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Operation Red Nose returns to combat drinking and driving

If Operation Red Nose is successful, police might find themselves with time on their hands over the holiday season. A year ago the program gave 282 rides to 680 people over 12 nights, getting them safely home after a night of festive celebrating. St.
If Operation Red Nose is successful, police might find themselves with time on their hands over the holiday season.

A year ago the program gave 282 rides to 680 people over 12 nights, getting them safely home after a night of festive celebrating. St. John Ambulance officials want to see those numbers grow in the program’s sophomore year.

Incoming Coun.-elect Ken Boshcoff, the campaign’s honourary chairman, called last year’s results an astounding success story, but one that can be built on.

“Driving under the influence is yesterday’s news,” Boshcoff said. “We want to stop it. We want to change the pattern completely.”

For Lesley Read, whose pregnant daughter Debbie Dawe was killed by a drunk driver two days before Christmas 2001, and whose mother was bedridden for a year in the 1930s for similar reasons, Operation Red Nose is another step forward.

“Each step we take is going to get drunk drivers off the road,” she said. “But understand, it’s not just alcohol. Drugs are becoming a problem as well.”

Ultimately it’s up to the driver to make the choice not to get behind the wheel, she added.

“Only you can stop impaired driving. Only you can make our roads safe at Christmas so we’re all here to celebrate again in 2011.”

The program relies on volunteers – they had 102 in all last year – to form teams of three, who pick up revelers leaving Christmas parties and other social affairs over select days during the holiday season. Two people ride with the driver and their passengers, while another follows close behind in a pursuit vehicle, ready to whisk all three volunteers away to the next destination once their fares are safely deposited at home.

While the ride is free, donations are accepted, the money used to cover equipment and programs put on by St. John Ambulance.

The program began 26 years ago in Laval, Que., and has since spread to more than 100 communities across Canada.

Thunder Bay Police deputy chief J.P. Levesque on Friday said while he doesn’t have numbers to prove Operation Red Nose decreased the number of impaired drunk drivers on the road, he said it doesn’t take a leap of faith to understand it likely did.

Using money provided by the provincial government, local police services intend to take an added stand against drinking and driving this year, for the first time dedicating an officer to solely overseeing the RIDE program.

Combined with Operation Red Nose, Levesque said drivers and pedestrians should have an extra level of comfort this Christmas.

“We’ll be stepping up our RIDE program and enforcement during this holiday season,” he said.

The 2010 version of Operation Red Nose will be extended an extra two days, which means even more rides and more volunteers are needed. Jim Green, fund development chairman on St. John Ambulance’s board of directors, said they can take as many volunteers as they can find.

“We hop volunteers will come forward and make this an even better program,” Green said.
To volunteer, contact St. John Ambulance.

Operation Red Nose will be held on Nov. 25 to 27, Dec. 2 to 4, 9 to 11, 16 to 18 and Boxing Day.

 


Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories too. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time. Twitter: @LeithDunick
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