The family of an 84-year-old Sechelt man killed in an accident last Friday say he was a dedicated volunteer, outdoor enthusiast, athlete and musician who wasn’t afraid to speak out if he saw a way to make the community better.
Miroslav Vydra was cycling north at the intersection of Highway 101 and Wharf Avenue around 3:30 p.m. June 22, when he was hit by a Waste Management truck making a right-hand turn. He succumbed to his injuries after being taken to Sechelt Hospital.
Vydra and his wife of 61 years, Marcela, lived in Sechelt for more than a decade, and their son John Vydra spoke with Coast Reporter this week on behalf of the family.
The Vydras and John’s sisters, Blanka and Renata, came to Canada from what was then Czechoslovakia in 1968 and settled in Ontario, where John was born.
John said the way his father handled the move to British Columbia was typical of his determined character. Vydra’s mind was made up, and after being denied a transfer by the company he’d worked with for 30 years, he gave an ultimatum. “He finally told them, ‘Look, you don’t understand. I’m going to move out there and either I’m going to work for you guys or I’m not,’” John remembered. “In that way the man was an absolute lion.”
John also said his father’s determination and resourcefulness was shaped by living under German occupation during the Second World War and the communist regime that followed, and his response to being told he couldn’t affect change was always “I’ll find a way.”
Vydra was active in civic affairs, often through the letters section of Coast Reporter, and a long-time volunteer with the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts and at Dakota Ridge. He was also a staunch supporter of the Sechelt Public Library.
“Miroslav was a welcome fixture of the Dakota Ridge winter recreation area as a volunteer trail host for eight winter seasons,” said Sunshine Coast Regional District parks planning coordinator Sam Adams. “Miroslav shared his passion, dedication and enthusiasm for outdoor winter recreation with visitors and other volunteers alike. We are very sorry to lose him.”
Writers Festival producer Jane Davidson said Vydra loved being a part of the festival, and one of his favourite jobs was staffing the information booth “because that was where he could sit and chat with people.”
“He was very engaged with this community and with this neighbourhood,” Davidson said, adding that Vydra would often drop in to the festival office as he walked through the Rockwood gardens.
John Vydra and his sisters still live in Ontario, but they’ve been regular visitors to the Coast since their parents moved here, and knew how involved their father was in the community.
John said they’ve met several people who remember Vydra as a man who loved to talk. “Dad had a great capacity to see the good in everything,” John said. “Dad was always on fast-forward. He had so much to tell.”
John said family members want to express their gratitude to the bystanders who offered aid and comfort to Vydra immediately following the accident and to the police and first responders who were at the scene. They’re also urging any witnesses who haven’t yet spoken with police to come forward.
John, a professional driver, said he hopes that any safety issues at the Wharf-101 intersection will come to light during the investigation. “A fatality like this isn’t caused by only one thing,” he said. “Something good has to come out of this because people shouldn’t get on their bicycle and not come home.”
A 74-year-old man was killed in a similar accident at the intersection in 2009.
Sunshine Coast RCMP said the truck driver and Waste Management, the company that owns the truck, have been cooperating in the investigation, and that an inspection of the truck found no deficiencies. At this point police do not contemplate recommending any charges.
“Our deepest condolences go out to all those affected, and their families,” said Matt Paden, director of operations for Waste Management’s regional office. “We are working with the Sunshine Coast RCMP and would also like to extend our deepest gratitude to the first responders who assisted at the scene.”
Details of the June 30 service for Miroslav Vydra and the family’s wishes around donations to some of Vydra’s favourite causes are in the obituary in the classified section.
