Violet’s Law- Justice for Violet (BAA) MacDonald

In loving memory of Violet MacDonald

A vibrant, deeply loved three-year-old baby girl who brought endless light, laughter, and warmth to everyone around her. Violet carried the guidance, protection, and sacred strength of her ancestors.

Her days were filled with joyful routines, sweet smiles, and an innocent, trusting love for her family and siblings. Though her physical time with us was tragically short, her spirit remains unbroken and held gently across generations—not in a final goodbye, but in the sacred promise of Baamaapii (until later). Violet’s memory continues to shine as a guiding light, inspiring love, justice, and enduring honour for her life.

Sacred Ancestral Lineage: Violet BAA and her family belong to the Lac Seul First Nation and are members of the Carabu (Caribou) Clan. Direct descendants of Southwind and Sam Kiisick, they carry a deep connection rooted in their culture, values, and ancestors. In their tradition, the Carabu represents guidance, survival, protection, and the sacred bond of family.

The loss of Violet severed a vital physical link in her family’s ancestral chain and stole her future as an Indigenous woman.

Baa (-baa / -ban): An Anishinaabemowin suffix honoring someone who has passed into the spirit world, acknowledging their enduring spirit. Honoring “Violet-baa” respects her transition within Anishinaabe protocols.

Baamapi (Baamaapii): Means “Until later” in Anishinaabemowin. Reflecting the belief that death is a transition, it conveys that family and ancestors will eventually reunite in the spirit world.

The Call for Legislative Change: Violet’s Law emerged from this tragedy to ensure no other family endures dangerous street designs, a lack of municipal accountability, or systemic infrastructure delays.

Punishing driver behavior alone cannot prevent fatal crashes if physical infrastructure, severe sightline blind spots, and hazardous intersection geometries remain uncorrected.

Speed and hazardous street designs remain lethal to vulnerable road users.

15.6% – 17.3% of Traffic Deaths: Pedestrian and sidewalk user fatalities consistently account for up to 17.3% of all provincial traffic deaths (15.6% in 2023, representing 96 of 616 deaths)

Outnumbering Other Causes: More pedestrians lose their lives in Ontario than victims of distracted driving (10.4%–10.7%) or impaired driving (7.5%–8.9%) collisions combined

Disproportionate Risk to Older Adults: Pedestrians aged 65+ accounted for 36% of Ontario pedestrian fatalities in 2024, despite making up only 13.2% of the population.

Proven Infrastructure Countermeasures: Proven digital modifications—such as Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPIs)—give pedestrians a 3- to 7-second head start before vehicles can turn, reducing collisions by 13% at negligible software cost.

We are petitioning the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to pass Violet’s Law, 2026, amending the Highway Traffic Act and the Municipal Act, 2001 to establish a mandatory public safety response protocol following any fatal pedestrian collision.

1. 24-Hour Safety Priority Zones

​Automatic 24-Hour Designation

Any collision resulting in a pedestrian or sidewalk user fatality within a Designated Pedestrian Interface is automatically classified as a Safety Priority Zone within 24 hours.

​2. Mandatory Audit & Infrastructure Timelines

​Road authorities cannot delay life-saving infrastructure fixes. Violet’s Law enforces strict statutory deadlines based on the city’s own safety findings:

​7-Day Formal Audit: The responsible Road Authority must commence a formal safety audit within 7 days evaluating geometric design, sightlines, lighting, and traffic controls.

​30-Day Quick-Build Calming: Interim rapid safety measures (e.g., flex-bollards, automated speed cameras, or LPI digital adjustments) must be deployed within 30 days of audit completion.

​180-Day Permanent Remediation: Permanent structural fixes (e.g., concrete bulb-outs, raised crosswalks, concrete protective bollards) must be fully built within 180 days.

​3. Victims’ Restitution & Stacking Liabilities

​$5,000/Month Non-Compliance Fine

If a Road Authority fails to meet the 30-day interim or 180-day permanent remediation deadlines, a flat administrative penalty of $5,000 per month begins accruing against the municipality.

​100% Direct Estate Restitution: 100% of accumulated administrative penalties are paid directly and entirely to the deceased victim’s next of kin, living relatives, or estate.

​Concurrent Stacking Penalties: Penalties for multiple victims at an un-remediated location accrue concurrently at $5,000 per month per victim until physical remediation is completed.

​4. Violet Ribbon Designation (Child Fatality Sites)

​Child Memorial Zones

Sites where a pedestrian or sidewalk user under age 16 is killed are designated as Violet Ribbon Zones.

​Required Markings (Within 90 Days): Road authorities must apply violet-tinted lane dividers, violet-painted crosswalks, or violet bike lane buffers.

​Permanent Marker Plaque: A physical violet ribbon marker or plaque must be installed to alert approaching drivers that a child lost their life at that location.

​5. Residential Area Protections & Red-Tape Bypassing

​3x to 4x Escalated Fines

Speeding and moving violations committed within marked Residential Areas face 3x financial fines, rising to 4x escalated fines if the location is an active Safety Priority Zone.

​Provincial Safety Supremacy: Grants Road Authorities emergency statutory authority to bypass environmental assessments and lane-reduction approvals to narrow lanes or deploy speed calming immediately.

​Public Safety Register: Municipalities must maintain an accessible online register tracking active priority zones, audit reports, and remediation progress.

Sign the Petition: Join Ontario residents demanding mandatory safety audits and physical engineering fixes.

Under Legislative Assembly of Ontario rules, only original physical ink signatures can be tabled in Parliament—digital or online petitions will be disqualified.

To make our voices heard at Queen’s Park, we need physical signatures from Ontario residents!

​How You Can Help Today:

​Print: Download and print official petition sheets directly from our page/link.

​Collect: Gather original signatures from family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. (Ensure everyone prints their full name, address, and postal code!)

​Return: Drop off or mail completed sheets back to us so we can present them directly to local MPPs.

You can sign the official petition on Change.org by searching for “Violet’s Law

while Change.org creates incredible public momentum and raises awareness.

Critical Rule: Under Legislative Assembly rules, only original physical ink signatures with a full address and postal code are valid. Digital signatures will be disqualified.

Contact Your MPP: Urge your Member of Provincial Parliament to support mandatory municipal infrastructure timelines and direct accountability for unsafe road designs.

You can sign the official petition via link: https://www.change.org/p/enact-protective-measures-for-vulnerable-road-users?source_location=search