'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
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.