June 18 will mark the somber one-year anniversary of the horrific crash in Brampton that killed Karolina Ciasullo and her three innocent children. To honour the family and put an end to such deadly crashes caused by impaired drivers, 22-year old Brampton activist Cody Vatcher, spearheaded a campaign (nomoreweedshops.com) to put a freeze on pot shops opening in Brampton.
According to Vatcher, after reading a police report that revealed an 86% increase in impaired driving charges in Peel, he decided to take action. “I realized very quickly that the next victim could be me, or my fiancé, or my mom and her foster children”, he said. “It could be you”, he added.
Vatcher printed about 500 signs (see below) calling residents to join the campaign, display the signs and sign the petition to stop the opening of cannabis shops in Brampton.
With pot shops popping up around the GTA, according to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), at least 40 cannabis retail stores are in progress, pending licences and authorized to open in Brampton.
In 2018, the Provincial Government enacted the Cannabis Licence Act, which requires all persons obtain a licence from the AGCO to operate “brick and mortar” retail cannabis stores in Ontario.
Vatcher, along with hundreds of supporters who joined the campaign, fear that as more places open that sell weed, the potential for people smoking and driving while impaired is likely to rise. This could inevitably lead to more tragic events like the one that haunts the Ciasullo family.
Nearly one year ago, the Ciasullo family was torn apart following a crash that killed four members of the same family. On June 24, the 20-year old man accused of causing the crash was charged with four counts to dangerous operation causing death and four counts of impaired operation of a motor vehicle causing death by drugs.
The trial is set to begin on July 12, 2021.
Photo Credits: Cody Vatcher
