Close X
Friday, September 27, 2024
ADVT 
National

Family Calls For Road-safety Changes After Cyclist Dies In N.B. Training Crash

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 29 Dec, 2016 07:51 PM
    SAINT JOHN, N.B. — The death of competitive cyclist Ellen Watters highlights the need for safer roads in New Brunswick and beyond, her friend said Thursday ahead of a rally planned in her honour.
     
    Watters, 28, was badly injured after being hit by a vehicle while training Dec. 23 just outside Sussex, N.B. Her death was announced Wednesday.
     
    The Sunday rally will push New Brunswick to enact a one-metre rule for motorists, which is already legislated in other provinces including Nova Scotia and Ontario.
     
    Emily Flynn, Watters' friend and a fellow cyclist, said the group wants New Brunswick's rule to be named "Ellen's Law" in her memory.
     
    Flynn said the cycling community in New Brunswick has already been lobbying the government for legislation, and Watters will likely "be the catalyst that pushes it through."
     
    But Flynn said that's what Watters would have wanted.
     
    "She even said to her mother before that if she had to be the reason for roads to be safer for cyclists, she would be OK with that. Those are pretty big words," said Flynn in a phone interview Thursday.
     
     
    "Ellen always wanted to help others, and she always wanted to get more people out on bikes, and advocating for improved safety is part of that. She would always say, 'If you want to have a smile like mine, you just have to get on two wheels'."
     
    Watters, a kinesiology graduate originally from Apohaqui, N.B., had been rising up the ranks since joining the Ottawa-based The Cyclery Racing Program in 2014, and was poised to go professional next year.
     
    Earlier this year, Watters won the Tour of the Battenkill and Tour of Somerville in the U.S., and won bronze in the criterium at the Canadian Road Championships.
     
    She had signed with the U.S.-based Colavita-Bianchi team, and was to compete professionally next year, Cycling Canada said in a statement. She was also invited to be a part-time member of the Canadian women's development program.
     
    Flynn said Watters had a lust for life and a "big smile that would light up a room."
     
    "You would meet her for a second and she would have already left a lasting impacting," said Flynn. "She was just so warm and caring."
     
     
    The "One Metre For Ellen" rally will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday at 100 Prince Edward Street. People are encouraged to bike or walk from there to city hall at 15 Market Square.
     
    Under Ontario's law, motorists are required to keep a distance of one metre from cyclists, or receive a $110 fine and two demerit points.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Convicted Killer And Aviation Empire Heir Dellen Millard Is Broke, Court Hears

    Convicted Killer And Aviation Empire Heir Dellen Millard Is Broke, Court Hears
    TORONTO — A convicted killer who is heir to an aviation empire has told court he has no money to pay for his defence in two upcoming murder trials.

    Convicted Killer And Aviation Empire Heir Dellen Millard Is Broke, Court Hears

    Jury Awards More Than $70 Million To Woman In Baby Powder Lawsuit

    Jury Awards More Than $70 Million To Woman In Baby Powder Lawsuit
    The jury ruling ended the trial that began Sept. 26 in the case brought by Deborah Giannecchini of Modesto, California. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012. 

    Jury Awards More Than $70 Million To Woman In Baby Powder Lawsuit

    Nova Scotia Public Health Officer Says Response To Opioid Abuse Is 'Urgent'

    HALIFAX — Nova Scotia is launching a multi-front battle to try to head off a repetition of the crisis underway in British Columbia in opioid drug deaths.

    Nova Scotia Public Health Officer Says Response To Opioid Abuse Is 'Urgent'

    Mobi bike share passes 100,000 rides milestone

    Vancouver’s Mobi bike share program hit a significant milestone this week after passing the 100,000 rides mark.

    Mobi bike share passes 100,000 rides milestone

    Indian-Origin Bus Driver Manmeet Alisher Burnt Alive In Australia

    Indian-Origin Bus Driver Manmeet Alisher Burnt Alive In Australia
    In a horrific incident, a 29-year- old Indian-origin bus driver was today burned to death when a man poured some flammable liquid on him in front of several shocked passengers in Australia's Brisbane city, police said. 

    Indian-Origin Bus Driver Manmeet Alisher Burnt Alive In Australia

    RCMP In Langley, B.C., Arrest A Man Who Jumped The Aldergrove Border Crossing

    RCMP In Langley, B.C., Arrest A Man Who Jumped The Aldergrove Border Crossing
    Police say the suspect abandoned the motorcycle, which was discovered to have been stolen from Abbotsford and had stolen plates from Surrey.

    RCMP In Langley, B.C., Arrest A Man Who Jumped The Aldergrove Border Crossing