Amy McSheffrey, an 8-year evaluator and tester with the Canadian Toy Testing Council, organizes toys for sale at the CTTC's final sale on Saturday, April 18, 2015.
Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
April 19, 2015 - 5:03 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 Council 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 Toy Test Council'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 Council has been in operation since 1952, counting on donors, corporate sponsors and volunteers to fund its testing programs.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2015