Extra adornment at the skateboard park in Sidney, can be attributed to the death of a young man last weekend. Christopher Rytter, 20, of Sidney died in a single vehicle crash in Shawnigan Lake shortly after 3 a.m. on Sunday November 23, said Corporal Tim Desaulniers of the Shawnigan Lake RCMP.

The vehicle Rytter was driving went off the left side of the road in the 2500-block of Shawnigan Lake Road, Desaulniers said. Police believe Rytter wasn’t wearing a seatbelt when the 90s model Toyota pickup struck a large tree head on. Alcohol is suspected in the accident. The investigation into what caused the crash is ongoing.

Rytter lived in Sidney with his mother, but was on his way to his dad’s place in Shawnigan when the accident occurred, said his uncle Gary Symons of Kelowna.

“He was the nicest most interactive kid I knew,” Symons said. “If you found an injured animal, he would take care of it. He would take care of a tree … He was just a great, great kid.”

Rytter’s effect on the community may be noticeable with a change in decor at the skate park near the Mary Winspear Centre. He loved skateboarding, surfing and snow boarding, Symons said.

“His dad donated a lot of the money for the skate park,” Symons explained. “There’s tributes to Christopher all over the skateboard park.”

A large RIP CHRIS, painted by a pair of Rytter’s friends, faces the Pat Bay Highway.

He was an “all around happy kid,” said Stewart Brooks, who was biking at the park two days later. “He was such a chiller, nothing to get stressed.”

Rytter was “an all around nice guy,” agreed Jordan Shields.

The family is holding a memorial Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Mary Winspear Centre.

“He was very well liked by a lot of the kids here,” Symons said. “So we’re expecting a big crowd.”

reporter@peninsulanewsreview.com