Project tackles drunk driving

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A $50,000 pilot project is under way in Hobbema to help the community curb its drunk-driving statistics, say the solicitor general's special advisor on Native issues.

Sylvia Novik says government statistics indicate Hobbema has the rights rate of problem drivers in Alberta with 25.7 per 1,000 population. Red Deer is a distant second with 1.2 per 1,000 population.

Edmonton has a rate of .64, Calgary came in at .62 and Medicine Hat has the lowest rate at .4 problem drivers per 1,000 population.

The province gave the $50,000 to Nayo-Skan, an arm of Hobbema Indian Health Services, to set up an impaired driving prevention program, says Novik.

The department defines problem drivers as those with three or more impaired driving convictions and one or more driving while suspended convictions within the past five years.

The Hobbema pilot project - Awareness, Values, Attitudes and Choices (AVAC) - should have been set up a long time ago, says the director of Nayo-Skan Human Resources.

"It's finally been left to the community to resolve. AVAC will be done the Indian way with an emphasis on youth because children today nee yesterday's wisdom for the choices of tomorrow," says Wilson Okeymaw.

AVAC, which begins immediately and will run until the end of March, will be delivered in day cares, schools, homes, band offices, and community agencies, says Okeymaw.

"It will be delivered through modeling by our elders, stories, traditional art, games, seat lodges and pipe ceremonies."

By the end of March, says Okeymaw, AVAC will "bring about an awareness of how important it is to know our traditional Cree culture and to understand that Indians and alcohol don't mix and it's not right to drink and drive."

Okeymaw is convinced AVAC will be successful in changing attitudes.

The Samson Band, one of the four bands, is confident AVAC will reduce Hobbema's impaired driving rate, says councilor Larron Northwest.

Louis Bull, Montana and Ermineskin bands are also participating in the program.

Novik says the pilot project may have its funding renewed at the end of March if it is successful in reducing the percentage of problem drivers in Hobbema.