Dozens of family members, first responders and government officials gathered in Charlottetown on Saturday for the unveiling of a long-awaited monument that honours Islanders who died as a result of impaired driving.
Three sculptures reflect island grief and resilience
Installed at the Joseph A. Ghiz Memorial Park, the monument consists of three statues that together depict Prince Edward Island’s geographical landscape, presented as deliberately fractured pieces. Each piece bears the names of Islanders killed by impaired driving, a visual expression organisers say conveys the cleaving effect these crashes have on families and communities.
The project was created by Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada (MADD Canada) and took about 10 years from conception to unveiling. Tanya Hansen Pratt, national president of MADD Canada, said the deliberate break in the design is meant to symbolise both the devastation of a crash and the way survivors come together.
“It is cut on one side to represent the devastation that happens after an impaired driving crash, but then comes back together on the other side as victims gather together… to help them rebuild their lives after the crash,”
She added the monument shows how lives are “cleaved into a before and after,” and that the piece offers a physical place to mark that division while also signalling communal support.
Community response and local context
Those attending included relatives of victims, friends, first responders and public officials. The gathering was quiet and reflective; the monument provided a focal point for private grief expressed in a public setting. Organisers said the site is intended to be a safe place where people who have lost loved ones can feel supported.
One family represented victims of a 2023 crash in Marshfield where a drunk driver struck several people; the coverage notes that Micah Stewart was among five people hit in that incident. Details about individual victims listed on the monument were not released in the public briefing beyond the names inscribed on the sculptures.
- Location: Joseph A. Ghiz Memorial Park, Charlottetown
- Creators: Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada (MADD Canada)
- Project timeline: approximately 10 years from conception to unveiling
Design and purpose
The monument’s fractured landscape is intentionally symbolic rather than purely decorative. Organisers explained the design aims to:
- Reflect the sudden and lasting rupture impaired-driving deaths cause in families’ lives
- Provide a public, dedicated place for remembrance
- Encourage community acknowledgement and support for victims and survivors
Officials present said the piece will stand as both remembrance and a prompt for ongoing conversation about road safety and impaired driving prevention, although no new policy measures were announced at the unveiling.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of sculptures | Three |
| Location | Joseph A. Ghiz Memorial Park, Charlottetown |
| Creator | MADD Canada |
| Project length | About 10 years |
For many Islanders who attended, the marker will be a tangible place to visit on anniversaries and to gather with others who understand the unique pain that follows the sudden loss of a family member or friend to an impaired driving crash.
The unveiling in Charlottetown follows years of advocacy and community organising by families affected by impaired-driving deaths. While the monument does not in itself change laws or enforcement, organisers and attendees said it plays a role in keeping victims’ names and stories present in the public sphere — a civic act that can reinforce efforts to prevent future tragedies.
As the monument settles into its place in the city, its creators and families hope it will offer comfort and remind Islanders of the consequences of impaired driving, encouraging sober choices and community vigilance.
