News Release
HRM to be Designated a "Safe Community"
(Thursday, February 27/2003)-- Halifax Regional Municipality will soon be joining a very select group of communities in Canada.
Mayor Peter Kelly, on behalf of Halifax Regional Council, announced today that HRM has been designated a "Safe Community" by the Safe Communities Foundation of Canada. The municipality will receive its official certification from the national organization at a ceremony in Halifax in April.
The Safe Communities Foundation was launched on April 23, 1996. It's a unique partnership between the private and public sectors, dedicated to making Canada the safest country in the world in which to live, learn, work and play. Working at both a grassroots and a national level, the Foundation believes that Safe Communities are a basic human right.
With its designation, HRM joins 30 other Safe Communities in Ontario, Alberta and most recently, Newfoundland and Labrador. The only other "Safe Community" in Nova Scotia is the Town of Wolfville.
Mayor Kelly and Chief Administrative Officer George McLellan paid special tribute to Strategic Leadership Group, a group of over 25 community leaders who have guided the certification process over the past 18 months.
Both extended thanks to the local coalition leadership, including that of Coalition Coordinator, Mike LeRue, and Coalition Co-Chair Captain Brian McCarthy, both of the Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Service; and Co-Chair Bette Watson-Borg, Chief Executive Officer of the YMCA. The supporting organizations who provided the time and expertise of their employees for this community cause were also thanked for their contribution.
Mayor Kelly said "I want to commend staff and the community volunteers for the tremendous amount of time and effort they put into helping H-R-M achieve this great distinction. Each one of us owes them a debt of gratitude for making our community a safer place in which to live, work and play."
CAO George McLellan said "The team did a tremendous job and it is our hope that the process which the HRM Steering Committee developed and followed can serve as a model for other regional municipalities in Canada who decide to seek "Safe Community" certification."
30
Mayor Peter Kelly
(902) 490-4010
Mike LeRue
HRM Safe Community Project
(902)490-4252
