Cypress Bowl Road is a popular uphill cycling route. At the time of Waymarking, dozens of cyclists were seen riding up or down the hill. Unfortunately, the road is also popular with drivers of performance cars. On Christmas Day, 2019, Ivan Young was a victim of a collision with a vehicle. In 2020, friend Bill McNaughton attached a ghost bike to the 6 kilometre marker where the incident occurred.
From
CTV News:
VANCOUVER -- Family and friends are mourning the sudden death of a Vancouver man who was killed while cycling Cypress Bowl Road on Christmas Day, a ride he's done hundreds of times before, they said.
Ivan Young is being remembered as an "experienced and safe cyclist," who found his passion for riding in his teenage years.
"All in the riding community have lost a friend and ambassador for the sport," wrote family friends on behalf of the family in a statement to CTV News.
On Wednesday morning, Young set off to do his favourite ride to Cypress Mountain, according to friends.
He was completing the Festive 500, a popular seasonal challenge to ride 500 km in the eight days between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.
Over the past three years, he had ridden over 22,000 km annually, including going up Cypress 100 times in 2018. It was a goal he had set for himself, they said.
"Ivan was fueled by his passion for cycling yet he was humble in nature," the statement read. "He was typically the first and last to complete a climb because after finishing, he would head back down to shepherd the last riders up safely, starting up a conversation to distract them from the pain they were going through."
They said he was always focused on safety and ready to fix a flat tire or help a fellow rider in need.
Although Young was only in his 40s, friends said he recently retired early to spend more time with his family.
"Ivan was so much more than an avid cyclist: he was a husband, a loving father of two, a friend, a gifted pianist, an active member of his church, a great community member and a citizen who was always willing to help."
First responders were called to the crash shortly after noon on Wednesday. Police said a collision reconstruction analyst was also called to deal with a "very serious" incident.
West Vancouver Police have not released details on the collision and have not said whether charges would be recommended against the driver.
Richard Campbell, founder of a road safety and climate activist group called Act Urgently, said the province has a role to play in preventing injuries and fatalities on the roads.
"They need to be bold and really invest in safer roads and other measures that are proven to make things safer," Campbell said.
The province has activated 35 red-light cameras with technology capable of automatically ticketing speeders.
Campbell said the B.C. government isn't working fast enough to introduce more throughout the province.
"Going slower is both a way to prevent crashes from happening and when they do happen, the crashes are less serious and far less likely to be fatal," he said. "We need to act fast before more and more people get injured and die on our roads"
Safety is also top-of-mind for family and friends of Young, who will be holding a memorial ride to raise awareness about road safety and to celebrate his love for riding.
The ghost bike went missing on May 13, 2023. After public outcry, the thief returned the bike to the location on May 25 with no explanation.