Province of Manitoba | Manitoba Justice | Stop Impaired Driving

Introduction
Results of Workshop Discussions and Public Consultation

I) Introduction

On December 12, 2000, the Government of Manitoba held a one-day workshop ("the Workshop") in Winnipeg on impaired driving issues for key stakeholders in the impaired driving and transportation fields. Eighty-three (83) participants attended the Workshop. The participants included representatives from: the RCMP, Winnipeg Police Service, Brandon Police Service, East St. Paul Police, Military Police, MADD Winnipeg, MADD Brandon, the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation, the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission, the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, Manitoba Education and Training, St. Norbert Foundation, the Native Addictions Council of Manitoba, IMPACT, Manitoba Hotel Association, Snoman Inc., Manitoba Brain Injury Association, Manitoba Safety Council, Heartland Transport Ltd., Aboriginal Head Start, First Nation & Inuit Health Branch, Manitoba Conservation, Manitoba Wine and Spirits Association, PARTY, CAA Manitoba, Manitoba Restaurant Association, Hospitality Corporation of Manitoba Inc., Manitoba Association of School Trustees and Maple Leaf Distillers.

The purpose of the Workshop was to discuss impaired driving issues in the areas of education and prevention, sanctions and countermeasures, law enforcement, and alcohol and other drug intervention programs. Workshop participants were divided into three discussion groups to discuss those issues. The discussion group sessions were lead by trained facilitators and the results of the discussions were recorded on flipcharts. Representatives from Manitoba Justice and Manitoba Transportation and Government Services also attended the discussion group sessions to observe and assist the facilitators.

The Workshop was followed by a general public consultation from December 12, 2000 to January 13, 2001. That consultation was conducted via a questionnaire posted on the Manitoba Justice website (persons who did not have Internet access could obtain a copy of the questionnaire by contacting Manitoba Justice). The questionnaire contained the same questions and addressed the same impaired driving issues that were posed to the Workshop participants. Twenty-eight (28) people provided responses to the questionnaire.

This report outlines the results of the discussions at the December 12, 2000 Workshop and the results of the subsequent public consultation. It is not a position paper of the Government of Manitoba and the viewpoints expressed herein should not be construed as being the position of the government.

The following pages contain an issue-by-issue analysis of the comments and suggestions of the Workshop discussion groups and the public consultation respondents. Some questions sought reaction to specific proposals and, in those cases, the views of the consensus are set out. Other questions called for "brainstorming" and the resulting ideas are listed. Any ideas that require changes to the federal Criminal Code are beyond the authority of provinces and cannot be made by the Government of Manitoba. Some ideas will require further consultations with government and non-government agencies to determine if they can or should be made. The Government of Manitoba thanks the participants for their input and will consider their ideas in its policy development process.