image

 

The Kids Safety Village of Durham Region

What is the Kids’ Safety Village?

The Kids Safety Village of Durham Region is a kid-sized version of a real town located on the grounds of the Sir William Stephenson Public School in Whitby. Set on 1.2 acres, the village features small buildings, detailed roadways, traffic lights and road signs, an operational railway crossing, battery cars, bicycles and a classroom.

Here, children learn about road safety as a pedestrian and a cyclist in a controlled, supervised environment. Since 1995, the realistic setting has allowed thousands of children in Durham to test their safety skills in a fun, learning environment.

The Kids' Safety Village is truly a community project dedicated to building a safer future for children. The village was constructed with donations of cash, services and materials from local businesses, citizens and service clubs
  • Over 15,000 students visit the Village each year.
  • Each course includes safety-related instruction on topics such as fire, rail, bus and hydro safety, as well as information on safe strangers and the use of 911.
A police officer staffs the Village, coordinating safety lessons and teaching children about road and bicycle safety. Volunteers are utilized for a variety of assignments, including display assistants, safety advocates and office administration.
 

History

The Kids’ Safety Village of Durham Region is a non-profit charitable organization originally built by the Optimist Club of Ajax and the Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood. It is now run by a volunteer Board of Directors with daily instruction programs provided by the Durham Regional Police Service.
More than 90 organizations and individuals contributed to the construction of the Village through either financial support or in-kind donations of construction materials and labour, while another 160 sponsors contributed to furnish the Village with bikes, helmets, battery-powered jeeps, classroom furniture and the like. The 1.2 acre site was donated by the Durham District School Board.
 
More than 200,000 school-aged children in Grades 1, 2 and 3 from Durham Region have toured this site throughout the school years to learn about safety. These programs range from bike safety and rules of the road to reacting with strangers. There are many other programs, including a Graffiti Awareness program for Grade 5 students, a Halloween Haunt and Christmas in the Village.
 
Some of the site sponsors include: General Motors of Canada; the Ontario Ministry of Transportation,  the Rotary Clubs of Durham Region; the Optimist Clubs of Durham Region; the Lions Clubs of Durham Region; GO Transit; CP Rail; Scotiabank; Dairy Queen; Durham Fire and Police Services; and various non-profit community groups.
 

The Kids’ Safety Village of Durham Region and You

The Kids’ Safety Village has been an integral part of Durham Region since its inception 22 years ago. The success of this Village is due in part to the generous sponsorship of buildings within the grounds of the Village. Corporate donations of $25,000 in 1995 allowed the construction of a safety village that would see school-aged children from Durham Region tour this site daily to learn about living safely in the community.

This Village, the third ever built in Ontario, paved the way for other municipalities. There are now 10 safety villages in Ontario, some of which drew their inspiration from Durham.

The Expansion and Renovation Program of The Kids' Safety Village

The Kids Safety Village of Durham Region is expanding its main teaching building to include a fire safety component. The Durham Region Fire Departments will run safety classes in the new interactive classroom equipped with a full kitchen, living room, and bathroom with features that simulate fire and emergency situations. The expansion will also include larger washrooms, and better accessibility throughout the Village.

In 2015, a full 20 years after the Village opened, the Expansion and Renovation Program began. The 20-year leases on the buildings became due and maintenance ongoing was required to keep the property functioning to current standards. The roadways and sidewalks needed to be resurfaced and some of the structures required upkeep. In addition, a major expansion was planned to incorporate fire safety so that both key elements, police and fire, can be housed in one facility. This extensive undertaking has been designed to support a growing school population marking the 20th year of operation.

In 2015, The Kids’ Safety Village Board of Directors embarked on a $700,000 fundraising campaign to go forward for the next generation of children. The Board is seeking to renew all of the 20-year leases priced at $30,000 for the miniature buildings, as well as looking for sponsors for many other items in order to begin construction this spring. The goal is to have the enhancements to the site fully operational for the fall of 2018. Besides the miniature buildings, there are many items available for sponsorship such as the miniature cars, bicycles, park benches, street name signs and more – and of course, cash donations are needed for all the small things required to outfit the new classroom.

Children in Durham Region visit this facility up to 3 times in their elementary school years, which leaves a lifetime impression of goodwill. Counting children, teachers and parents there are over 15,000 people a year that visit the Village.

Your presence in the Village will be invaluable in the building of a safer future for the children of Durham Region.

We look forward to your support.

 

For  more information, please go to the website

where you can DONATE NOW to www.durhamsafetyvillage.com  to ensure that the safety of our children continues for many years to come.

There are many items available for sponsorship including buildings, amphitheatre, parkette, battery-powered vehicles, bicycles, special needs bicycles, street name signs, helmets, park benches, picnic tables, and many of the interior classroom finishes such as flooring, window blinds, desks, chairs, tables, chalkboards, storage cabinets, bookcases, office furniture, fire extinguishers, street lights, a security system and ALL are available for Donation of Item or Direct Cash Donation..

Charitable Donation Receipts are available for cash and donated items.

And ALL sponsors will be recognized on sponsor boards displayed in the classroom and/or with a sponsor name on the sponsored item where practicable.

For additional information on how to make your donation, or if your company is looking for a way to associate your company’s name with the future safety of the children of Durham Region, please call Ron Mortson, Treasurer, 5 – 467 Westney Rd. S., Ajax, Ontario L1S 6V7  Phone: 905-683-3301.