Newfoundland and Labrador Police Officers Presented with MADD Canada's Team Nick Coates Awards for Outstanding Road Safety Efforts

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ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland and Labrador, June 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Police officers across Newfoundland and Labrador will be recognized at MADD Canada's seventh annual Team Nick Coates Awards ceremony for their outstanding efforts to remove impaired drivers from the province's roadways, waterways, and trails.

This year, 17 police officers will be awarded: 10 from the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and seven officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. A Top Performer Award will be presented to the officer from each police service who took the most impaired drivers off the road. Officers will also receive special commemorative challenge coins.

"MADD Canada is grateful to Newfoundland and Labrador police officers for their dedication to preventing impaired driving,” said Tanya Hansen Pratt, National President of MADD Canada. "These officers are not only enforcing the law - they're protecting communities and saving lives. We thank them for their courage, vigilance, and commitment to safer roads.”

Established in 2019, the award is named in honour of Nick Coates and pays tribute to him and to all victims of impaired driving. Nick was killed by an impaired driver in St. John's in August 2013. He was riding his motorcycle back from a work meeting when he was hit by a pickup truck. Nick died in hospital later that day. He was just 27 years old. Since his death, Nick's family has worked tirelessly to raise awareness and prevent impaired driving. Nick's stepmother, Patricia Hynes-Coates, is a former National President of MADD Canada.

"The tragic impacts of impaired driving are entirely preventable. Driving impaired is a choice that poses an unnecessary and unacceptable risk to the driver and to all others who share the roadway,” said Assistant Commissioner Pat Cahill, Commanding Officer of RCMP NL. "On behalf of RCMP Newfoundland and Labrador, I want to thank MADD Canada and the Coates family for recognizing the work of these RCMP and RNC officers and their tireless commitment to save lives and end impaired driving in our province.”

MADD Canada thanks Patricia Hynes-Coates, Terry Coates, the RNC and the RCMP for their ongoing support of the Awards program and this annual presentation ceremony.

2024 Team Nick Coates Award Recipients

RCMP

Silver

Cst. Gina King

Cst. Bradley Layman

Cst. Mackenzie McCoy

Cst. Jarret Thorne

Gold

Cst. Stephen Miller

Cst. Caleb Pellerin

Cst. Janet Reddy

RNC

Silver

Cst. Evan Bennett

Cst. Deirdre Halliday

Cst. Shane McClafferty

Cst. Michael Shea

Cst. Michael Carter

Gold

Cst. Michael Burton

Cst. Neil Gibbons

Cst. Geoff Heffernan

Cst. Kyle Morrissey

Cst. Aaron White

About MADD Canada

MADD Canada (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is a national, charitable organization that is committed to stopping impaired driving and supporting the victims of this violent crime. With volunteer-driven groups in close to 100 communities across Canada, MADD Canada aims to offer support services to victims, heighten awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and save lives and prevent injuries on our roads. For more information, visit www.madd.ca.

For more information, contact:

Arielle Nkongmeneck, MADD Canada Communications Manager, 1-800-665-6233 ext. 240 or [email protected]

Cst. James Cadigan, #775, Media Relations and Public Communications Officer, Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, [email protected], 709-729-8658

Cpl. Jolene Garland, Media Relations Officer, RCMP NL, [email protected],

709-772-6170