Family of woman killed by drunk driver calls proposed stiffer penalties 'inconsequential'

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 27, 2025 2:12 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Manitoba's authorities is pushing done authorities it says volition fortify penalties and deter drivers from driving portion impaired, but a household who mislaid a loved 1 to a drunk operator calls the projected amendments "inconsequential."

The bill, introduced successful December and discussed astatine a committee gathering connected Tuesday, would enforce a beingness licence suspension connected a operator convicted of driving impaired and causing the decease oregon bodily harm for a 2nd clip wrong a decade.  

Currently, determination is simply a 10-year licence suspension for a 2nd offence.

The projected amendments to the Highway Traffic Act would besides prohibit convicted offenders from driving with immoderate intoxicant successful their humor for 7 years aft a archetypal offence. A 2nd condemnation would transportation a beingness prohibition.

Matt Wiebe, Manitoba's lawyer wide and justness minister, says that portion nary portion of authorities volition lick the contented of impaired driving, the amendment should service arsenic a deterrent.

"This brings america to the forefront of impaired driving legislation," Wiebe said. 

However, the household of a pistillate killed by a drunk operator successful 2022, argues a convicted drunk operator who caused the decease oregon wounded of idiosyncratic should beryllium taxable to an contiguous beingness driving ban.  

"I deliberation that is ludicrous … wherefore are we giving radical a 2nd footwear astatine the tin to termination somebody," Karen Reimer said. 

Her daughter, Jordyn Reimer, was killed successful the aboriginal hours of May 1, 2022, successful a two-vehicle collision astatine the intersection of Bond Street and Kildare Avenue aft impaired operator Tyler Scott Goodman ran 2 halt signs earlier crashing into her.

She says authorities shouldn't beryllium brushed connected penalties for impaired driving because it is simply a substance of redeeming lives. 

"We don't privation to marque authorities that's inconsequential. It has to beryllium meaningful and that's what we're advocating for," Reimer said. 

At Tuesday's committee meeting, Reimer's household brought guardant different proposals for changes to the legislation, including a licence suspension of five years alternatively of 1 aft condemnation connected an impaired driving offence that didn't origin bodily harm, and stripping a licence permanently aft a 2nd offence. 

"We're going to nonstop a stronger message. We're going to person much deterrence. People are going to deliberation much astir driving drunk again," she said. 

Province 'not listening to amendments'

Wayne Balcaen, justness professional for the Progressive Conservatives, says the authorities should person been stronger, adding that helium stands by Reimer's connection portion besides including perchance having authorities that carried a beingness suspension for those driving nether the power with children. 

"It is simply a privilege to drive, it's not a close to drive," Balcaen said.

"There's benignant of a 10-step programme successful the fig of suspensions that you tin person and licence revocation … it surely allows radical clip and clip and clip again to perpetrate an offence." 

However, Reimer and Balcaen's proposals were rejected by the government. 

WATCH | Manitoba household wants beingness prohibition for drivers convicted of causing decease portion impaired:

"We truly felt that aft providing our input, we're not heard," Reimer said. "It truly became blatantly evident that the NDP has already decided this is the measure … they're not listening to amendments." 

Wiebe says the projected changes person been brought into the authorities truthful it tin clasp up successful the tribunal system, wherever determination are concerns it tin beryllium challenged. 

"A beingness suspension aft a archetypal offence could beryllium seen arsenic a disproportionate effect to the pursuit of having safer roads, which again is the absorption of this bill," Wiebe said. 

"We don't privation to halt this from coming into effect due to the fact that we cognize this volition marque a difference."