I have no sympathy for drunk drivers. There are no excuses too many lives have been ruined by these idiots.
Now the Quebec government is getting in line with the rest of the country.
Under the plan, the legal blood alcohol limit for driving would be reduced.
It would go from 0.08 to 0.05.
Anything over 0.08 would remain a criminal offence. Anything under, an infraction of the Highway Code. Your licence would be suspended and car seized for 24 hours.
There will be a chorus of disapproval for this measure. The bar and restaurant owners will not be happy. Nor will the serious drinkers.
But if that's what it takes to keep our roads safer, then it's a good thing.
Did you know that in one fifth of all fatal accidents involving alcohol, the driver was between 0.05 and 0.08?
It doesn't mean you can't have a drink and then drive home. You will just have to drink a little less or find a taxi or designated driver.
As a general rule, to stay under 0.05, men can still have two drinks in the first hour and one per subsequent hour. Women about one per hour.
So the party isn't over. It's a small price to pay.
Because that call you get in the middle of night could be about someone you love.
Puppy-mill problem
Well at least it's a paw in the right direction.
Quebec is going to hire more animal welfare inspectors in an effort to crack down on those hideous puppy mills.
You see Quebec is the puppy mill capital of Canada if not North America. There are truly terrible places where dogs are treated with neglect and abuse.
Liberal MNA Geoff Kelley did some good work here. And says the powers of the inspectors will be increased. That's good news. He also says we need a registry of all breeders. That too would be a good step.
But we need to go further. Fines must increase and jail time must be an option.
In Quebec a puppy mill operator may be fined only a couple of thousand dollars and he's back in business the next week.
But you can do your part too. If you want a dog, check out the rescue and adoption agencies or a reputable breeder. Ask questions. Demand answers. Find out where the animal came from.
We are on the right track here but much more needs to be done.
15 new inspectors is a good start but did you know
That the OLF has about 50 people looking into language complaints.
So what's wrong with this picture? You see if you could talk to the animals. They wouldn't care what language you speak.
All they want is love and kindness. And someone to listen to them.