Mounties, experts urge Manitobans to be safe this Canada Day weekend

If you’re taking Monday off to give yourself a Canada Day long weekend, you’re not alone.

Mounties are expecting it to be a busy weekend on the roads as people enjoy the expected sunny weather. Sgt. Paul Manaigre says officers will be watching highways all over the province, but especially in the weekend hotspots.

“Your busy highways, like 51, Highway 1, 75,” says Manaigre. “It’s cottage country, wherever there’s lakes and people are going camping, going to their cottage.”

Long weekends come with an increase in impaired driving, according to MADD Canada. The organization’s CEO, Steve Sullivan, is asking vacationers to be extra careful and make a plan to get home in advance, if partaking in alcoholic beverages, to avoid a tragedy.

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“For most of the people we work with, it just feels so meaningless that someone made a decision, where they could have easily made a different decision,” says Sullivan. “So much would have been changed if somebody had just done the right thing.”

And it’s not just on the roads.

Eric Labaupa, ambassador for the Lifesaving Society of Manitoba, says boating under the influence can be just as dangerous as driving.

“Boating impaired causes a lot of mishaps on the water. So, I would suggest that if you were the operator, to not indulge,” says Labaupa. “Maybe when you get back to the dock or get home or to the cabin, then party away.”

Data from the Lifesaving Society also shows 20 per cent of drowning deaths occur in July. Incidents also tend to spike on long weekends. It’s better to be safe than sorry, Labaupa warns.

“So many accidents happen where a life jacket is in reach. It could be in the boat, but it’s no good to you if you aren’t wearing it.”

He also recommends having a first-aid kit, flares and a phone and charger to call for help in an emergency.