Wolfville and Area Named Nova Scotia's First Safe Community

ENVIRONMENT/LABOUR--Wolfville and Area Named Nova Scotia's First Safe Community

Wolfville and the surrounding area is Nova Scotia's first community designated a safe community. It received the designation from the Toronto-based Safe Communities Foundation.

David Morse, Minister of Environment and Labour, congratulated the Wolfville and Kings County Safe Communities Coalition today, June 4, on its achievement.

"The Safe Communities program goes a step beyond occupational health and safety and gives us a chance to reach out to the general public," said Mr. Morse. "It provides a total, 24-hour approach to health and safety services and will benefit the province in many ways."

Environment and Labour has loaned a member of its occupational health and safety staff to the Safe Communities Foundation to help Nova Scotia's communities become safer.

"We have had tremendous staff support from the Department of Environment and Labour at both the steering committee and working group levels," said Lyle Goldberg, Co-ordinator for the Wolfville and Kings County Safe Communities Coalition. "Bringing their knowledge and expertise to the table has been extremely valuable in moving our initiative forward."

Safe Communities is a privately funded organization that works to create community-based injury-prevention programs. Communities wishing to achieve the designation must present a business plan to the foundation. Once the plan is approved, the foundation will provide the successful community with funding to get their program up and running.

"Achieving this designation is a major feather in the cap of Wolfville and the surrounding area," said Mr. Morse. "I know several other Nova Scotia communities are working towards the designation and I encourage them to keep driving forward. All injuries are preventable, and it's important that Nova Scotians work together to eliminate the accidents-happen mentality that is common across Canada."