THUNDER BAY – Allan Smith has been getting kids to and from school for 25 years.
He was celebrated for his effort on Wednesday at the Oliver Road Community Centre, along with several of his colleagues, as the city proclaimed it Crossing Guard Week in Thunder Bay.
“I’ve enjoyed it very, very much,” Smith said.
“I’m not one to sit in front of the TV all day and watch. I’ve got to get out and do something. I’ve enjoyed being a crossing guard very much.”
Coun. Kasey Etreni, serving as acting mayor for June, read the city’s proclamation and said crossing guards - and the service they provide - are invaluable to the safety and security of school children across Thunder Bay, and has been since 1947 when the program first began in Port Arthur.
They’re about to get even more important, Etreni added.
“They are very important to the safety of our children, walking to school every day. I think with the new provincial government mandate to change the busing regulations, we’re going to see even more children walking to school,” Etreni said.
“We have to recognize that crossing guards do more than just the safety on the streets. They are actually truly supportive of our children, whether they need someone to talk to, whether they decorate their huts to bring some humour and some smiles on kids’ faces. They also affect people who are driving.”
City officials said they continue to recruit seeking new crossing guards, noting they require them for just over two hours a day in the early morning and afternoon, with weekends, holidays and summers off. There’s also a winter clothing allowance.
