Three times a day every school day – even when the weather is terrible. Our 114 school crossing guards are on the street.

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON  March 19, 2012  They are the men and woman who see our kids safely across the street morning, noon and at the end of the school day.  They are there when the weather is nice; they are there when the weather is not so nice and they are there when the weather is terrible.

They are the set of eyes that keep an eye on your child and while they aren’t a part of the team that educates your child they perhaps should be, because they see behaviour that a classroom teacher might miss and that a parent would like to know about.

Christine Hopwood is the woman that ensures there is a crossing guard for your child at every school in the city.

The school crossing guard program is run out of city hall where Christine Hopwood and John Crass, Manager of Traffic Services for the city,  oversee the 114 crossing guards that make the three trips a day needed to ensure that traffic is aware that children are crossing the street and that everything stops.

There are days Hopwood will tell you “when we get the phone calls telling us that a particular guard can’t make it to their station and then the team swings into action.  Dennis Ward is the first replacement to go out followed by Emily Keith and then I am in my car. If we need more help I call the Burlington detachment of the Halton Regional Police and they get an officer out to the intersection.”

“Some days” Hopwood adds, “it gets a little hectic’.

“We are constantly looking for crossing guards” says Hopwood, who adds that “we have a pressing need for guards in the Orchard community.  If you know anyone in the area please have them get in touch with me.

Crossing guards are usually seniors who have the time and find the income helps.  Guards are paid between $10.54 an hour up to $13.17  They are given the uniforms they need which consists of a vest a hat and of course the STOP sign.  They are paid mileage to get to and from their crossing station.  “We look for people in the community so that they don’t have to drive very far and people in the community know the children as well” explains Hopwood.

“We are concerned about the workplace safety of the people who stand out in the middle of a street or road – we have, thankfully” adds Hopwood, “never had a guard injured by a vehicle.”

Every August we bring all the crossing guards in for an instruction session where we review the job they have signed up to do and listen to their concerns and complaints.  “There are some complaints” admits Hopwood “but we always get them resolved.  We have a structure in place where Zone leaders are the first response to concerns a crossing guard might have and if they can’t be resolved at that level they come to me and they do get resolved.”

Christine Hopwood is a “resolver” if she is anything.  She brings a cheerful voice with a distinct accent and a fast walking pace to everything she does.  One doesn’t see Christine standing around – unless she is out on a street filling in for a crossing guard who couldn’t make it to their station.

The crossing guard programs costs the city $1.1 million annually and covers every school – even the private schools.. “For the most part” explains Hopwood “the private schools don’t need any help from us because they bus their students in.”

The key issue for the people that administer the crossing guard program is the safety of everyone involved.  “Slip and Fall accidents are what plague us” explains Hopwood “and we have very few of those.”

John Crass, Manager of Traffic Services has oversight of the school guard crossing staff as part of his file

Each year there is an Awards Dinner for all the crossing guards..  “These men and woman are a part of the community adds John Crass who supervises the work Christine does and manages issues that come from the public and council members who may have concerns.  Hopwood is the face of the program out in the field.  John is the “inside” man.

Sgt Chantal Corner, the liaison with the Burlington detachment of the Halton Regional Police, speaks to the crossing guards each year.  Last briefing session a crossing guard who didn’t measure much more than 5’2” asked if she could do a “citizen’s arrest” if she saw someone doing something she thought was wrong.  The Sgt, a good 5’10” didn’t miss a beat when she responded: “It would be better if you gave us a call”.

Those crossing guards are they eyes and ears of the community standing on the street watching over your children.  In the weeks and months ahead we are going to profile many of those men and woman for you.  They are a remarkable bunch.

One last word – if you know anyone in the Orchard community that you think would be a good school crossing guard – have them give Christine a call at 905-335-0172.  We asked Christine if there wasn’t a web site people could go to and she replied. “I’d rather talk to people directly.  I’ll personally take all the calls” – so there you go – if you think you’d like to be a crossing guard – Christine Hopwood is your gal.  Give her a call.

 

 

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