May 18, 2011 – (TORONTO, ON) The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and Aviva Canada Inc. have jointly launched a new program that will enable OPP officers to comfort distressed children they encounter in the communities they serve.
Through the sponsorship of Aviva Canada Inc., the Community Bear Program will equip OPP cruisers with black and white teddy bears that officers will hand out to children who have experienced a traumatic incident.
OPP and Aviva Canada officials launched the program at the Toronto Detachment where supporters and media were given a first look at the Community Bears before they take to the road in OPP cruisers with front-line officers. The 3,600 bears being provided by Aviva Canada will be distributed among detachments in all six of the OPP’s regions.
QUOTES
“Thanks to the generous sponsorship of our partner Aviva Canada, our officers can gift plush teddy bears to children to help ease the trauma they experience in incidents such as car crashes, personal injury and other situations that can affect them profoundly.”
— OPP Commissioner Chris Lewis.
“The new Community Bear program is an excellent way for OPP officers to interact with children following a traumatic incident. It is also a fine example of our officers’ dedication to ensuring the well-being of the most vulnerable among us.”
— Jim Bradley, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services.
“At Aviva Canada, our mission is to provide peace of mind as well as support for communities where our independent broker partners and customers live and work. We are proud to partner with the OPP to help provide comfort and reassurance to children in distress.”
— Jim Falle, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Aviva Canada Inc.
QUICK FACTS
- Aviva Canada provided an additional one hundred Community Bears which they have sold to their employees and the proceeds of which are being donated to the OPP Youth Foundation.
- The program launch coincides with Ontario Police Week (May 15-21, an annual initiative dedicated to increasing community awareness and recognition of policing services while strengthening partnerships between police and the community.
About Aviva Canada
Aviva Canada Inc. is one of the leading Property and Casualty insurance groups in Canada, providing home, automobile, recreational vehicle, group and business insurance to more than three million customers. The group has more than 3,000 employees, 33 locations, 1,700 independent broker partners and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UK-based Aviva plc, the world’s sixth-largest insurance group. For more information visit avivacanada.com.
