Ghost bike memorial will honour recent cyclist death in Calgary

CALGARY (660 NEWS) — After a cyclist was struck and killed by a vehicle in northeast Calgary in July, a memorial will be held in his honour.

On July 27th, a man in his 50s was hit by a delivery vehicle near the Calgary International Airport on 11th Street and 53rd Avenue N.E. while crossing the street on his bicycle, and died in hospital.

An initiative that has been adopted in other cities around the world, such as Berlin and London, will be introduced in Calgary as well with organizers putting up a ‘ghost bike’.

It’s a normal bike painted all white, and placed at the scene where a cyclist is killed to serve as a sobering reminder to be safe on the roads.

“We want to have safer streets for everybody,” said organizer Solita Work, with Reworks Upcycle Shop in southeast Calgary. “This is something that we all need to have more perspective on and be careful out there and look out for each other.”

On Sunday afternoon, bikers will begin a trek from Reworks and go up near the airport to place the ghost bike at the scene.

Work hopes it sends a message and changes the image of Calgary.

“I hope people realize that just because you’re in a car or on a bicycle or walking across the street, that’s a life and you should be careful when you’re in traffic,” she said. “Typically we’re known as a car town, even though that’s starting to change. We’d like to see everyone get from point A to point B safely.”

Work says they will likely only hold these memorials when a cyclist is killed, and she added hopefully that isn’t too often.

They may also start holding memorials for when a pedestrian is killed, as well.

Work also hopes the family of the victim will hear about the ride and take part in the ceremony.

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