Brampton could get monument honouring Ontario victims of impaired driving

Brampton’s Chinguacousy Park could soon be home to a provincial monument honouring the victims of impaired driving in Ontario.

Last December, members of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD Canada) asked Brampton City Council for its support to find land in the city to commemorate Ontarians killed in impaired driving related crashes.

City staff began looking at possible locations for the monument, and after narrowing the options down to six, MADD have chosen a northeast section of Chinguacousy Park near the Cenotaph as the ideal location for the memorial.

Similar monuments with the names of victims have been built in other provinces including Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan and Alberta to honour their memories and educate the public about the risks of impaired driving.

A report going to committee of council on Wednesday says that, if approved, the monument will come at no cost to Brampton taxpayers with MADD Canada covering the cost of the monument, regular maintenance and annual memorial services.

According to MADD Canada, there are an average of 10 federal criminal charges and provincial short-term licence suspensions are laid for alcohol or drug-impaired driving every hour in Canada.

Peel Regional Police say there were 1,082 impaired driving incidents in Brampton and Mississauga last year.

Brampton city staff have recommended the city work with MADD on a suitable design for the monument and finalize a Public Art Site Agreement which would see MADD assume all costs of the project.