Northumberland County – A local effort to create a community that promotes safety and prevents injuries is finally coming to fruition in Northumberland County.

A ceremony to officially recognize Northumberland County’s designation as a ‘Safe Community’ takes place on Wednesday, April 8, at the Baltimore Recreation Centre (23 Community Centre Road). The event will feature interactive activities and displays from 10 am to 1:30 pm. The formal designation ceremony begins at 11 am.

(NOTE TO MEDIA: You are invited to attend for interview and photo opportunities)

Northumberland becomes the 66th community in Canada and the 27th community in Ontario to be designated a Canadian Safe Community. The Safe Community project is an initiative of Parachute, a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to preventing injuries and saving lives. Earning a Safe Community designation is not easy, as a county must meet certain criteria and show a commitment to working with Parachute to promote safety and injury prevention in its area.

“Residents and community leaders in Northumberland County are to be congratulated for living and working in a Safe Community,” says Louise Logan, Parachute President and CEO. “This designation reflects a commitment to injury prevention within Northumberland County.”

The first step to Northumberland being designated a Safe Community began in September 2013 when 65 participants met to discuss and explore the concept. Since then, municipal leaders, the local Ontario Provincial Police, the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit and a number of other local agencies have worked together to move forward with the project. A major step forward came in June 2014 when Northumberland County council endorsed the Safe Community project.

“The designation of Northumberland as a Safe Community is worth celebrating and is a validation of all the time and effort that has gone into this process,” says Cobourg Councillor Forrest Rowden, who also co-chairs the Safe Communities Northumberland County. “Being named a Safe Community will benefit Northumberland residents as we create a safer and healthier community in which to live, work, learn and play.”

In Northumberland, the Safe Community project will focus on three key areas that were identified as priorities. These include falls prevention, on road/off road safety promotion and addressing incidents of self-harm and interpersonal violence.

To find out more about the local Safe Community initiative, email hgrundy@hkpr.on.ca .

-30-

For media inquiries, contact:

Forrest Rowden, Co-Chairperson, Safe Communities Northumberland County, (905) 372-0932,

or Heather Grundy, Health Promoter, Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, (905) 885-9100,

or Lorraine Doherty, Communications and Marketing Lead, Parachute, (647) 776-5128.

Top