What is The Safety Centre of Excellence?
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Once a dream, then a plan, now a project coming to life.
The plan for the Safety Centre was developed at the Council numerous years ago as a concept. Since then, the Council has been developing the business plans, strategies, and fundraising capabilities to make this project a reality. In 2017, pre-construction work began with preliminary engineering work completed by Clifton and Associates.
As part of our overall strategic plan to bring together leaders in Saskatchewan to become a province of safety excellence, the Safety Centre will become the physical focal point and showcase of Saskatchewan’s injury prevention efforts. Work there will inspire others to further innovate and make life saving advancements. The Centre will be a multifaceted facility, developed to focus on all aspects of injury prevention and education with an emphasis on promoting safe choices regardless of the activity. |
At the bottom of the page is a complete 3D flyover of the proposed development.
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The Safety Centre of Excellence is Saskatchewan's focal point for injury prevention efforts and education. |
A Centre to Discover & Learn, Practice & Succeed.
Area 1 - Community Safety Village
Our mission is to create a safe and controlled environment in which the youth of Saskatchewan will be able to learn about safety through practical activities. This community resource will be leveraged primarily for teaching traffic, fire, home, community, personal, and online safety skills to the school-aged children of our communities. Programs may be conducted by many different community based non-profits and charities that can offer innovative programs with the proper facilities available.
Instructors and volunteers will deliver dynamic life-saving lessons in both classroom and practical settings instilling a culture of safe choices for generations to come. The unique facility will provide a hands-on opportunity to practice what is learned in a safe, controlled environment serving to reinforce lessons learned.
Instructors and volunteers will deliver dynamic life-saving lessons in both classroom and practical settings instilling a culture of safe choices for generations to come. The unique facility will provide a hands-on opportunity to practice what is learned in a safe, controlled environment serving to reinforce lessons learned.
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The grounds of the Community Safety Village will contain a miniature village featuring more than 30 scaled-down buildings, streets and roadways, parking lots, green space, operational traffic lights, signs and a railway crossing where children can utilize the new knowledge they've learned.
Each building can contain themed discovery zones with additional activities or resources. The first of its kind in Saskatchewan, our new village would put us on par with many other provinces that currently have such a facility. Currently, there are at least 20 Safety Villages across Canada. List of Canadian communities with Safety Villages: Alberta: Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer. British Columbia: Kelowna, Penticton, Victoria. Ontario: Belleville, Brant, Chatham-Kent, Durham Region, Halton, Lambton, Niagara, Orillia, Peel, Saugeen Valley, Thames Valley, Waterloo, Windsor-Essex, York Region |
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Area 2 - Safe Traffic Operations Park (STOP)
This custom designed driving area would allow hands-on experience and learning about vehicle safety for motorcycles and passenger vehicles. By placing drivers in a safe, controlled environment, beginner and advanced driving techniques can be taught to drivers of all ages.
Traffic safety programs might include collision avoidance, winter driving, off-road and grid road vehicle control, mature driver refresher, off and on-road motorcycle skills development, driver audits, and defensive driving. ATV and UTV courses will be offered in a unique custom designed setting allowing for skills development and retention.
Traffic safety programs might include collision avoidance, winter driving, off-road and grid road vehicle control, mature driver refresher, off and on-road motorcycle skills development, driver audits, and defensive driving. ATV and UTV courses will be offered in a unique custom designed setting allowing for skills development and retention.
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With 23% of all provincial injuries relating to transportation causes, new innovative ways of teaching valuable driving skills must be found.
Area 3 - Farm Safety Discovery Centre
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Agriculture continues to be a staple of the Canadian economy. Farm workers and their family members in Saskatchewan experience a high rate of traumatic life changing injury associated with farm work and the farm environment (Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting). In Saskatchewan, the family farm continues to be the predominant model for farm operations making the farm unique as a workplace in that people both live and work at the worksite.
Many potential applications of workplace safety can be applied on the family farm. From pre-shift equipment inspections, driving skills such as trailering to load securement, transportation of dangerous goods and chemical safety, confined space, and fall protection, bringing farm safety in line with traditional workplace best practices will reduce injuries and save lives.
This area is intended to be designed for a diverse demographic allowing cross-generational learning experience. |
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Helping provide areas for education and research into agriculture safety is a key step in addressing the epidemic of farm and ranch-related injuries.
Area 4 - Workplace Safety Innovation Place
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A place for collaboration with injury prevention non-profits and charities looking to expand their ability to affordably host training and events.
The custom designed space will allow for new programs to be conceptualized and piloted before expanding delivery across the province. Having options for temporary or long-term space for offices, storage, training or events secured for a variety of non-profit partners will allow more financial investment into innovation and community reach while reducing stress of rental space management. |
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The programming available on the site would be diverse and dependant on the variety of non-profit partners that choose to utilize the unique opportunities presented.
Additional space for research collaboration could help drive the next set of processes or technologies that will help Saskatchewan workplaces stay at the leading edge of efficiency and safety. With space available for any industry or group to deliver their own programs, ensuring that the facility can support value across all sectors of the province. |
Dedicated workplace training facilities give opportunity for safety conscious organizations to take the initiative, improving the standard for industries at higher risk of injury.
Area 5 - A Safe Place to Play
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Learning to play safely is one of the most important life skills a child can learn. With a state-of-the-art safe children’s play structure, the park will allow children visiting the Safety Centre an area to enjoy playing outdoors on slides and swings. Children from the local community could also access the park as a place to meet, socialize and have fun safely.
With a large parking lot and proximity to major thoroughfares, this facility would be an ideal location for travellers to take a short break from behind the wheel, check their messages, or stretch their muscles. |
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Ongoing Progress
In 2017, the Saskatchewan Safety Council Board of Directors reached an agreement for the acquisition of a 30-acre parcel of land located on the Regina Bypass route in the Rural Municipality of Sherwood, pending subdivision approval.
To support this project, in 2022 the Saskatchewan Safety Council received a very generous gift of 30 acres of land located on the Regina By-pass. Thanks to support of additional private donors, corporate sponsorships and reserve revenue from Safety Council operations, this land has successfully been subdivided and rezoned correctly to allow for this development.
To support this project, in 2022 the Saskatchewan Safety Council received a very generous gift of 30 acres of land located on the Regina By-pass. Thanks to support of additional private donors, corporate sponsorships and reserve revenue from Safety Council operations, this land has successfully been subdivided and rezoned correctly to allow for this development.
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Phase 1 - Completed
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Phase 2 - In progress - Pending funding support
- Improve site access
- Soil leveling to allow efficient water drainage
- Build parking lot areas
- Installation of utility services
- Addition of long-term site vegetation including trees
- Installation of temporary onsite buildings
Phase 3 - Pending Funding Support
- Addition of Community Safety Village
- Addition of Safe Traffic Operations Park
- Addition of Safe Place to Play
- Engagement with Innovation Place Architect
- Further engagement of non-profit partners
Phase 4 - Pending Funding Support
- Addition of Safety Innovation Place
It is our belief that the Safety Centre of Excellence will be a focal point for the province and one more step in the Creation of a Province of Safety Excellence… Saskatchewan.
