More names added to Manitoba memorial honouring victims of drunk driving

Two new names have been added to a monument honouring the lives lost as a result of impaired driving in Manitoba.

The ceremony - held by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) - took place in West St. Paul Saturday at Glen Eden Funeral Home and Cemetery. The names of 79 Manitobans who died in collisions caused by impaired driving are etched on a granite monument there.

“This Monument gives us a special, dedicated space to memorialize the loved ones who were taken so suddenly and so senselessly from their family and friends,” said Gillian Phillips, MADD Canada Victim Services Manager for the Western Region in a statement. “We gather here to lend our support to victims and survivors, and to remind the public about very real tragedies that can occur any time someone gets behind the wheel impaired by alcohol, cannabis or other drugs.”

During the ceremony, the names of the victims were read aloud, accompanied by the ring of a bell. RCMP officers also performed a candle-lighting ceremony.

Guest speakers included Minister of Justice and Attorney General Kelvin Goertzen, as well as Stan Parag, Deputy Mayor of West St. Paul.

MADD Canada also has monuments honouring victims of impaired driving in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Quebec.

Plans are also underway to unveil a monument in Ontario next year.