Billboards around P.A. bring awareness to drinking and driving

In addition to the signs, SGI partnered with the initiative and brought out wrecked vehicles to accompany the messages.

The second part of the initiative was a teens-and-alcohol themed poster campaign, she said. The posters have been completed and the winners will be announced over the next week or two.

“I’ve had a look at all the posters actually and they’re great. Lots of creativity and lots of thought obviously went into them and so we’re pleased to have some winners that have been chosen,” Clarke said.

“We’re really pleased that a lot of youth took the time to focus on that.”

The three students who created the best posters will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship to be used for any positive activity the youth choose. In addition, those posters will be reprinted and distributed to schools and community members who request them.

“I think our students are really aware and really intelligent about some of the issues that we struggle with at times; drinking and driving and the pain that it can create for a lot of families, we’ve experienced that here in Prince Albert and surrounding area,” she said.

This is the first time this initiative has taken place and Clarke said it’s a community event, with Home Hardware, SGI, the City and PAPS all getting involved.

“Hopefully next year we’ll be able to do it again on a broader scale.”

Locations of billboards

Just North of Shellbrook overpass hwy #2 North

Just south of Tourist Information Centre Hwy 2 South

15th St East just east of Sask. Polytechnic, south side of road

Southwest corner 28th St at 2nd Ave West

Prince Albert MP Randy Hoback’s Private Members’ Bill that would amend parts of the Criminal Code of Canada that deal with blood alcohol content, Bill C-590, is heading to a committee to work out some amendments.

If the bill passes, drivers who have a blood alcohol content exceeding the legal limit could face prison time of up to 10 years.

Hoback said a few amendments will be made by both the opposition and the government. He hopes it’ll be onto the Senate before Parliament breaks for the summer.

“We’re running on a very tight timeline, but I think it’s doable and sounds like there’s co-operation from all parties to see something move forward. It’s just to get the amendments appropriate so that we get the best piece of legislation we can,” he said Monday.

He said a lot of people have been telling him there has to be more done to reduce drinking and driving.

“Reality is, you know, legislation puts more focus on it, so it highlights the problem and then to try to get the appropriate solution that enacts both the appropriate sentencing and the appropriate fines and trying to get these people off the roads so they don’t kill somebody is important,” he said.

Now it’s up to the committee to get the amendments through.

Some of the items in the bill that the opposition is taking issue with include minimum sentencing, according to Hoback.

“But the other concern that was brought up by the Liberal member, which I think was a valid concern; I think the committee needs to address it, is the person (driver) just refusing just saying ‘I’m not going to take the breathalyzer’ and using that as a loophole to avoid the minimum sentencing,” he said.

However, according to Hoback, the committee has some answers to close that loophole.

“That’s when the committee can do its work. You know, I give them a piece of legislation that had a good skeleton to it and now they can put meat on the bones and get into the best legislation we can to deal with the issue.”

sstone@panow.com

On Twitter: @sarahstone84

by Sarah Stone

Billboards around P.A. bring awareness to drinking and driving

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