Hundreds take to Alaska Highway in memory of cyclist killed last year

Andrew Hynes · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 18, 2025 9:59 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

Over 100 cyclists clad successful colourful rainfall jackets and helmets gathered astatine the Holy Family Elementary School successful Whitehorse to honour the precocious Joseph Morrison — a teacher astatine the schoolhouse who was killed successful a hit-and-run past twelvemonth portion cycling adjacent Rabbit's Foot Canyon on the Alaska Highway. Organizers said the lawsuit was to retrieve Morrison and to advocator for harmless and inclusive progressive transportation.

The memorial thrust took spot conscionable hours aft Adam Lougheed pleaded blameworthy successful a Whitehorse courtroom connected Monday to respective charges successful narration to Morrison's death, including driving portion prohibited, unsafe driving causing decease and failing to stay astatine the country of a fatal crash.

And connected the heels of different collision connected the Alaska Highway injured a Yukon Para cyclist earlier month. 

Participants astatine Monday's lawsuit remembered Morrison and shared however his decease continues to impact them, a twelvemonth on.

Rosemary Plaskett doesn't typically motorcycle connected roads — she's much of a upland biker. 

"Even conscionable riding up here, I was truly nervous," she said. "I'm not definite wherever the motorcycle lanes are truthful I was riding connected the sidewalks."

Plaskett said she participated to amusement her enactment for Morrison's wife, Janine. The 2 utilized to enactment unneurotic and some mislaid their husbands to cycling accidents.

"You accidental goodbye to your hubby 1 time and helium ne'er comes back, and I cognize what that's similar and I cognize she's doing the champion she can."

After her hubby passed, it took Plaskett a portion to get backmost connected her bike, but yet she felt capable to upland motorcycle again.

"I knew my hubby would privation maine to," she said. "I find it precise emotionally satisfying."

Pat Ross, Morrison's longtime neighbour, arrived aboriginal to the memorial ride. 

He remembered Morrison arsenic ever being successful his gait moving connected a project.

"We would ever speech astir information procedures with Joe," Ross said chuckling.

Ross said that arsenic helium pedalled done Rabbit's Foot Canyon with the memorial ride, he'd deliberation of Morrison and information procedures again.

"I've ridden that agelong of road implicit the years galore times and I've ne'er truly fixed it overmuch thought, but I definite volition beryllium this time," helium said. "It makes you deliberation doubly astir safety."

"This hits beauteous adjacent to home."

Sara Johnson biked to the school's parking batch with her 3 sons. She said her full household commutes to enactment and schoolhouse by cycling and that information is ever connected her mind.

"Every time erstwhile I spot that my kids person made it to schoolhouse safely with their bikes I'm relieved, and each clip I perceive a siren successful the greeting oregon afternoon, I'm worried," she said.

Johnson and her hubby are some teachers who motorcycle on the aforesaid road arsenic Morrison to get to enactment each day. 

"This hits beauteous adjacent to home," she said.

Johnson said she continues to bash truthful contempt being deed by a car herself portion biking to enactment successful 2019. After her accident, Johnson said she and others went to Whitehorse metropolis assembly to advocator for safer progressive proscription — but successful six years, she hasn't seen overmuch progress.

"To beryllium honest, not a batch has been done, determination person been immoderate affirmative changes, but not arsenic overmuch arsenic I'd similar to see."