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The parents of 11-year-old Alex Côté have postponed a planned ghost-bike memorial in Beauport after receiving hateful messages following their call for safer streets. The backlash came as Québec City began installing 13 speed bumps on nearby streets; the family says its effort to protect local children remains unchanged.
The parents of 11-year-old Alex Côté have postponed a planned memorial for their son after receiving hateful messages tied to their call for safer streets in Beauport, Québec City. The family had planned to unveil a white “ghost bike” near the site where Alex was struck and killed while cycling on June 29; the decision comes amid opposition from some drivers to new speed bumps in the area.
Alex was riding on avenue des Sablonnières, near its intersection with boulevard Raymond, when he was struck by a driver on June 29. The family contacted Souliers et Vélos fantômes Québec to arrange a white bicycle memorial near the crash site. Alex died just under four months before the report was published.
The parents said they chose to postpone the gathering after reactions from some residents and messages they described as hateful. In a statement announcing the decision, they said their aim was to honour Alex and draw attention to the dangers cyclists face in the neighbourhood. They said they wanted the event to be a positive, respectful gathering, rather than a source of division.
Québec City began work in late September to install 13 speed bumps on rue Berrouard and avenue des Sablonnières as part of additional road-safety measures addressing speeding. The report says some drivers have opposed the measures and blamed the family. It does not detail the messages’ content or identify the senders.
Memorial Delayed Amid Street-Safety Dispute
The postponement shows how a local road-safety measure and a family’s memorial plans have become entangled. For Alex’s parents, the ghost bike was intended both as a remembrance and as a way to focus attention on risks to cyclists and children. The hostile response has led them to delay that public act of remembrance, though they say their commitment to protecting young people has not changed.
The dispute also concerns how streets are used and how speed limits are respected. Mayor Bruno Marchand said the speed bumps are intended to reduce speeds and prevent further crashes. The report does not provide speed measurements, collision data or an evaluation of the installations’ effects, so their impact has not yet been established.
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Crash, Memorial Plan and Speed Bumps
The planned ghost bike was organized at the family’s initiative with help from Souliers et Vélos fantômes Québec, a group that supports memorials for people killed while walking or cycling. The organization describes the white bicycle as a memorial placed where a cyclist died. The planned unveiling was set for Sunday, but the family has not announced a replacement date.
Mathieu Murphy-Perron, a member of the organization, told Le Soleil that he had helped install around 30 memorials over more than 10 years and had not previously seen comparable online anger directed at a family. He said opposition to cycling infrastructure, sometimes described as “bikelash,” was growing in Québec. His observations reflect his experience with the memorial work, rather than a formal measurement of public opinion.
The broader city rollout of road-safety measures is occurring in the same neighbourhood as the memorial plan. The report says work on the 13 speed bumps began in late September; it does not provide a completion date or explain the city’s process for selecting their locations.
““What we saw in Beauport was outright insults. It’s the first time I’ve seen anything like it, by far.””
— Mathieu Murphy-Perron, Souliers et Vélos fantômes Québec
Details of the Messages Remain Unreported
The report does not specify how many messages the parents received, where they were sent, who sent them or whether any were reported to authorities. It also does not provide a response from the residents or drivers said to oppose the speed bumps. The family has not given a new date for the ghost-bike gathering, and the city has not reported whether the new measures have changed driving speeds or crash risks.
Family Plans a Later Memorial
The parents said they would look for the right time to hold the memorial and that their determination to protect young people in the neighbourhood remains unchanged. No replacement date has been announced. Marchand said the city would continue seeking solutions to reduce speeds in neighbourhoods; the next reported developments may include the completion of the speed-bump work and any update from the family about a new gathering.
Key Questions
Who was Alex Côté?
Alex was an 11-year-old boy who was struck by a driver while riding his bicycle in Beauport on June 29. He died following the collision.
Why did his parents postpone the ghost-bike memorial?
His parents said they postponed the planned Sunday gathering after receiving hateful messages and facing negative reactions from some residents. They said they wanted the memorial to remain respectful and not become a source of division.
What are ghost bikes?
A ghost bike is a bicycle painted white and placed as a memorial where a cyclist has died. Alex’s family arranged the planned memorial with Souliers et Vélos fantômes Québec.
What road changes are underway in the neighbourhood?
Québec City began work in late September to install 13 speed bumps on rue Berrouard and avenue des Sablonnières. The city says the measures are part of efforts to address speeding; their effect has not yet been reported.
Source: lesoleil.com
