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. < Gray expected home Friday; kayak shipped / oBy Bill Hunt The Intelligencer A Pernie Gray and his well-travelled kayak are Belleville bound. But for the first extended period since last June, Bernie and his kayak won't be travelling together. Gray, 56, left his job, family (temporarily) and friends to kayak from Prince Edward County to the Florida Keys beginning last June. He has completed his trip and is flying into Syracuse Friday, Nov. 15 where he'll be met by his wife, Betty. Gray's 18-foot kayak will be shipped back courtesy of Atlas Van Lines, which agreed to do it without charge. Dave Grainger, who works for Vanguard Moving & Storage Ltd. (which is associated with Atlas), in Calgary, Alta., arranged the move. Grainger's son is married to Gray's daughter, so Grainger con- tacted one of his associates, Dale Ittas, vice-president of customer service for Atlas, and asked if anything could be done. He also faxed Ittas newspaper clippings Intelligencer photo by Tom Gavey Bernie Gray will fly into Syracuse, N.Y. Friday. about Gray's journey, to give Ittas a better idea of the feat. Ittas looked into the matter and found coincidentally, Atlas had a van and driver in Florida heading for Toronto. "It's the least we can do, considering the distance he kayaked," said Ittas, adding it was "just lucky" they had a driver in Florida heading to Toronto. Assuming there is no problem at the border (inspections officers will want to ensure it wasn't purchased in the U.S.), and the kayak is taken to Toronto, it'll be put on the next convenient trip east. It could be home by Wednesday, Nov. 13, said Ittas.