BRAMPTON, Ontario, Sept. 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Families and friends whose loved ones have been killed in alcohol, cannabis and/or other drug-related crashes will gather today for the second Annual Candlelight Vigil Service and Memorial Monument Ceremony in Brampton. This year, 22 new names have been added to the Ontario Monument, bringing the total number of victims of impaired driving to 158 since its inauguration in 2023.
“The Ontario Memorial Monument gives victims’ friends and families a special place to remember and pay tribute to their loved ones,” said MADD Canada National President Tanya Hansen Pratt, who lost her mother, Beryl Hansen, in an impaired driving crash in 1999. “It is also a powerful reminder of the devastating consequences of impaired driving, an entirely preventable crime. Each name inscribed here represents not just a life cut short, but also a family forever changed, and the urgent need for action. We are committed to honouring the victims’ memory by continuing our efforts to eliminate impaired driving.”
Joining MADD Canada today to support Ontario families and pay tribute to victims are: Coast Tsimshian First Nations Elder Shannon Thunderbird; Brampton Deputy Mayor Harkirat Singh; Associate Minister of Women's Social and Economic Opportunity Charmaine Williams; Peel Regional Police Staff Superintendent Hubert Hiltz; Acting Deputy Fire Chief Nick Ruller; and OPP Chief Superintendent André Phelps.
Since 2009, MADD Canada has established Memorial Monuments for victims of impaired driving in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Quebec, and Ontario. Ceremonies are held each year to unveil new names added to the Monuments and to pay tribute to all victims. We are currently working to establish Memorial Monuments in Prince Edward Island and British Columbia.
MADD Canada thanks the City of Brampton for supporting the creation of this Memorial Monument and the annual ceremonies.
For more information, please contact:
Tanya Hansen Pratt, MADD Canada National President, 705-623-3148 or thansenpratt@madd.ca.
Arielle Nkongmeneck, MADD Canada Communications Manager, 647-462-6233 or ankongmeneck@madd.ca.
About MADD Canada
MADD Canada (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is a national, charitable organization that is committed to stopping impaired driving and supporting the victims of this violent crime. With volunteer-driven groups in close to 100 communities across Canada, MADD Canada aims to offer support services to victims, heighten awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and save lives and prevent injuries on our roads. To learn more, visit www.madd.ca.
