New MADD Canada award honours slain RCMP officer

A new award in honour of Const. Heidi Stevenson, the RCMP officer killed in the Portapique mass shooting, will recognize police officers who make extraordinary efforts to reduce the number of impaired drivers on Nova Scotia roads.

In a recent news release, MADD Canada said the annual award will be presented to members of Nova Scotia police services who remove impaired drivers from Nova Scotia’s roads, with the first recipients to be announced in May 2023.

“We are very appreciative to have the support of Const. Heidi Stevenson’s family and the RCMP to help us recognize, in Heidi’s name, the incredible efforts of officers who work so hard to protect Nova Scotians,” said MADD Canada national president Jaymie-lyne Hancock.

MADD Canada said Stevenson had a passion for making Nova Scotia’s roadways safer and worked as a drug recognition expert. Stevenson was killed while on duty during the mass shooting in April 2020, which left 22 people dead.

The award is a collaborative effort among MADD Canada, the Nova Scotia Chiefs of Police Association, the provincial Department of Justice and the Nova Scotia RCMP.