Rosco Martin, 5, choses a toy at the final sale of the Canadian Toy Testing Council on Saturday, April 18, 2015. Founded in 1952, the CTTC provided independent assessments of quality and educational enhancement for toys; it closes in 2015 due to a lack of funding. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
April 18, 2015 - 9:46 AM
OTTAWA - The Canadian Toy Testing Council is selling off its remaining toys and books at its headquarters in Ottawa on Saturday, after the volunteer organization announced this week it will be closing its doors in June.
The CTTC has given countless parents independent advice for decades on which toys are the best for their children, by enlisting volunteer families each year to test hundreds of items.
Under the program, children would take the toys into their homes for six to 12 weeks.
The toys were then rated based on safety, durability, design, function and play value.
The CTTC's website says the organization "has been under financial stress for several years," which prompted the council's board of directors to vote last month to cease operations.
The CTTC has been in operation since 1952, counting on donors, corporate sponsors and volunteers to fund its testing programs.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2015