18-year-old cyclist killed on Mount Royal honoured with ghost bike

Friends, family and fellow cyclists gathered on Mount Royal Wednesday morning for a ceremony in honour of a young cyclist who died earlier this month.

A ghost bike, a white bicycle placed at the scene of fatal cycling accidents, was unveiled near where 18-year-old Clment Ouimetwas fatally struck Oct. 4.

The bike frame used in the memorial belonged to Ouimet,and was last usedby his father, also an avid cycler.

Ouimet's father donned his son's racing bib earlier this month at the starting line of a race in which Ouimet was supposed to participate.

• Tributes continue to pour in for Clment Ouimet, cyclist who died on Mount Royal

Ouimethad been riding his bike southbound on Camillien-Houde Way, near the lookout on Mount Royal, whena driver made an illegal U-turn, police say.

He didn't have time to get out of the way and hit the vehicle, an SUV. He was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

douardBeaudoin, who attended the ceremony Wednesday, told CBC that he used to race with Ouimeton the same team.

"He became a close friend really quickly," said Beaudoin. "I don't think the death of my friend was necessary."

Ouimet's death prompted calls for the City of Montreal to better protect cyclists travelling on the popular training route over the mountain.

The city recently unveiled a series of new provisional safety measures, including the installment of a digital speed indicator, more concrete barriersand more signswarning that U-turns are forbidden.

The move has drawnboth support and oppositionfrom cyclists,with some saying the new measures cometoo late.

GabrielleAnctil, who started the ghost bike movement in Montreal, said she's not convinced temporary measures will make the roads safer for cyclists.

"There'snothing that has changed. People stilldo illegal U-turns, they still drive too fast,there'sstill too much traffic."

"We don't need another committee to discuss solutions. We know what the solutions are already," she said.

"The investigation intoOuimet'sdeathon Mount Royal is ongoing, Montreal police say. We've known them for so long. We've known them since beforeClmentwas born."