Local entrant in running for start up money

Today Aviva Canada Inc. announced the semi-finalist ideas for the first-ever Aviva Community Fund online contest – a competition that seeks to lead, empower and support positive change in Canadian communities.

In six weeks, over 1,800 ideas were submitted across the country and 62 made it to the semi-finals where they will vie for Canada’s votes in hopes of making it to the finals. The company encourages Canadians to visit its website and start voting for their favourite semi-finalist ideas at www.avivacommunityfund.org. The most popular entries will qualify for funding and Aviva will ensure the best ideas receive the financial and practical help they need to get off the ground.

One proposal got through to the semi finals from this area. OPP Constable Chris Dewsbury wrote the submission below for his plan -

"I would like to create a portable children's safety village for the children in all our area primary schools. The village would be carried in a large (minimum 28 ft.) covered trailer and would be set up in the school gymnasium.

The village consists of a large portable mat that is a small village with roads on it. Along the roadway are several small buildings for various organizations such as police, ambulance, fire department, hydro, railway police etc.

The students travel along the roadway in small electric cars (equipted with seatbelts) and learn their street signs along the way. Portable traffic lights, stop signs and rail way crossing gates are some of the items that they learn about. As they come to each building they are presented with a presentation about safety. For example, they would stop at the police station and get a presentation on bullying or stop at the fire hall for a fire safety presentation.

The safety village is geared towards grades ranging from kindergarten to grade 8. The best thing about this village is that because it is portable, we are bringing it to the children, not having them come to the village.

Weather, for the most part does not play a factor on whether they benefit from the safety village. It is done indoors out of the elements. The estimated cost for this village is $80,000.00."

Constable Dewsbury's proposal got 1,066 votes in the preliminary round of the contest.

The semi-final round runs until December 16, 2009, and the final winners will be announced on January 25, 2010.