The Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority (LTVCA) has teamed up with the Municipality of Chatham-Kent to keep the Chatham-Kent Children's Safety Village going.
Manager of Conservation Lands and Services Randall VanWagner said the LTVCA will be offering new permanent outdoor educational programming at the Safety Village at the C.M. Wilson Conservation Area on Fargo Road, along with maintaining the children's safety programming.
The conservation authority said the COVID-19 pandemic severely limited educational events and programming at the Safety Village over the past few years. Director Barb Lovell also retired from the job in May of this year.
VanWagner noted the Safety Village had a few events and group educational events, but they were not related to children safety.
The LTVCA said it is moving forward with with all donors, supporters, and partners of the village with a goal of offering an expanded outdoor education curriculum in 2023, such as Outdoor and Indigenous Learning.
VanWagner told CK News Today the LTVCA is now maintaining the facility, the grounds, and paying the utilities.
"We are looking forward to new programming that is more complementary to our mandate, working with service groups, and past donors to continue on with children's safety and utilize the facility to its full capacity," said VanWagner.
Chatham-Kent's Chief Administrative Officer Michael Duben said providing children with safety programming is extremely important to the community and the municipality looks forward to the Safety Village fulfilling this valued role once again.