Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Anti-bullying is incredibly important to us today, just as important as the initiative against drunk driving, which is my Member’s statement today.
Today I want to praise the immense contributions of a Fort Simpson resident, Ms. Sharon Allen, who is a dedicated campaigner for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the national organization best known as MADD Canada.
Sharon has been personally affected by impaired driving. In 2008 Sharon and her husband, Kevin, lost their daughter, Keisha Trudel. Keisha was only 16 at the time. Keisha’s memory has been kept alive by Sharon’s effort to spread awareness about drinking and driving. In the House today I’d like to describe some of her efforts.
Last fall Sharon and other MADD volunteers arranged for 40 RTL Westcan tanker trailers to display a large decal with Keisha’s photo. The idea was to remind drivers and observers that Keisha’s death was completely preventable. During the 2013 Christmas season, the Fort Simpson chapter of MADD Canada initiated the project Red Ribbon Campaign. The RCMP, village bylaw officers of Fort Simpson and local volunteers banded together to generate awareness about drinking and driving. Later this year the same contingent will head up a campaign encouraging citizens to report suspected impaired drivers to the police.
Sharon has also been instrumental in developing a program called Shattered, a multimedia assembly program geared to NWT students in Grade 7 and up.
Since the early days of the anti-drinking and driving movement, people just like Sharon have been educating the public about the human tragedies caused by impaired drivers. The exact number of lives saved as a result of the work done by MADD Canada can’t be known with certainty, but estimates suggest that the number is upwards of 40,000. That’s equivalent to the entire population of the Northwest Territories.
Impaired driving is the leading criminal cause of death in this country. On a per capita basis, the NWT has the highest rate anywhere. Fort Simpson alone had 135 impaired charges last year. For these reasons, Sharon’s tireless efforts deserve to be recognized.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
