On Tuesday morning, there was an emotional and powerful display in downtown Montreal, honouring the memory of the numerous pedestrians and cyclists who were killed on Quebec’s roads over the last ten years.
Piétons Québec applaudit l’initiative de Vélo Fantôme d’offrir aux familles de piétons décédés un soutien à l’organisation de cérémonies de souliers blancs.
Elles nous rappellent qu’au-delà des statistiques chaque décès est une tragédie humaine. Et qu’un décès en est un de trop. pic.twitter.com/2WBG3rMAoa
— Piétons Québec (@PietonsQuebec) September 12, 2023
Amidst the morning rush, at one of the city’s most bustling intersections, the flow of traffic came to a halt. Volunteers carefully positioned pairs of white shoes, symbolizing each of the pedestrians who met with fatal accidents involving vehicles since 2013.
A driver ran into a ghost bike memorial and it’s a sad and awful metaphor
This organization’s impactful initiative extends beyond this solemn tribute. Members of Souliers et vélos fantôme Québec (formerly Vélo fantôme Montréal) put white bicycles and shoes at the sites of collisions where cyclists have lost their lives due to encounters with vehicles, aiming to raise awareness and drive change.
“This marks the 10-year anniversary to the day that we installed our first ghost bike on the corner of Saint Viateur and Parc for Suzanne Chatelain,” Severine Lepage, Souliers et vélos fantôme Québec spokesperson, said.
!!DERNIÈRE HEURE!!
Opération majeure de #velofantome à Montréal devant les bureaux du MTMD pour commémorer 10 ans depuis l’installation du premier vélo fantôme. Les noms et ages des piétons ET cyclistes tués sur la route cités.😢
1/2#touspietons #velomtl #polmtl #polqc pic.twitter.com/9yeCaqdmf0— Jacques Nacouzi (@jacouzi) September 12, 2023
On September 12, 2013, the Vélo fantôme collective marked a significant moment by placing a white bicycle in remembrance of Suzanne Châtelain. She was killed on July 18, of the same year after a dooring incident at the intersection of Parc Avenue and Saint-Viateur Street.
Since 2013, in Quebec, more than 645 pedestrians and 115 cyclists have been involved in collisions with motorists, truck drivers, bus operators, and cars.
In an expansion of their mission, the organization has now decided to broaden its scope beyond Montreal, covering the entire province. The tribute to pedestrians will take the form of white shoe…
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