The fundraising campaign for the Saugeen Children’s Safety Village has been officially launched.
A kick off event was held Wednesday night at the Saugeen Conservation Authority.
Dignitaries, stakeholders as well as fire, police and emergency workers from across the region joined together to celebrate the project.
The 1.5 million dollar miniature Children’s Safety Village will be constructed on five acres of land at the Conservation Authority’s headquarters just south of Hanover.
It will feature small scale buildings, road ways, traffic lights and other such scenarios that will be used to teach children important safety lessons.
This will be the first rural children’s safety village in Ontario and will include an emphasis on fire, traffic, farm, water and internet safety.
With the charitable status now in place, Vice President Al Leach says it’s time to begin fundraising efforts.
Leach hopes to raise a portion of the funds through government grant dollars and corporate sponsorships and the remaining amount from the public.
Leach is confident the public will get on board and support the Safety Village.
Officials hope to get the shovel in the ground late Fall or early Spring.
If all goes as planned the entire project should be complete by next September.
The interactive safety village will host 10 thousand school children a year across Grey and Bruce Counties from kindergarten to Grade six.
The program will be delivered by police and firefighters at no cost to the school boards.
