SASKATOON — Bonny Stevenson knows the devastation impaired driving leaves behind. More than a decade ago, her 17-year-old son, Quinn, was killed by an impaired driver.
Stevenson, who was joined by her husband Craig, spoke during Justice Minister Tim McLeod’s announcement of the provincial government introducing stiffer penalties and higher fines for impaired drivers on Monday afternoon, June 29, at the Saskatoon Police Service’s downtown office.
SGI Corporate Strategy and Stakeholder Experience executive vice-president Jennifer Leflar, Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police vice-president and Chief Lorilee Davies, SPS deputy chief Derrick Pringle, and MADD Canada CEO Steve Sullivan were also in attendance.
Stevenson said impaired driving is more than a public safety issue or a set of statistics; it is a lifelong reality for families and friends of victims, and stronger measures are needed to keep impaired drivers off the road.
"I am speaking today not only as president of MADD Saskatoon, but as a mom whose life was forever changed by impaired driving. I never imagined I would be impacted by impaired driving," said Stevenson, who was thankful for having tougher administrative penalties for impaired drivers.
She said these changes can save lives before tragedy strikes, acknowledging that other families of victims who have volunteered with MADD and served on SGI's advisory committee continue to transform personal grief into advocacy for safer roads.
Stevenson said their lives changed when Quinn was killed, his young life full of promise cut short as he was preparing to begin the next chapter of his life. Instead of celebrating his future and creating new family memories, her family was forced to confront an unimaginable loss.
"In an instant, our family was forced to face a loss that no parent should ever have to endure. The grief, the heartache, the empty chair at family gatherings becoming part of what is the ‘new normal’ that no family ever expects to experience,” said Stevenson.
She added that pain extends beyond the day of the crash, as family gatherings and milestones serve as a reminder of the loved one who should still be there, a lasting emotional wound shared by hundreds of families in the province whose lives were changed due to one person’s bad decision to drive impaired.
That is why she believes stronger enforcement measures are needed for impaired drivers to be stopped before causing a collision, representing a family spared from devastating loss, not getting the devastating knock on the door from police officers, and another loved one making it home safely.
"My son should have been here today. We cannot change the choices that took his life, but we can take action to prevent other families from experiencing that same devastating pain," said Stevenson, who added that they not only think of Quinn but all the victims and survivors of impaired drivers.
McLeod, who is also the attorney general, said the province is proposing new administrative penalties for drivers caught with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher, giving police an alternative to laying immediate criminal charges.
First-time offenders face a $1,000 fine, 30-day licence suspension and 30-day vehicle impoundment. Repeat offenders would face a $2,000 fine, longer suspensions and additional SGI sanctions. Criminal charges apply if there is a fatality, injuries, property damage, child passengers or drivers who refuse a breath sample.
McLeod emphasized that the primary goal is public safety: removing impaired drivers from the road quickly while reducing pressure on Saskatchewan’s courts. Police would still have discretion to lay criminal charges when appropriate.
