Over 130 victims of Ontario’s impaired driving crashes to be honoured with monument in Brampton

A candlelight vigil will mark a solemn occasion this weekend in Brampton as MADD Canada prepares to unveil a monument to Ontario victims killed in crashes involving alcohol and drugs.

Members of the public will be able to get their first look at the new Ontario Memorial Monument at Brampton’s Chinguacousy Park on Saturday (Sept. 9).

Engraved with the names of 137 victims of impaired driving crashes in Ontario, Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada (MADD) says the memorial serves as “a powerful and lasting way to pay tribute to the innocent victims.” The names were submitted to MADD with applications open to anyone who has lost a loved one as a result of an alcohol- or drug-related crash.

Over 250 family members and friends of victims will be at the unveiling on Saturday along with representatives from local emergency services. The ceremony will include a candlelight vigil for the victims, followed by the first public viewing of the Monument.

Louise Anne Lamoureux, director of victim services with MADD Canada, said each name represents “families, friends and communities that will grieve forever.”

“It is all the more tragic considering that impaired driving is entirely preventable. MADD Canada is committed to ensuring these victims and their loved ones are never forgotten,” Lamoureux said in a release.

The unveiling ceremony starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday in Chinguacousy Park.

Similar monuments with the names of impaired driving 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. MADD says plans are also underway for provincial monuments in British Columbia and Prince Edward Island.