‘Their deaths were not in vain’: MADD Canada memorial to impaired driving victims unveiled in Brampton

Seeing her brother’s name on a memorial to the victims of impaired driving crashes unveiled in Brampton was an emotional event for MADD Canada’s National President Jaymie-Lyne Hancock.

Her 18-year-old brother D.J. was driving home from a hockey tryout in August of 2014 when he was struck by a driver who had more than twice the legal limit of alcohol in their system.

Hancock is one of 137 impaired driving victims immortalized on the MADD Ontario Memorial Monument, which was unveiled at a candlelight vigil in Brampton’s Chinguacousy Park on Saturday. MADD says it will hold annual ceremonies to unveil new names that have been added to the memorial.

“It means so much to my family that we can memorialize D.J. in this way,” Hancock said in a statement. “One of the most important things for victims’ families is keeping their loved ones’ memories alive and making sure their deaths were not in vain.”

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Since 2009, MADD Canada has established provincial memorial monuments for victims of impaired driving in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Alberta and Quebec with efforts underway for similar memorials in Prince Edward Island and B.C.

MADD says the monuments are a way to pay tribute to victims while giving families and friends a place where they can honour their loved ones and offer support to one another. They also serve as a powerful reminder of the potentially fatal decision to get behind the wheel while impaired by alcohol, cannabis or other drugs.

“We want to honour their lives and share their stories so that we can help prevent this senseless tragedy from happening to others,” Hancock said.

You can see the MADD Ontario Memorial Monument and pay respect to the victims at Chinguacousy Park in Brampton.