Working with SGI Speaker Program ‘a dream come true’ says Demerais
Uko Akpanuko
Daily Herald
SGI is setting up a speaker program to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking, distracted, or reckless driving, and a Prince Albert business owner and public speaker is playing a big role in it.
On Wednesday, SGI announced the new program that they say will create a streamlined, accessible way for groups to engage with traffic safety advocates, one of which is Prince Albert business owner Cody Demerais.
“It’s not every day you get a massive organization like SGI that has as much contributions to communities, and wants to work alongside an individual like myself,” Demerais said during an interview with the Daily Herald.
“Each and every day that I get to do what I love to do is another gift on this planet…. Each and every one of them that I have connected with so far (there’s) nothing but great relationship building already. They have a great culture. To work with them is truly a dream come true.”
The new Speaker Program will provide $1,000 for speaker fees and travel costs within Saskatchewan for organizations that host speakers who promote safe driving habits through personal stories.
Demerais’ story is a difficult one. When he was 18, he drove while impaired. The result was a crash that severely injured both himself, and his best friend who was in the vehicle with him.
Afterwards, Demerais spent time in jail and grappled with his substance abuse and mental health struggles. In his presentations, he talks about his life as a reckless teenager, and how the consequences had a negative impact on his life, and the lives of others.
“It was hard to live with those mistakes that I made,” Demerais said. “Since I have been able to, thankfully, take my life back, I have really just want to make it a mission to try to teach others by the hard lessons I have learned and experienced myself so that others don’t have to walk the same path or the same journey to get where they need to be.”
Demerais was in Regina on Wednesday for the official program launch. Since he became sober, Demerais spoken at meetings with hundreds of people, do gatherings in the single digits.
He said every presentation is different, since schools, businesses, or non-profits might be looking to address specific areas. That means each presentation looks different.
“With all the stories that I’ve experienced in my life, I’m happy to say that when a different group or a different organization or a school is really looking to key on something, that I’m able to bring that to surface once again,” he explained. “That’s what I love to do, so each presentation isn’t cookie cutter the same.”
Demerais is one of two speakers who participated in the announcement on Wednesday. The other is Sandra LaRose, whose 16-year-old daughter Kailynn was killed in a distracted driving collision with a train.
Now, LaRose speaks to raise awareness about distracted driving and traffic safety in hopes of preventing others from losing a loved one.
“Real-life stories are what people remember,” LaRose said in a press release. “The SGI Speakers Program allows speakers like myself to share these stories. My world was turned upside down in 2018 with the death of Kailynn, but sharing her story with the people of Saskatchewan, and hopefully saving lives, is the best way I know to honour an amazing young lady.”
In the press release, SGI said the new program will help bring inspirational, educational and empowering speakers to Saskatchewan schools and organizations.
This program is available to schools, charities, workplaces, non-profit groups, community organizations and other public entities that are secular and not politically affiliated.
“A deeply personal story of someone directly impacted by a mistake or bad choice behind the wheel resonates with people in a way that facts and statistics alone cannot. We believe connecting people with powerful stories can inspire life-saving changes in behaviour,”Brad Crassweller White City – Qu’Appelle MLA Brad Crassweller said in the press release. “By bringing these stories to communities across Saskatchewan, we’re not just sharing knowledge — we’re fostering a sense of shared responsibility and commitment to each other’s well-being.”
Speakers can apply to join the program by reaching out to speakersprogram@sgi.sk.ca. For more details on the program and how you can apply, visit sgi.sk.ca/speakers-program.
