'We will never forget': Memorial honours Albertans killed by impaired drivers
A Mother's Against Drunk Driving ceremony Saturday afternoon honoured Albertans lost to impaired drivers.
Fifty-four names are etched into a monument outside Parkland RCMP headquarters in Spruce Grove that memorializes those killed by impaired drivers in the province. Seven names were added this year.
Steve Sullivan, MADD Canada CEO, said the monument, unveiled last year, acts as a tribute to those killed and a "stark reminder" of the cost behind the decision to drive while impaired.
"One of the things that family tell us that they never want to happen is loved one to be forgotten," Sullivan said. "And so our commitment is that we will never forget."
"The frustrating part (is) that we have to keep adding names to these monuments," he added. "We hope for a day when we never have to add another name."
Cijay Morgan attended the service in honour of her mother Agnes, who was killed in February 2013 when an impaired driver struck her.
Her 77-year-old mom was crossing the street in Edmonton after getting off the bus three blocks from her home.
"I was lying to myself all the way to the hospital that it wasn't really her," Morgan said. "It was devastating."
Morgan, who is now involved in MADD's efforts to eliminate impaired driving in Canada, said the organization helped to give her a sense of purpose after the devastation of losing a loved one.
"Our family flew apart, and everybody had different ways of coping," she said. "So I contacted MADD and they helped me put things back together."
"They've just given me the tools to continue on my life," she added.
According to MADD, one-in-five drivers involved in fatal collisions have consumed alcohol prior to the crash. Across the country, four Canadians are killed on average daily and 175 are injured in crashes where impairment is a factor.
Morgan remembers her mother as a generous woman.
"She was so strong," Morgan said. "I don't believe people become angels, but I do believe that we get sent angels, and I just lucked out and that was who my mother was."
She hopes that people take time to visit the memorial and see the names of the people whose lives ended prematurely.
"Speak the names out loud because these were actual people, and tomorrow, it could be somebody from your family."
Devin Laforce, Edmonton Police Service deputy chief, said during the ceremony that in 2021, more than 6,900 calls were made as part of the Curb the Danger program — an initiative asking motorists to call 911 if they suspect a driver is impaired.
To date this year, EPS says it received 3,600 reports and has made more than 1,100 impaired driving arrests. Last year, 1,900 arrests were made in relation to impaired driving.
The Edmonton Police Service recommends citizens note the last direction of travel of any suspected vehicle, its make and model, and license plate, then pull over and call 911 if safe to do so.
Through the Curb the Danger program, should officers be unable to locate the reported vehicle and a license plate is given, the registered owner can be sent a letter that it was reported to police.
Morgan asked drivers to stay alert while on the road and report anyone they suspect to be impaired.
Two witnesses had noticed the driver that killed her mother had been driving erratically but didn't report it to police, she said.
"If they had made that phone call, I wouldn't be here," Morgan added.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jessica Robb
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Another suspect arrested in Toronto Pearson airport gold heist: police
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Poilievre-led government 'would never' use notwithstanding clause on abortion, his office says
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
Cyclist strikes child crossing the street to catch school bus in Montreal
A video circulating on social media of a young girl being hit by a bike has some calling for better safety and more caution when designing bike lanes in the city. The video shows a four-year-old girl crossing Jeanne-Mance Street in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood to get on a school bus stopped on the opposite side of the street
BREAKING 6 injured in Sharbot Lake, Ont. crash; 2 in life-threatening condition
Ontario Provincial Police say six people have suffered severe injuries in a single-vehicle crash in Sharbot Lake, Ont, including two in life-threatening condition.