Ghost bike to honour cyclist fatally struck at busy Montreal intersection
Friends, concerned residents, and family members of a cyclist struck and killed last week at a busy Montreal intersection gathered Sunday to honour his life and to call for action on bike safety.
Montreal bike safetey advocacy group Vélo fantôme installed its 15th memorial "ghost bike" -- a white bicycle -- to serve as a cenotaphe for Andrea Rovere, who died following an accident at Park Street and Mount Royal Avenue.
On Sept. 27, at around 3:30 p.m., police received several 911 calls to report a truck driver allegedly hit the cyclist and fled the scene.
A suspect was arrested a short time after in the Outremont borough.
Like the other 14 ghost bikes (one was removed in May) after the city installed a bike path where the accident occurred) Rovere's bike will be installed at the location of the crash.
A DEAR FRIEND
Rovere's death was followed by an outpouring of condolences from his friends and community.
"He was the kindest and most generous guy any of us knew," wrote Aurélie Petit, Rovere's friend, on a call for public donations to pay for his funeral services.
Originally from Italy, friends of Rovere organized the fundraiser to transport his body back to his home country.
"His family had not seen him for some years," wrote Petit. "And they deserve to see him again."
On the day of his ghost bike ceremony, the fundraiser had accumilated more than double the original ask of $20,000.
Organizers say any extra money will be spent on Rovere's funeral or donated to his family.
Rovere was also a multi-instrumentalist, and a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Scientific Research (INRS).
“We are deeply shaken. His death is an invaluable loss for the INRS community and for my group, because we had forged strong ties, both personally and professionally. A fruitful future awaited him," wrote INRS professor Luca Razzari, who supervisied Rovere in his studies, in a public statement.
“Andrea was a very open-minded and cheerful person, always ready to help others," added Giacomo Balistreri, another postdoctoral fellow at INRS
"His disappearance leaves a great void."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.