'Never drive impaired': MADD launches national campaign in honour of Alberta victim
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is honouring a Red Deer, Alta., family as part of its 34th annual national red ribbon campaign.
Brenda Brown's daughter Chloe Kaniusis was killed by a drunk driver in 2014 when the two were returning home from a Christmas shopping trip in Red Deer.
Brown was pinned inside the vehicle for three hours following the crash.
Kaniusis, who was a mother of two, was killed instantly.
She was 30 years old.
"I wasn't able to go back to work for 27 months after she died," Brown told CTV News Edmonton at the red ribbon campaign launch on Monday. "But I knew I wanted to bring a message of change to high school students."
Brown, a high school librarian, said she joined the MADD organization in 2017 as a way to bring a message of change around the issue of impaired driving.
"We just have to keep educating people," she said. "(MADD has) so much to offer those who have been affected, whether they're victims, survivors; support through victims services, numerous and limitless resources."
Officials with MADD said the campaign is meant to be a reminder to drive sober this holiday season and all year round.
"We just try always to share victims' stories like the one that Brenda shared today, to keep impaired driving at top of mind to remind motorists that it is still a real risk," national president of MADD Canada Jaymie-Lyne Hancock told CTV News Edmonton.
According to a MADD Canada statistical report, 86,964 impaired driving-related incidents were reported in Canada in 2019, an average of 238 per day.
Late last year, the Alberta government passed legislation to create stronger and more immediate penalties for drivers under the influence.
- Stricter drunk driving laws will get impaired drivers off the streets immediately
- New impaired driving legislation tabled in Alberta
"The main message is really simple," Hancock said. "Never drive impaired, never get in the car with anyone who's impaired. Plan ahead for a sober ride home."
Over the next two months, MADD will be handing out thousands of red ribbons as a symbol of commitment to never drive impaired.
Brown said, while she considers herself an optimist, she doesn't believe the work MADD does will ever be finished.
"It is such a problem still," said Brown. "And Alberta is one of the worst provinces, so you know, we’ve got to do something more.”
The national campaign runs until Jan. 3.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
DEVELOPING Hamas accepts Gaza ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar
Hamas said it has accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar, which seeks to halt the seven-month war with Israel in Gaza, prompting Israel to say it would send a delegation to negotiate – though it warned the proposal remained far from the 'necessary requirements.'
An American soldier was arrested in Russia and accused of stealing, U.S. officials say
An American soldier has been arrested in Russia and accused of stealing, according to U.S. officials. The soldier was stationed in South Korea and was in the process of returning home to the United States, but travelled to Russia.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Competition Bureau launches inquiry into Lululemon over 'greenwashing' allegations
Canada's Competition Bureau has launched an inquiry into Vancouver-based Lululemon following a complaint from members of an environmental group.
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to quash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc tabled legislation in the House of Commons on Monday proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Bill C-70 proposes to enact a new 'Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act.'