Cycling event returns to Sherbrooke with renewed urgency amid rising collisions
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
On Wednesday, May 21, cyclists in Sherbrooke will once again take to the streets for the Tour du Silence, a solemn annual ride that honours cyclists killed or injured in traffic accidents. The event, which has run locally since 2004, will depart at 6 p.m. from IGA Extra on King Street West and proceed in silence to a commemorative monument on St-François Boulevard.
Sherbrooke is one of 18 participating Quebec municipalities joining over 400 cities worldwide in the Ride of Silence, a movement born in Texas in 2003 after a cyclist was struck and killed during a training ride. “It’s a moment to remember those we’ve lost,” said Jean Pinard, a long-time member of the Sherbrooke Cycling Club and the event’s communications manager. “But it’s also about prevention—for drivers and cyclists.”
Pinard knows the stakes firsthand. Years ago, he was hit by a car while riding through Saint-Élie. “The driver’s mirror caught me just outside the white line,” he recalled. “I ended up with broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a fractured collarbone. It took me two months to recover, but I still cycle about 4,000 kilometres a year.”
The ride, which is free and open to all, will maintain a slow 15 km/h pace under police escort over a total distance of 8.4 km. Helmets are mandatory, and registration is required, either online via the Fédération québécoise de sport cycliste (FQSC) or on site starting at 5:15 p.m.
This year’s honorary president is Hôtel-Dieu councillor Laure Letarte-Lavoie, who also serves as president of the Société de transport de Sherbrooke. She will deliver brief remarks at the monument site shortly after the cyclists arrive around 6:40 p.m.
