Hundreds of white shoes fill downtown Montreal street: Souliers et Vélos fantôme Québec

The organization that’s been installing white bicycles in memory of cyclists who have died in Montreal over the past 10 years is expanding.

Vélo fantôme Montréal changed its name to Souliers et Vélos fantôme Québec (SVFQ) on Tuesday. Memorials will now be created in memory of fatally struck pedestrians throughout Quebec.

“Ever since our inception, people have been calling on us to also do memorials for pedestrians but we’re a volunteer run organization with limited resources and we weren’t quite sure of how we’d go about that. So, after 10 years we’re ready to do so,” said Mathieu Murphy-Perron, Souliers et Vélos phantom Québec.

On Sept. 12, 2013, the organization installed a first white bicycle in memory of a cyclist, Suzanne Châtelain, who died after a car crash in July of the same year on Le Plateau-Mont-Royal.

Since then, more than 20 white bicycles have been placed in the greater Montreal area at the exact location where a cyclist died in a collision.

“In memory of this person and with the agreement of their loved ones, the collective installs a symbol to encourage reflection on the dangers associated with driving motorized vehicles while commemorating the life of the victim,” said Séverine Lepage, one of the organization’s spokespersons, during a press conference in Montreal.

“We demand safety features, regulations that protect the most vulnerable on the road and less dangerous designs of trucks and automobiles.

Volunteers from SVFQ placed 645 pairs of white shoes Tuesday morning in front of the Montreal offices of the Minister of Transport Geneviève Guilbault, at the intersection of René-Lévesque Boulevard and Beaver Hall.

“From now on, we will go further by installing memorials for pedestrians, again, throughout Quebec, because in 10 years, since we’ve been installing white bicycles, more than 645 pedestrians have died from road violence in the Quebec. With the injured, that makes 26,000 victims,” said Shanti L-Larochelle, another SVFQ spokesperson.

“This showed me that there are a lot of families that have experienced pedestrian collisions,” said Catherine Ricard. Four years ago, her 13-year-old son, Jules, was struck and killed by a school bus while he was crossing the street.

“Being at this ceremony I already knew, but it confirmed that we really do have a problem with pedestrian deaths. Being at the ceremony was sad but necessary.”

According to the province’s auto insurance board, 79 pedestrians lost their lives last year, marking a 22 per cent increase compared to the average from 2017 to 2022.

The organization is launching a crowdfunding campaign so it can expand its activities across the province. Its goal is to raise $20,000.

The organization is launching a crowdfunding campaign to be able to expand its activities across Quebec, whereas everything was previously managed voluntarily and at lower cost.

“We hope that the ceremonies and everything that revolves around them will remain free for families, for loved ones, forever,” specified a spokesperson for SVFQ, Laurent Deslauriers.

Murphy-Perron adding, “Even if people don’t always agree with the growing space that cycling and walking is taking in our cities, people are generally sympathetic to the fact that it’s important that families have recognition, that families have people who can accompany them when they’ve suffered a great loss like they do with these types of road collisions.”

The organization has already received a contribution of $7,500 by the Caisse d’économique solidaire Desjardins through its Community Development Assistance Fund.

-With files from Swidda Rassy, CityNews

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews