New adult crossing guard at Portobello and Stormwind

Stephen Blais is proud to announce that students of Summerside Public School will be able to get to school safer this year with the addition of a new Adult Crossing Guard.

The new Adult Crossing Guards will be located at the intersection of Portobello Blvd. and Stormwind Ave. in September 2017.

“Ensuring our kids have a safe option of walking to school is very important,” says Blais. “As school boards continue to cut school busing the City is picking up the slack with important investments such as crossing guards.”

The Adult Crossing Guard program is funded by City of Ottawa, though the program is managed by the Ottawa Safety Council, a dedicated group of volunteers that provide safety and education programs to residents in Ottawa.

Only when pedestrians and school crossing guards have crossed and are safely on the sidewalk can drivers and cyclists proceed. Motorists who disregard or ignore an Adult Crossing Guard’s stop sign can be penalized between $150 and $500 and additionally lose demerit points.

“Is the added 10 seconds really worth a $500 fine and potentially injuring or killing a child,” adds Blais. “It is incumbent upon all of us to be aware of our surroundings while driving, especially near schools, as we approach the return to school in the fall.”

Cumberland Ward Councillor Stephen Blais has made road safety one of his top priorities since being elected. In addition to the I Stop, You Stop campaign, Blais has spearheaded and initiated many programs throughout Cumberland Ward and throughout the city to encourage drivers to slow down and reduce careless driving.