Belleville loans Children's Safety Village $125k for campaign to raise $4M

The Children’s Safety Village is an educational center designed to teach road safety to children in grades two, three and four that opened in 2004. The Village features small buildings, detailed roadways, traffic lights, an operational rail-way crossing, mini vehicles, bicycles and a safety classroom.

It is a nonprofit organization with charitable tax status governed by a Board of Directors.

The Village is built on the property of the Belleville Police Service, with the help of local businesses and private sponsors. We are proud to say it is being “built by the community for the community”.

Grade two students receive instruction on pedestrian safety along with walking the streets and sidewalks.
Grade three students receive basic instruction on road safety along with driving battery powered cars.
Grade four students receive instruction on bicycle safety along with riding bicycles.

It is an interactive educational organization that delivers relevant safety programs to youth of all ages and abilities to empower them and provide the necessary tools to make informed decisions and play an active role in community safety.

Since 2004, we have reached more than 15,000 children and youth in a variety of topics, including road, fire, home, railroad, animal, and internet safety.

The organization had to relocate when the former Belleville Police station at 93 Dundas Street was donated by the City of Belleville to Habitat for Humanity Prince Edward-Hastings for a new 66-unit affordable housing project. The organization is moving to the northeast corner of Cliff ‘Sonny’ Belch Park in Hillcrest where it wants to build a new $4M facility.

Timeline

September 23, 2024 – Belleville loans Children’s Safety Village $125k to operate fundraising campaign

Whereas CSV currently occupies space at the former police headquarters at 129 South John Street, Belleville, Ontario;

And Whereas the City of Belleville has reached an agreement in principle to transfer the former police station site to Habitat for Humanity Prince Edward Hastings. This would include the present site of the CSV Safety Village (the “CSV Facility’);

And Whereas the City of Belleville and CSV have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with respect to the move of the CSV Facility to the former Hillcrest School property now known as the Clifford Sonny Belch Park (the “New Site”);

And Whereas CSV needs to renovate the New Site in order for it to be suitable for its purposes and estimated that the capital cost thereof would be in the range of 3.5 to 4 million dollars.

And Whereas CSV is undertaking a capital fundraising campaign and has hired The Dennis Group to assist with this fundraising campaign;

And Whereas CSV expects to incur costs of at least $125,000.00 in respect of the capital fundraising campaign and preliminary design work with respect to the New Site;

And Whereas The City has agreed to lend to CSV the sum of $125,000.00 on the terms and conditions hereinafter set out for such purpose.
Loan Agreement

The Loan shall be repayable in payments of interest only commencing September 4, 2025 and which interest shall be payable monthly in arrears.

Repayments on account of equal blended installments of principal and interest of 6.5% per year shall commence on or before September 1, 2026 based on a 9 year term and amortization period. The Loan shall be fully open for pre-payment without notice or bonus. In the event that there is sufficient monies raised in the fund raising campaign to complete the construction of the Project at the New Site and repay the Loan then such proceeds of the capital fund raising campaign shall be reduced to retire the Loan payable to the City.

The principal sum together with any accrued interest shall be due and payable on September 1, 2034.