The Honourable Elmer MacFadyen, Minister of Community and Cultural Affairs and Minister responsible for the Workers Compensation Board, offered congratulations to the City of Charlottetown today on its designation as a Safe Community under the Safe Communities Foundation.
"We are extremely pleased that the city has taken on this new initiative to promote safety throughout the community," said Minister MacFadyen. "There are many positive initiatives taking place throughout the city and this designation and the appointment of a steering committee will provide a mechanism for those initiatives to work in partnership and move forward."
When Paul Kells, the founder of the Safe Communities Foundation, along with the senior representatives from the Workers Compensation Board, invited the Mayor and Council of the City of Charlottetown to become designated as a Safe Community, the City Council wholeheartedly embraced the foundation. The city is endorsing the project and calling on the Charlottetown Community members to carry it forward.
The Safe Communities Foundation is a national, not-for-profit organization that promotes a goal of zero tolerance for injuries where we live, learn, work and play. The goal of the Safe Communities Foundation and all participating Safe Communities in Canada is to eliminate injuries while promoting a culture of safety through the implementation of injury prevention programs and education.
"We hope to exceed the expectations of the national safe communities organization and, to do so, we are looking forward to attracting professionals, businesses, health providers, and service clubs as well as a number of active and/or retired business professionals into this organization with the goal of creating an occupational support management group," said Mayor of Charlottetown, George MacDonald. "With such participation from the community, the success of this initiative will be assured."
Thirty-five (35) communities in Canada have been designated safe communities including three communities in the Atlantic region – Halifax Regional Municipality, Wolfville and Kings County, and Avalon East.
An introductory meeting, featuring a presentation from Paul Kells, is being held on May 20, 2003 at the West Royalty Community Center at 2 p.m. Members of business, the government and industries involved with Safety have been invited to attend. The goal is to establish a Steering Committee for the project and identify areas in which the Community should concentrate.
Councillor Bruce Garrity will chair the meeting and encourages anyone interested in taking part to call the Switchboard Reception at City Hall to confirm their attendance.