A Name in Granite: The Unspoken Cost of Impaired Driving in New Brunswick

MONCTON, NB – June 03, 2026 – This Saturday, under the quiet watch of granite and trees at Fairhaven Memorial Gardens, a small gathering will mark a moment of profound sorrow and solemn remembrance. A 60th name will be officially added to the MADD Canada New Brunswick Memorial Monument. The name is Robert Goguen. He was 19 years old.

This ceremony of Hope and Dedication is more than a ritual. It is a public ledger of loss, a stark reminder that behind every statistic of impaired driving is a shattered family and a stolen future. For the friends and relatives of the 60 individuals whose names are carved into this stone, the monument is a pilgrimage site—a place where private grief finds public witness. It’s a testament to the enduring mission of organizations like MADD Canada, which work to build a bridge between memory and prevention, ensuring that these tragedies are neither forgotten nor repeated.

A Life Remembered, A Future Lost

Robert Michael Philippe Goguen was not a statistic on May 21, 2022. He was a young man from Adamsville with a love for life, his family, and Peterbilt trucks. A recent high school graduate, he had his sights set on becoming a heavy equipment operator. He loved fishing, four-wheeling, and the simple pleasure of a long drive. The next day, he was gone.

Robert was a passenger in a single-vehicle crash. The driver, who was later found to have alcohol and THC levels above the legal limit, was sentenced to three years in prison. For Robert’s family, the legal proceedings offered a measure of accountability but no true closure. In a victim impact statement read in court, his mother described the loss of her firstborn son as “a mother’s worst nightmare,” a wound that time cannot heal. She spoke of the unending trauma, the flashbacks, and the hollow reality of a future where she would “never get a chance to see our son grow up, live on his own, or have a family.”

This is the human cost that statistics fail to capture. It is the silent, ongoing devastation that ripples through families and communities long after the headlines fade. The addition of Robert’s name to the monument serves as a permanent acknowledgment of his life and the violent, preventable nature of his death.

The Sobering Reality of New Brunswick's Roads

Robert’s story is a tragic part of a larger, troubling pattern in New Brunswick. In 2023, the province recorded an impaired driving rate of 251 incidents per 100,000 residents, significantly higher than the national rate of 179. While Canada has seen a general downward trend in police-reported incidents, the danger remains acute, particularly in rural areas where the rate of impaired driving is nearly three times that of urban centers.

The New Brunswick RCMP’s 2024 annual report painted a grim picture: of 96 vehicle collision-related fatalities, 24 involved alcohol or drug impairment. Across the country, the nature of impairment is also shifting. While alcohol remains a primary factor, police-reported drug-impaired driving incidents have risen sharply since 2019, complicated by the legalization of cannabis and the challenge of roadside detection.

These numbers represent a complex public safety crisis, one that demands a multi-faceted response. They underscore the importance of both consistent law enforcement and a cultural shift toward collective responsibility.

A National Network of Remembrance and Support

The Moncton monument is one of nine such memorials MADD Canada has established across the country since 2009, with plans underway for Prince Edward Island and British Columbia. These sites are a core part of the organization's dual mandate: to support victims and to stop impaired driving.

For families navigating the aftermath of a crash, the organization provides a lifeline. Victim Services Managers like Meg Wetmore, who will be present at Saturday’s ceremony, offer free, confidential support. This includes everything from helping families write victim impact statements and navigate the bewildering criminal justice system to simply providing a compassionate ear. The monuments themselves are a form of that support, a physical space validating a family’s loss and honoring the memory of their loved one.

“Memorial ceremonies like this are important because they ensure victims are never forgotten and families know they are not alone,” said Tanya Hansen Pratt, National President of MADD Canada. “While we honour those who were killed, we also renew our call for every driver to make responsible choices and help prevent more tragedies on our roads, waterways and trails.”

From Grief to Action: Policy, Policing, and Prevention

Remembrance is powerful, but it is most potent when it fuels action. The presence of Sgt. Bruno Labbé of the Codiac Regional RCMP at the ceremony is symbolic of the critical partnership between advocacy groups and law enforcement. The RCMP’s ongoing enforcement, including over 1,000 checkstops in 2024, is the front line in the battle against impaired driving.

That battle is also being fought in the legislature. In May 2024, the New Brunswick government introduced new legislation to strengthen penalties and implement an immediate roadside suspension program. The move, praised by MADD Canada, is designed to be a more efficient deterrent, empowering officers to remove impaired drivers from the road quickly, which is especially crucial in smaller and rural detachments.

This combination of policy, enforcement, and public awareness forms the foundation of modern prevention efforts. Campaigns like MADD’s Campaign 911, which encourages the public to report suspected impaired drivers, transform bystanders into active participants in public safety. It is a recognition that the responsibility for safe roads extends beyond the driver’s seat and into the community at large. On Saturday, as Robert Goguen’s name is formally revealed in granite, it will stand not only as a tribute to a life cut short but as a silent, urgent call to action for all who share the road.