Heather Caron will always remember that one Sunday in May when, in perfect weather, sharing her love of cycling, her world would turn upside down.
“All of a sudden, there was a noise and my husband came flying over my shoulder and landed in front of me and bled out.”
Heather’s husband, Barrie Conrod, was struck by a motorist and died right there on Hergott Road.
On Saturday, Caron led a crew of nearly 500 cyclists in the second annual “Together We Travel – Ride for Angels” to honour her late husband.
“We really had a lot of wonderful, wonderful memories cycling and Barrie was an amazing rider. He really enjoyed it.”
The riders dressed in white and tied red bands around their arms in Barrie’s memory.
The driver who struck Barrie, Dale Wideman, pleaded guilty to careless driving. At the sentencing he said he fell asleep at the wheel.
Caron hopes others learn from the gravity of Wideman’s mistake. “You need to drive defensively, that you always need to be aware of cars around. You need to have side view mirrors. You need to always pay attention.”
The group also wants to raise awareness around overall cycling safety.
A cycling safety review done by the province found that from 2006 to 2010 129 cyclists were killed on Ontario streets.
Saturday’s ride organizer, Vy Waller, says cyclists and motorists need to better understand each other. “Cyclists don’t know whether they are vehicles or not vehicles. Motorists don’t know if we are vehicles or not vehicles and what laws we fall under. I think education really needs to be out there and awareness needs to be out there.”
Saturday’s show of support means a great deal to Caron, who uses this ride as a way of coping with her husband’s death. “I just can’t describe it. I mean there’s such a contrast between what I’ve been through and then to feel the support of other people, it just really helps.”
Donations were collected to help pay for the ride and any remaining money will be put aside to help fund next year’s event.
