Shrine to fallen riders stresses awareness

By Michael Purvis

Monday, April 17, 2006 - 09:00

Local News - Roger Wing can list off, one by one, the terrible accidents that killed 12 motorcycle riders whose names have been carved into the granite and steel memorial sitting on his front lawn.

It’s not a complete list since word got out that Wing had made the memorial, several people have called asking to have a loved one’s name added but it’s a start, said Wing.

Sadly, there’s plenty of room. Wing said he knew when he started putting together the list of fallen riders, all either from Algoma or killed here, that unfortunately he’d have to leave space for more names.

“This is what happens when there’s no awareness,” said Wing.

The memorial, designed by one of the fallen rider’s family members and assembled with help from a few others, will be dedicated on May 6 at 11 a.m. with support from a string of motorcycle organizations.

It’s to promote awareness that riders are out there in traffic and vulnerable, said Wing, a rider for 40 years.

One of the most recent to be killed was Wing’s friend and a fellow member of the Spanish River Bikers’ Rights Organization.

Wing said Mark Guenette, 50, of Blind River, was killed six months ago while riding his bike east of Thessalon.

“He was going east and the other guy was going west,” said Wing.

For reasons on which Wing can only speculate, the 73-year-old driver of the other vehicle, a car, came into Guenette’s lane on that sunny and dry day in October.

“There were guardrails on both sides and nowhere to go. What are you going to do?

While that accident may have had the same outcome even if the victim was in a car, Wing said it’s telling that Guenette was riding a brand new bike when the fatal crash occurred. His previous bike was totalled in the summer in another highway accident involving a left turn.

“Left-hand turns are killers,” said Wing.

One of the things Wing said bikers are pushing for is an increase in the penalty for automobile drivers who collide with motorcyclists while making left turns, up from the current $500 fine.

For the ceremony next month. the memorial will be hauled over to Perry’s Gun Shop on Great Northern Road. The shop also contains the home of Reg Perry, whose 19-year-old son, Michael, was killed in September while riding his dirt bike with friends in the Goulais River area. Michael’s name is one of those on the memorial.

As many as 150 riders will make an awareness run from there up Great Northern Road to the Knights Inn for a social gathering.

Wing said he’s waiting to hear from the city about a permanent spot for the memorial.
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