Any Good Old Bike and an Odometer

As you can see by the picture, mine was an old bicycle, & it successfully and faithfully did the 275 km Confederation Trail of PEI, without incident, both ways, as I had to ride back to my van each day. You do not have to buy an expensive bike to start enjoying cycling.
Mine was a Raleigh hybrid, which means the tires were neither too thin nor too thick. The PEI trail is so manicured that a heavier bike is not needed. When I rode up some of the adjoining dirt and paved roads, then the tires were thin enough not to be cumbersome.
An odometer was my best investment for that bicycle. Now only did it lend interest to each trip by knowing how far I had gone, but I could compare daily distances.
I say 'WAS' because this bicycle was stolen from my home a year later. Do not live near a pub. We lived in a small village in Prince Edward County, Ont., next door to a pub, and the bike was stolen one night, probably by someone too drunk to drive home. Des Marcille said, "Look through the village for someone covered by scrapes & bruises because if he was too drunk to drive, he likely fell off a few times before arriving home". Always lock your bike or put it away.
However, now that I am in the market for a new bike to go across Canada with, I have to research which brand is best. It doesn't need to go fast, just fast enough to outrun the bears and cougars and rattlesnakes that might be about. It needs to be strong and yet light-weight, although I am neither. I may need to lift it over an obstacle someday so the old one I'm using right now is definitely too heavy and has to be replaced.
Any suggestions would be so appreciated.
I am thinking of buying an electric power pack for it. That would help me go up mountain roads and trails. Someone has suggested that the energy needed to pedal to restore the battery may be too much/too hard for an older person. Yes or No? Would this be a good buy? Considering that they are a relatively new item on bikes, there may not be many people with experience in using them.
With the energy crisis, I believe that as many people as possible should be investing in them. Especially in cities. Having a power pack on a bike might entice more people to cycle to work and for enjoyment in general.
My next item of purchase will be a mirror, since this trip will be a long distance. The mirror will be just for safety sake.
However, there really aren't many other items that are totally necessary to do a bike ride. You can keep it simple and just bike with what you've got.
As long as my health stays good, the trip still seems plasible.
KIS