Mayor Nenshi and special guests kick off 14th annual Safety Expo
On March 8 and 9, more than 4,000 Grade 5 and 6 students will attend the 14th annual Safety Expo hosted by The City of Calgary in the Municipal Building Atrium. The event gives children hands-on learning experiences with over 30 interactive exhibits from City and partner organizations, and workshops on topics including anti-bullying, online safety and fire and electrical safety, to name a few.
This year’s event was kicked off by Mayor Naheed Nenshi, Councillor Colley-Urquhart and Councillor Pootmans, who hosted this year’s VIP school. City service dogs Hawk and Honey were also in attendance, and Calgary acappella singing group, HOJA, gave a special performance.
“This event is a great opportunity for young Calgarians to explore and learn about health and safety inside and outside of the home,” said Mayor Nenshi. “Through interactive displays and workshops, students can learn how to keep themselves and others safe. I want to thank my colleagues at The City of Calgary for hosting another successful Safety Expo.”
In the spirit of hands-on learning, Mayor Nenshi also took students through an activity on how to use 9-1-1 to identify what a real emergency looks like. Following the kick-off, Councillor Diane Colley-Urquhart, Honourary Chair of the Safety Expo Committee, welcomed Grade 5 teacher, Sarah Charlebois, and her students from Westgate School, who were chosen as this year’s VIP school. Ward 6 Councillor, Richard Pootmans led the students into Council chambers for an informative session on the responsibilities of municipal government and how decisions are made.
Richard Hinse, Director of Calgary Community Standards, highlighted an important part of the event’s success, the transportation, is made possible through the generous support of ENMAX, which covered the bussing costs to enable Calgary students to attend.
Safety Expo is delivered as part of The City’s commitment to public safety and supports Council’s vision for inspiring safe neighbourhoods with the goal of encouraging citizens to share in the responsibility for individual and community safety.
For more information on Safety Expo, visit Calgary.ca/safetyexpo.