Safety Council desperately seeking crossing guards

Between 2016 to 2020, there were 27 fatalities involving pedestrians in Ottawa. Specifically in 2020, there were 195 reported road collisions resulting in injuries to pedestrians, with two fatalities, according to figures from the City of Ottawa.

Crossing guards play an important role in keeping the most vulnerable road user, children, safe in school zones. As the upcoming school year draws closer, the Ottawa Safety Council (OSC) – the employer of Crossing Guards across the Nation’s Capital – is concerned about the serious staffing shortages it is facing.

The pandemic has had a detrimental effect and created significant staffing shortages for the OSC’s Crossing Guard program throughout the year. This, in addition to rising gas prices and individuals seeking different types of jobs outside of the service industry, have been the key reasons for the challenges the OSC is facing with its recruitment of Crossing Guards.

The Adult Crossing Guard Program is a partnership between the City of Ottawa and the OSC, in which the OSC deploys crossing guards across the city at over 260 school-zone intersections. The OSC’s crossing guards help create safer school zones across the four school boards in Ottawa, which directly impacts 150 schools. Every year, the OSC’s Crossing Guards conduct approximately four million safe crossings.

We are appealing to individuals interested in making a difference in the community to join our team. Our crossing guard team is full of dedicated individuals, passionate about keeping children safe. Over 60 percent of the OSC’s crossing guards have been with the organization for over three years! We offer a competitive wage with various perks and opportunities for bonuses.

Scout, an OSC crossing guard since 2019, describes it as “ a great job for those that wish to work independently, meet with the public, and help children cross safely. It’s also a good
job for students studying in college.”

“Nothing makes a day better than a random driver opening their window and thanking you for keeping the kids safe as they are at the stop light,” says Eleanor, a OSC crossing guard since 2019.

Help the Ottawa Safety Council keep children safe by helping us get the word out about this important and rewarding part-time job in the community. Crossing Guards protect our future leaders as they get to and from school.

Find out more at www.crossing-guard.ca.

This article was written by Jamie Kwong, executive director of the Ottawa Safety Council.

[Editor’s note: For more articles on road safety, see Ottawa Major Jim Watson’s column Improving road safety in Ottawa and Cyclist collisions re-kindle safety concerns.]