MADD Canada holds memorial ceremony for Albertans killed by impaired drivers
Posted September 8, 2025 9:01 am.
Last Updated September 8, 2025 9:02 am.
It is a moment of grief as families, friends, and community members gather for the annual memorial ceremony in Spruce Grove to honour and remember Albertans who have been killed in crashes involving alcohol and drug use.
“It’s 22 years coming on and it’s still hard. I miss her immensely,” said Tracy Franklin, the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada regional director for Alberta, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.
Franklin is one of the family members who attended the ceremony Saturday morning. She lost her daughter in 2003 after she was killed by an impaired driver. Still, to this day, emotions overwhelm her after the loss of her loved one.
“Next year is going to be 23 years. She was 23-years-old, and building up to that 23 is honestly wrecking me, because I don’t know half of her. She’s been gone as long as she was alive, and so I’m trying to slow down time because I don’t want to hit that 23rd anniversary, cuz I don’t know if I’ll survive it,” said Franklin.
Impaired driving is still a big issue in the province. Alberta RCMP issued 6,100 impaired driver complaints and 4,100 provincial sanctions at the beginning of the year.
While MADD — the organization that was part of the ceremony — provides the education for safe driving, Staff Sergeant Darell Dickinson says the public has a role to play in reducing the impaired driving cases.
“If you see somebody getting into a vehicle outside a bar or something and you suspect that they have been drinking, please try and tell them to stop, or please give us a call and call 911. And that way we can try and intercept them before any incidents happen,” said Dickinson.
For Franklin, the loss opened a new meaning in her life and became a part of MADD to speak at school and advocate for safe driving.
“I get extremely involved, and I do it for her. I don’t honestly know that I ever told her how much I loved her. I don’t know if I ever told her how proud I was of her, so I’d do it for her,” said Franklin.
The memorial included a candlelighting, as well as unveiling a monument at Parkland RCMP, consisting of the names of 74 people who have been killed by impaired drivers.
