GEORGETOWN, January 21, 2015 – Community leaders were today celebrating the designation of Halton Hills as the 65th Safe Community in Canada.

An initiative of Parachute, a national charitable organization dedicated to an injury-free Canada with Canadians living long lives to the fullest, Canadian Safe Communities believe that a safe life is a basic right. Being designated a Safe Community, is Halton Hills’s affirmation of, and testament to, their community’s aspiration to create a safer life for all its citizens. The official designation of a municipality as a Safe Community indicates a publicly articulated commitment to work towards a safer locality for all.

“Congratulations to the residents and community leaders of Halton Hills for living and working in a Safe Community,” said Louise Logan, Parachute President and CEO. “This designation reflects your commitment to injury prevention within your community. You all deserve to be applauded for your great work. »

Communities that choose to be designated a Safe Community are committed to a collaborative relationship with Parachute, members of the Parachute network and others in the domain of health and safety, are also agreeing to some guiding principles, namely leadership, sustainability, community engagement and prioritization of injury prevention.

Communities who have obtained the Safe Community designation have shown considerable commitment to promoting injury prevention and safety promotion locally. They have brought together local officials from their municipalities at a leadership table, including representatives from local government, public health, police, fire and emergency services, educational institutions, local business, and health and safety organizations. Designated Safe Communities have completed a formal Priority Setting Exercise and community scan, to inform their programming decisions, and they have a proven plan for sustainability.

“This designation is validation that our efforts to maintain a safe and healthy community to live, learn, work and play are on track,” said Mayor Rick Bonnette, Halton Hills. “It’s wonderful to receive this designation from Parachute, but we know we can always do more. We all need to work together to keep all Halton Hills residents and visitors safe.”

Halton Hills was designated a Safe Community by:

  • Engaging community partners in the designation process.
  • Working together to increase the awareness of safety and injury prevention in the community.
  • Providing a forum for community, business and government leaders committed to community safety and health.
  • Working towards enhancing existing programs and resources through networks and partnerships at the grass roots level to achieve sustainable results.

The Town of Halton Hills, with a population of 60,000, consists of two urban centres, Georgetown and Acton, the Halton Hills Premier Gateway employment area, three hamlets – Glen Williams, Stewarttown and Norval – and several smaller settlements. Halton Hills has long been recognized for its natural beauty, active agricultural community, high quality of life and proximity to major centres, including Brampton, Mississauga and Toronto.

For more information about the Halton Safe Community visit www.parachutecanada.org.

About Parachute

Parachute is dedicated to preventing injuries and saving lives. A national charity, Parachute officially formed in July 2012, when the former Safe Communities Canada, Safe Kids Canada, SMARTRISK and ThinkFirst Canada joined together to become one leader in injury prevention. Parachute’s injury prevention solutions, knowledge mobilization, public policy, and social awareness efforts are designed to help keep Canadians safe. Parachute’s vision is an injury-free Canada with Canadians living long lives to the fullest. For information, visit us at parachutecanada.org, follow us on Twitter, and join us on Facebook.

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For information:

George James
Parachute
647-776-5125 (w)
416-402-3783 (c)
gjames@parachutecanada.org

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