The provincial government held its annual Ceremony of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims at Confederation Building earlier today.

The raw emotion on display was evident from the moment the event began, with Minister Sarah Stoodley choking back tears through her opening remarks.

The voices of family members of those who have been lost cracked, as they too struggled to keep their composure through their speeches.

Gail Thorne who lost her daughter Hannah, Patricia Hynes-Coates who lost her stepson Nick, Sarah Pittman who lost her husband Shannon, and MHAs Paul and Jim Dinn who lost their brother Mike all delivered heart-wrenching speeches with a common theme: distracted driving, drunk driving, and stunting can be fatal.

They ask that people remember their loved ones’ stories the next time they’re behind the wheel so that similar tragedies can be prevented.

Interwoven with the speeches were powerful musical performances and a moment of silence.

Then, various organizations and family members, many of whom had tears streaming down their faces, laid wreaths and flowers on and around a table adorned with pictures of those who have been lost, both in their memories and in hope that other tragedies can be prevented.