University student Stephanie Long had just discovered Mount Royal Cemetery at the end of July as a cycling mecca, blessed with paved, winding paths over rolling green hills.
Shortly afterwards, she found out the cemetery was closed to her.
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As of Aug. 1, cyclists are no longer allowed to ride on the cemetery grounds.
“I was like, oh my God, I just found out and now it’s closed,” said Long.
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Cyclists wondered aloud if the decision was somehow related to the recent decision by the City of Montreal to close off Camillien-Houde to through traffic.
READ MORE: Camillien-Houde Way closure in effect
Cemetery management said it had to do with a glut of bike traffic over the cemetery’s paths.
“It’s not like we did nothing and then just took a decision,” said David Scott, the cemetery’s executive director.
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For the past two years, the cemetery put up speed limits and tried to put a cap on group sizes cycling through the cemetery.
But the cycling community argued whether this is the case.
“I’m a little perplexed as to why and how people could be going as quickly as the owners of the cemetery say they are,” said Danny Minogue, a cyclist who regularly uses the graveyard.
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Cyclists are hoping for something that would change Mount Royal’s mind on the decision.