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The parents of Alex Côté, an 11-year-old killed while cycling in Québec City’s Beauport district, postponed a planned ghost-bike memorial after receiving hateful messages. The backlash followed the city’s installation of speed bumps nearby, which officials say are intended to reduce speeding.
The parents of 11-year-old Alex Côté, who was killed while riding his bicycle in Québec City’s Beauport district, have postponed a planned ghost-bike memorial after receiving hateful messages following their call for safer streets. Their decision comes as the city installs speed bumps near the site of the June 29 collision, amid objections from some motorists, according to Le Soleil.
Alex was struck by a motorist on Avenue des Sablonnières, near Boulevard Raymond, on June 29. His family arranged with the group Souliers et Vélos fantômes Québec to place a white bicycle near the crash site as a memorial. The installation and gathering planned for Sunday have been postponed.
In a statement announcing the delay, Alex’s parents said the response from some residents and the messages they received led them to step back. They said their aim was to honour their son, draw attention to the risks cyclists face locally and help protect children in the neighbourhood. The family said its commitment to safety remains, but it wants any gathering to be positive and respectful.
The City of Québec 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. Le Soleil reported that some motorists opposed the devices and blamed the family. The report does not identify the senders of the messages or provide details about their number beyond descriptions from officials and the memorial group.
Backlash Meets Neighbourhood Safety Plans
The dispute links a family’s memorial for a child killed on a local road with a live debate over how the city should address speeding and cyclist safety. The parents’ decision means the planned public tribute will not go ahead as scheduled, while the hateful messages have drawn condemnation from city officials and a local councillor.
Mayor Bruno Marchand said the speed bumps are intended to lower vehicle speeds and prevent further crashes. The development also shows how road-safety decisions can become contentious at neighbourhood level; however, the report does not establish that the memorial prompted the city’s work or that the devices have yet changed driving speeds.
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The Crash and Planned Memorial
Alex died after being hit while cycling in Beauport on June 29, 2026. His family later contacted Souliers et Vélos fantômes Québec to arrange a ghost bike, a white bicycle placed near the location where a cyclist died. The memorial was intended as a tribute and a reminder of road risks, according to the parents’ statement.
The speed-bump project began in late September, several months after the collision. The organization’s member Mathieu Murphy-Perron told Le Soleil he had helped install about 30 memorials over more than 10 years and had not encountered a comparable online outpouring of anger. He described the Beauport messages as insults and said opposition to cycling infrastructure was growing in Québec.
Murphy-Perron said the ghost-bike installations he had seen had generally been met with basic respect, even from people opposed to such memorials. The group’s account is based on his experience; the report does not provide a full record of the messages sent to Alex’s parents.
“Our intention has always been simple and sincere: to honour the memory of our wonderful Alex with a symbolic gesture filled with love, tenderness and hope.”
— Alex Côté’s parents, in a statement reported by Le Soleil
Details of the Messages Remain Unclear
The report does not disclose who sent the messages, how many messages the parents received, or whether any were reported to authorities. It also does not provide the messages themselves or independently verify their contents. The parents have not announced a new date for the ghost-bike gathering.
The city’s stated aim for the speed bumps is to reduce speeding, but the report gives no measured speeds before or after installation and no evaluation of their effect on collision risk. It also does not detail the motorists’ objections or establish a direct link between the family’s memorial plans and the city’s decision to install the devices.
Memorial Date and Road Work Ahead
Alex’s parents said they would look for a more suitable time to hold a gathering that honours him in a peaceful way. They said their effort to protect young people in the neighbourhood would continue, but did not set a new date. The speed-bump installation is part of the city’s ongoing road-safety work in the area.
Marchand said the city would continue seeking ways to reduce speeding and make neighbourhoods safer. No further details about the project’s schedule, monitoring or next steps were included in the report.
Key Questions
Who was Alex Côté?
Alex Côté was 11 when he died after a motorist struck him while he was riding a bicycle on Avenue des Sablonnières in Beauport on June 29, 2026.
Why was the ghost-bike memorial postponed?
His parents said they postponed the planned Sunday gathering after receiving hateful messages and seeing reactions from some residents. They said they wanted the memorial to remain a respectful, positive event.
Where are the speed bumps being installed?
The City of Québec began work in late September to install 13 speed bumps on Rue Berrouard and Avenue des Sablonnières in Beauport.
Has a new memorial date been announced?
No. Alex’s parents said they would seek the right time to hold the gathering, but the report did not give a new date.
What is a ghost bike?
A ghost bike is a bicycle painted white and placed near a location where a cyclist was killed, serving as a memorial. The family arranged the planned installation with Souliers et Vélos fantômes Québec.
Source: lesoleil.com
