MADD Canada’s first-ever Alberta roadside memorial pays tribute to Calgary man

Madd Canada unveiled Alberta’s first roadside memorial on Friday and it honours the memory of 55-year-old Alfred “Fred” Benary.

Benary was killed by a drunk driver in October 2015.

RCMP at the time said his car collided with a pickup truck on Alberta’s Highway 22, just north of Highway 1.

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On Friday, MADD Canada, along with Benary’s family, Minister of Transportation Ric McIver, paramedics and other officials revealed the sign, posted just off Highway 22.

Benary’s wife, Adele Dirks, said she hopes drivers get the message that it’s not OK to drink and drive.

“It’s been difficult. It never goes away. For the first few months, I thought it was a bad dream and I was going to wake up and he’d be there, but he’s not,” she said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's been difficult. It never goes away. For the first few months, I thought it was a bad dream and I was going to wake up and he'd be there, but he's not," she said.

The sign features Benary’s full name, along with MADD Canada’s iconic red ribbon.

The sign also serves as a permanent reminder to the public about the dangers of impaired driving.

“I hope when people see the sign, if they’re impaired, they get off the road. If they’re not, it will be a reminder and an enforcement to make good decisions,” McIver said.

Emergency responders said the devastation caused by impaired driving is something they see often and it affects more than just family and friends.

“As first responders, it happens far too often that we respond to collisions involving impaired drivers, whether that’s drugs or alcohol,” EMS public information officer Shane Paton said.

“It does play a factor in our mental well-being, family’s well-being, everyone. The sad part is it’s truly preventable incidents.”