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The Standard (St. Catharines, Ontario)
May 26, 2005 Thursday
Final Edition
Mr. Safety has a playground
by Glenn Kauth, The Standard
For retired Niagara Regional Police Sergeant Harry Artinian,
commitment drove his success during his 26 years as the community
safety officer for Niagara schools.
"If people don't see that you're committed, they'll sense it," said
Artinian, a 75-year-old St. Catharines resident. "I had 55 schools I
had to look after as the safety officer for the city of St.
Catharines. And I never stopped and I never looked at the clock."
Inside his home, that commitment is visible everywhere. Awards of
recognition from mayors, police chiefs and school officials cover a
basement wall, and he still has a two-foot wooden statue of Elmer the
Safety Elephant next to his bar.
During his years as the safety officer, he kept a logbook of every
traffic accident involving a child, along with the child's name and
his or her school. He used the book to determine which schools
qualified for his annual safety plaques for having no accidents
during the previous year.
Artinian hoped his successor as safety officer would use the book to
continue the awards. He was disappointed, though, when the Niagara
Regional Police cancelled the program after he retired in 1989.
Because of Artinian's dedication to teaching kids about traffic
safety using Elmer's seven safety rules, the City of St. Catharines
named a playground in Montebello Park after him in 1989.
According to Councillor Joe Kushner, Artinian was a "natural choice"
for the decision to name it the Sgt. Harry Artinian Playground. At
the time, the city was expanding the play equipment in the park to
better serve the surrounding neighbourhoods.
"When we think of Harry Artinian, we think of the safety elephant,"
said Kushner. "Harry was extremely enthusiastic in that role in
encouraging children to play safe, whether in parks or out on the
streets.... He promoted safety whenever he could."
While his Elmer safety talks were his main source of fame, Artinian
was also involved in other community activities. He gave driving
safety courses to adults throughout his career and he played a big
role in the city's ethnic groups, particularly his own Armenian
community. According to Kushner, Artinian was very involved in
organizing the Folk Arts Festival.
Today, adults in St. Catharines continue to recognize "Sergeant
Harry" on the streets and at the malls.
During a visit to the playground, Eilish Donnelly, who went to St.
James Catholic School in the 1960s and '70s, remembered getting up in
front of the students to receive the safety plaque from him.
"(He) was always very genuine, and the kids really liked him," said
Donnelly, who added it was a "big deal" to be chosen to receive the
plaque. "I remember he always came and did the presentations himself.
He never sent anyone else."
According to Artinian's wife, Shirley, he gets recognized everywhere,
"even at the airport in Calgary."
The two had travelled there recently when a man called out "Sergeant
Harry." The man had gone to school in St. Catharines before moving
west to join the RCMP. When Artinian meets such people, his first
question is "What school did you go to?"
Today, Artinian is still active in the safety business. He runs a
company, called High Risk Avoidance, that provides safety seminars
and driver training for seniors wanting to upgrade their skills.
In fact, while baby boomers recognize him everywhere, the seniors he
teaches will often recognize him as well, some of whom were teachers
and principals in the schools he visited.
Meanwhile, the future generations of kids will see his name. Besides
slides and swings, the playground in Montebello Park features a large
stone marker bearing his name and his motto: "The key to safety is
repetition."
Kids will also likely see his name on his next project: an
autobiographical book on his life as a school safety guru.
Niagara Landmarks is a weekly series that explores various parks,
bridges, buildings, monuments and statues around the region. If you
have a suggestion you would like to see featured, call us at
905-684-7251, ext. 249, or send an e-mail to
[email protected].
GRAPHIC:
Photo: Staff Photo by Denis Cahill; Harry Artinian looks down the
children's slide at Montebello Park Wednesday. For 26 years, he tried
to get the message of safety across to students, and he still has the
Elmer the Safety Elephant statue to show for his efforts.
May 26, 2005 Thursday
Final Edition
Mr. Safety has a playground
by Glenn Kauth, The Standard
For retired Niagara Regional Police Sergeant Harry Artinian,
commitment drove his success during his 26 years as the community
safety officer for Niagara schools.
"If people don't see that you're committed, they'll sense it," said
Artinian, a 75-year-old St. Catharines resident. "I had 55 schools I
had to look after as the safety officer for the city of St.
Catharines. And I never stopped and I never looked at the clock."
Inside his home, that commitment is visible everywhere. Awards of
recognition from mayors, police chiefs and school officials cover a
basement wall, and he still has a two-foot wooden statue of Elmer the
Safety Elephant next to his bar.
During his years as the safety officer, he kept a logbook of every
traffic accident involving a child, along with the child's name and
his or her school. He used the book to determine which schools
qualified for his annual safety plaques for having no accidents
during the previous year.
Artinian hoped his successor as safety officer would use the book to
continue the awards. He was disappointed, though, when the Niagara
Regional Police cancelled the program after he retired in 1989.
Because of Artinian's dedication to teaching kids about traffic
safety using Elmer's seven safety rules, the City of St. Catharines
named a playground in Montebello Park after him in 1989.
According to Councillor Joe Kushner, Artinian was a "natural choice"
for the decision to name it the Sgt. Harry Artinian Playground. At
the time, the city was expanding the play equipment in the park to
better serve the surrounding neighbourhoods.
"When we think of Harry Artinian, we think of the safety elephant,"
said Kushner. "Harry was extremely enthusiastic in that role in
encouraging children to play safe, whether in parks or out on the
streets.... He promoted safety whenever he could."
While his Elmer safety talks were his main source of fame, Artinian
was also involved in other community activities. He gave driving
safety courses to adults throughout his career and he played a big
role in the city's ethnic groups, particularly his own Armenian
community. According to Kushner, Artinian was very involved in
organizing the Folk Arts Festival.
Today, adults in St. Catharines continue to recognize "Sergeant
Harry" on the streets and at the malls.
During a visit to the playground, Eilish Donnelly, who went to St.
James Catholic School in the 1960s and '70s, remembered getting up in
front of the students to receive the safety plaque from him.
"(He) was always very genuine, and the kids really liked him," said
Donnelly, who added it was a "big deal" to be chosen to receive the
plaque. "I remember he always came and did the presentations himself.
He never sent anyone else."
According to Artinian's wife, Shirley, he gets recognized everywhere,
"even at the airport in Calgary."
The two had travelled there recently when a man called out "Sergeant
Harry." The man had gone to school in St. Catharines before moving
west to join the RCMP. When Artinian meets such people, his first
question is "What school did you go to?"
Today, Artinian is still active in the safety business. He runs a
company, called High Risk Avoidance, that provides safety seminars
and driver training for seniors wanting to upgrade their skills.
In fact, while baby boomers recognize him everywhere, the seniors he
teaches will often recognize him as well, some of whom were teachers
and principals in the schools he visited.
Meanwhile, the future generations of kids will see his name. Besides
slides and swings, the playground in Montebello Park features a large
stone marker bearing his name and his motto: "The key to safety is
repetition."
Kids will also likely see his name on his next project: an
autobiographical book on his life as a school safety guru.
Niagara Landmarks is a weekly series that explores various parks,
bridges, buildings, monuments and statues around the region. If you
have a suggestion you would like to see featured, call us at
905-684-7251, ext. 249, or send an e-mail to
[email protected].
GRAPHIC:
Photo: Staff Photo by Denis Cahill; Harry Artinian looks down the
children's slide at Montebello Park Wednesday. For 26 years, he tried
to get the message of safety across to students, and he still has the
Elmer the Safety Elephant statue to show for his efforts.