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Grant keeps village in operation

Recently announced $20,000 provincial gaming grant is money in the bank for the Penticton Safety Village.
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Manager Lori Woods of the Penticton Safety Village at the centre's main intersection. A recent provincial government gaming grant of $20

Although the Penticton Safety Village is closed for the season, the recently announced $20,000 provincial gaming grant is money in the bank for the organization.

The one-stop, safety training centre for kids runs from early spring to late fall, incorporating a wide variety of programs ranging from cycling skills, fire-escape procedures to how to handle emergency situations.

Started in 1983, the Edmonton Avenue facility was one of the first of its kind in the province and according to village manager Lori Woods the gaming grants are the life blood of the society.

“I don’t want to sound dramatic, but the safety grant from the province is our main source of income and if we didn’t have it, the Penticton Safety Village really wouldn’t exist, we would have to shut it down,” said Woods. “I just can’t underestimate the value of what this money means to us, it’s what keeps us in operation.”

On the property, which is an actual scaled down version of a village, there is a church, commercial and residential buildings and railroad crossings complete with traffic signals.

There is also what is called the “fire house” which is used by members of Penticton Fire Rescue to teach children (kindergarten to Grade 4) in a real building what to do if they are caught in a burning structure.

“We go to the reporting, making the 911 call, should they see something, we use real scripts, real situations and a real phone so they know exactly what to expect should they ever have to call 911,” said Woods. “We teach them what an emergency is.”

Each year over 1,500 kids from Summerland to Osoyoos and Princeton come to Penticton, often as school trips, to learn the skills needed to survive or prevent accidents.

As well, in the spring the village holds its annual open house during which time a number of organizations including fire and police and other community groups get involved.

And according to Woods, the children are not the only ones who learn something.

“The majority of the parents that come with the classes find it extremely beneficial because there are a lot of things they haven’t thought about for years, or haven’t tried or used,” she said. “For example, signalling (while riding a bicycle) where everything has changed, now you use your left and right hands.

“The other thing we’re finding is that parents really aren’t doing a lot of those home-escape plans, so this is an excellent refresher for them, so they’re finding that; ‘Okay we’ve got to start doing some of these things that are being taught.’”

Helmet use while cycling is something else Woods feels kids are teaching their parents, much like the matter of using seat belts was in the past.

“So it’s not always about adults teaching children,” she said. “Sometimes it works the other way around.”

Word of the success of the Penticton village has made it a popular model for other communities in B.C. and Canada looking to start their own safety villages.

Every year Woods communicates with officials about the concept and Penticton’s centre is featured in a nation-wide publication.

In making the announcement about this year’s grant, Penticton MLA Dan Ashton said in a written statement: “Riding your bicycle is one the joys of being a kid.

“Learning how to cycle safely, as well as developing an overall road sense and a respect for police are just a few of the great things the Penticton Safety Village teaches our children.”