Ghost bike memorial vandalized in Kelowna: ‘This is like grave robbing’

A Kelowna man’s family is devastated to learn that his ghost bike has been vandalized.

Ernie Gabbs, a paraplegic, was hand-cycling near Dilworth Drive and Harvey Avenue in August 2019, when his hand-cycle crashed with a semi-trailer. He did not survive the accident.

His family stationed a white bike, known as a ghost bike, at the corner of the intersection in his memory. It also serves as a sombre reminder for drivers to watch out for cyclists.

“We come by here every day. We drive by, the kids wave to grandpa and blow kisses and say, ‘Miss you Ernie’,” his son-in law David Gauthier said.

Gauthier said he drove by Thursday morning and saw that the bicycle had been vandalized overnight.

“Somebody had spun the bike around, laid it on the floor, jumped on it with enough force to bend the frame of the bike, and then attempted to put newspapers under the tires and tried to light it on fire,” Gauthier said. “It desecrates his memory. It causes sadness in the family. People take it personally because it is personal to us.

“This is going to be one thing that’s going to be hard to forgive and forget anytime soon.”

It’s the fourth time the ghost bike has been vandalized, Gauthier said.

The family has found flowers thrown into the bush and pictures taken off the bike before, he added.

“This is like grave robbing,” said Sharon Gabbs, Ernie’s wife of more than 20 years.

“To see the char from the attempted fire was inexplicable,” Sharon said. “It just seems so unnecessary.”

The family has been tending to the bike for more than a year, decorating it specially for Ernie’s birthday, Father’s Day and the anniversary of his death.

“This is what we have as a memorial. This is where we come to remember and mourn and give voice to our tears,” Sharon said.

“This is a place where I come to honour a great man and an even greater husband. He was a father, he was a brother, he was an uncle,” she added.

2:02 Another ghost bike for Kelowna

The family is considering options for a new type of memorial that might be more resistant to this type of mischief, Gauthier said.

The Kelowna Area Cycling Coalition said it was saddened to hear about the damage, adding that it will help repair the bike.

The family is asking anyone with dash cam footage or who may have witnessed the incident to step forward.

RCMP said the person or people who did the damage could potentially face mischief charges.