Bringing peace to Toronto’s streets – Street Peace a new podcast series

Street Peace – Tempers on the streets are at an all-time high and 2018 is on track to be one of the deadliest years ever on Toronto’s roads by way of deaths and injuries.¹ A new podcast series called StreetPeace, produced by RSA Canada, one of Canada’s leading property and casualty insurers, is tackling the issue head-on.

The first three episodes of the series focus on the need for more empathy and education for all parties, and how the future of transportation and infrastructure will impact street safety.

TruceTO, a corporate social responsibility initiative by RSA Canada, aims to turn the heat down in the ongoing debate about sharing the streets in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Its online hub contains a variety of tools, resources and tips on road safety – something all road users can benefit from in their daily lives. With the introduction of StreetPeace, listeners are invited to reassess their attitudes towards street safety and hear what the experts, advocates and policymakers have to say.

“Via StreetPeace, we’re able to discuss the issues facing Torontonians when it comes to sharing our streets with some of the figures at the forefront of change in the city,” says Donna Ince, Senior Vice President, Personal Insurance at RSA Canada. “The podcast series allows us to bring differing perspectives to the table in a productive discussion – a key goal of TruceTO. The forum allows us to explore what we’re doing and what more we can be doing to encourage our fellow street users to pledge their support of the movement to reduce fatalities on our streets.”

Prominent guests who have appeared on the podcast series to date include:

• Kristyn Wong-Tam, Toronto City Councillor for Ward 13
• Nancy Smith Lea, Director of the Toronto Centre for Active Transportation
• Kyle Ashley, Street safety advocate and former parking enforcement officer with the Toronto Police Service
• Sasha Sud, Director, Smart Cities at MaRS Discovery District

“Improving our road safety in Toronto is urgent and important for the health, safety and well-being of all our residents and communities,” says Councillor Wong-Tam, who appeared on episode one of StreetPeace. “Road safety advocacy movements like TruceTO are integral to shifting mindsets on issues such as promoting safe streets and healthy communities, which are crucial in improving our city.”

More episodes are planned for 2019, a time when all Torontonians should do their part in ensuring that the year’s statistics aren’t as grim as the numbers in 2018. Listen to StreetPeace episodes one, two and three on iTunes, Google Play Music, SoundCloud and wherever else you get your podcasts.

To learn more about TruceTO, test your road safety knowledge and take the pledge to be a better road sharer, visit www.truceto.com. TruceTO aligns with RSA’s ambition of Making Life Better Together and supports its Corporate Responsibility Safe, Secure World pillar, which focuses on safeguarding its customers from everyday risks. To learn more about RSA Canada’s corporate social responsibility, visit https://www.rsagroup.ca/about-us/corporate-responsibility/our-corporate-responsibility-journey.