Quinn Sedmak, 48, was seated beside Robinson. He said he considers himself a “solitary traveler” who typically plugs in his headphones for an entire flight. This time was different.
“We had a fun conversation right from the get-go,” said Sedmak, who lives just north of Kelowna and was heading home after a work trip. “I asked her to tell me any good stories she’s had throughout her life.”
“We just kind of clicked right off the bat,” Robinson said.
After the pilot announced they were turning back, Sedmak gave Robinson his phone number.
“I figured it was going to be hectic,” he said. “I wanted her to have another resource.”
As the plane touched back down in Calgary, Sedmak began weighing whether to rent a car and drive the roughly seven hours to Kelowna or wait to see whether he could get on another flight.
“Did I hear car rental?” asked Tanner Salewich, 45, an auto mechanic and volunteer firefighter from West Kelowna, who was seated behind them. He was eager to get home to his wife and two children as wildfires were burning close to their neighborhood.
As Sedmak and Salewich made their way to the baggage claim, they kept talking, and Robinson was helped through the airport by staff. All three were rebooked on different flights later that day.
Sedmak and Salewich grabbed a bite to eat while they waited for their new flights — both of which ultimately were canceled.
“We were really unsure that there were going to be any flights in and out further in the day,” Salewich said.
Sedmak found a reasonable rental car, and Salewich said he was down for the drive. Then they invited Robinson to join. She was game.
“I really didn’t want to spend the night in Calgary or go back to Saskatoon,” said Robinson, adding that she texted her family to let them know she’d be driving to Kelowna with two strangers she met on the flight. “It didn’t even occur to me what they might think.”
Robinson said she didn’t hesitate to get in the car with the two men.
“I wasn’t concerned about it at all,” she said. “I just totally trusted them both. I had no qualms about it.”
“Basically, we, the three amigos, decided to cancel some flights and take a trip,” Salewich said.
They left the Calgary airport around 5 p.m. Sedmak — who said he has driven the exact route “countless times” — took the wheel, while Salewich sat shotgun to navigate and Robinson got in the back.
“We just had a really good time,” Sedmak said. “We told a bunch of stories and listened to some comedy.”
Robinson said she had done the same drive with her late husband many times, though it had been 10 years since her last time on those roads.
“We did the drive often, but I hadn’t made it for a really long time, so I enjoyed that part too, to see all the familiar spots again,” she said.
During the seven-hour ride, they had conversations about travel, family and their respective backgrounds. The men said they were both struck by Robinson’s vitality.
“She’s really just an amazing lady,” Salewich said. “We had great conversations.”
“She’s super positive, super fun, super chatty, not judgmental,” Sedmak added. “We shared stories, laughs and a memorable journey with someone whose outlook on life is genuinely inspiring.”
Robinson said she was impressed by the two men.
“They were very kind and considerate and polite to me all the way,” she said. “It had to come from somewhere, so I’m giving their moms the credit.”
They stopped along the way for gas and snacks, taking a selfie together. The men dropped Robinson off at Kelowna International Airport around 12:30 a.m. to meet her son. Robinson insisted on splitting the costs of the rental car among the three of them.
Robinson turned 90 on Aug. 15 — the same day Salewich turned 45. They exchanged birthday wishes, and all three road trippers said they’d keep in touch.
“We had this fun adventure,” Sedmak said.
Robinson’s daughter-in-law shared the story on Facebook, and it was picked up by CBC News. Robinson, Sedmak and Salewich said they’re stunned by the unexpected attention.
“It’s been wonderful to see so many people respond to a simple tale of kindness and adventure,” Sedmak said. “I’d like to think what happened wasn’t extraordinary. It was simply people being people.”
Robinson said she understands why the story has resonated.
“I think with all the turmoil that’s going on in the world, people just need something to give them a lift and realize there are still good people,” she said.
After nine decades of living, she continued, this experience was one of the highlights of her life.
“When you sit back and look at it all,” Robinson said, “it really is remarkable.”
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