CNIB and Hydro One partner to enhance guide dog safety training infrastructure

TORONTO, April 30, 2025 /CNW/ - CNIB and Hydro One Inc. (Hydro One) announced today a three-year partnership to enhance safety training infrastructure at the CNIB Guide Dogs Canine Campus in Carleton Place, Ontario. The partnership will focus on three components of the training program:

• The Indoor City Simulation where guide dogs are trained in a controlled, real-world environment to safely navigate intersections, public transit, and other urban spaces.
• Expanded safety training features including tactile paving, pedestrian crosswalks, and obstacle navigation to prepare dogs and handlers for real-world mobility challenges.
• Measurable safety outcomes to further demonstrate how every client and guide dog placed in the program has undergone comprehensive training in high-risk environments.

"At CNIB, we believe that safety and independence go hand in hand," said Angela Bonfanti, President & CEO of CNIB. "Hydro One's generous support ensures that Canadians who are blind, Deafblind or low vision can confidently navigate their communities with the assistance of our highly trained guide dogs. Together, we are breaking down barriers and creating a safer, more inclusive world."

"Safety is a core value and at the heart of everything we do at Hydro One and also guides how we give back to the communities where we live, work and play," said David Lebeter, President and CEO, Hydro One. "This three-year partnership with the CNIB will enhance safety training and help build a caring connection between people who are blind and their guide dogs."

People with sight loss often say having a guide dog is a transformational experience. Being part of a guide dog team provides mobility, safety and confidence, leading to increased independence and a sense of connection with the world.

CNIB Guide Dogs has raised, trained, and matched more than 100 guide dog teams across Canada since the program's inception in 2017. With applicants waiting on average three to four years to be matched with a CNIB Guide Dog, partnerships like this are crucial in ensuring every individual who needs a guide dog has access to one.

For more information about CNIB Guide Dogs and how you can support the program, visit cnibguidedogs.ca.

SOURCE Canadian National Institute for the Blind

Media & Partnership Contact: Lauren Butler, Director, Campaigns, CNIB Foundation, [email protected], 437-247-0910; Media can contact Hydro One Media Relations 24 hours a day at 1-877-506-7584 (toll-free in Ontario only) or 416-345-6868.