A reception was held this morning at City Hall to honour North Bay’s crossing guards, those stalwart citizens who help keep our kids safe day in and day out. About 20 guards were in attendance, and all received a certificate of appreciation from Mayor Peter Chirico on behalf of the city.
“We are so very pleased to be able to recognize and honour each and every one of you today,” Mayor Chirico said. He emphasized that crossing guards help many people in the city—not just children—to safely cross the street.
“It brightens my day,” seeing the crossing guards, Chirico said, adding they “are ambassadors of the city” with their helpful ways. “It doesn’t matter if it’s rain, snow, sleet, hail, every day, you’re out there.”
You’ll find Cory Potter out there on the corner of Connaught and Norman Avenues, stop sign in hand, protecting the kids. “I’ve been doing it for about a year and a half, and I love it,” he said. “It’s so rewarding, meeting people, and serving the public, I like everything about it.”
Elizabeth Tremblay agrees. She’s been a crossing guard for around three years, holding down the fort at Sage Road and Donald Street. “They’re awesome kids,” she said. “I’m always talking to them and they’re always talking to me and at Christmas we exchange little gifts or treats.”
As part of today’s celebration, Tremblay was given a new stop sign, from the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit. In total, the health unit gave out five new signs, and they are top of the line, complete with hand warmer on the handle and lights so bright the sign will be seen through the lowest of visibility.
Shannon Bird, a community health promotor on the healthy school’s team, presented those new signs on behalf of the health unit and mentioned more will be coming. Each sign costs around $380, so “it’s a slow rollout.” However, “we have the high visibility signs at half of the crossing guard posts in the city.”
Chuck Seguin from the Nipissing-Parry Sound Student Transportation Services joined the celebration as well. “Crossing guards, not only in the city of North Bay, but throughout the Nipissing-Parry Sound district, are an integral part of student safety,” he emphasized.
“Crossing guards deliver a valuable service to the community,” he added. “We certainly support them, they’re part of our overall strategy for students getting to school safely.”
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
