Family, friends and community members gathered on the Henderson Highway Friday night for a vigil to honour Gabe Beardy after he was tragically struck and killed last weekend.
About a hundred people gathered to remember the life of Beardy. People brought flowers, plushies, and lit candles.
“I am not surprised of how many people came here, because of how many hearts my nephew have touched,” said Brad Beardy, Gabe Beardy’s uncle.
Intersection of Henderson Highway and Neil Avenue, where 32-year-old Gabe Beardy was hit by a vehicle on April 19. (Sofia Frolova, CityNews)
Brad Beardy said as of Friday, he had not heard any updates on the circumstances of his nephew’s death. One of the questions troubling Beardy is whether the lights at the crosswalk were activated. Police are continuing to investigate.
“These are the answers I want to hear, the community wants to hear.”
In the early hours of April 19th, Winnipeg police were called to the intersection of Henderson Highway and Neil Avenue. 32-year-old Gabe Beardy from Lake St. Martin was crossing on foot when he was struck by a vehicle. Police say he was taken to the hospital in critical condition, but later died.
Beardy leaves behind three children.
“A young family is left without their father. You can see that the buzzer is working. The lights are activating. So what happened?” asked Chief Cornell McLean, of Lake Manitoba First Nation.
Grand Chief Kyra Wilson of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said, “We are looking for those answers. And we would like them as soon as possible. The family is grieving, and they are needing answers.”
After hearing from speakers, people blocked off six lanes of Henderson Highway, standing with posters.
Intersection of Henderson Highway and Neil Avenue, where 32-year-old Gabe Beardy was hit by a vehicle on April 19. (Sofia Frolova, CityNews)
As the community demands answers, activists say, pedestrian safety is in crisis.
“I believe we are in a traffic violence crisis right now. We’ve had countless people lost to traffic violence,” said Linda van de Laar, a pedestrian safety advocate.
Advocates are calling for the implementation of a vision zero policy, meaning a strategy to eliminate traffic fatalities, as well as safer infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists alike.
“But words on paper don’t actually change that. We need implementation of these words,” said van de Laar.