City has urgent need for crossing guards in Orillia

News release – from the City of Orillia

The Orillia Police Services Board is urgently seeking qualified candidates who are interested in serving their community as a school crossing guard in the City of Orillia.

There are currently 14 locations in the city where adult school crossing guards are positioned; however, there are only 10 regular and one substitute crossing guards at this time due to staffing challenges. In order to have all locations covered, 13 regular and at least three substitute guards are required.

“While recruitment efforts have been ongoing, the City of Orillia is experiencing significant issues recruiting and retaining crossing guards,” said Mayor Steve Clarke, who also serves as the Orillia Police Services Board Chair. “Like other communities and sectors, staffing challenges have been exacerbated by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and as a result of this shortage, the City has prioritized the deployment of existing crossing guards to the busiest crosswalk locations moving forward, leaving some unattended. We encourage anyone who is interested to please apply now to help us fill these positions as soon as possible.”

Due to the shortage of crossing guards at this time, the City has prioritized locations based on pedestrian traffic to deploy the current complement of crossing guards to the busiest crosswalk locations. Consequently, the following crosswalks will not have a crossing guard present until further notice:

• Brant Street and Laclie Street (a mid-block crossing that is very seldom used by student pedestrians).
• Forest Avenue South and Highway 12 Bypass (controlled by traffic lights with pedestrian crossing signal that has a history of low pedestrian volume).
• West Street North at Orchard Park Public School (a mid-block crossing that is very seldom used by student pedestrians).
• George Street and Westmount Drive (a crossing that is controlled with four-way stop signs and is used much less frequently than in the past due to changes in access and egress from Harriett Todd Public School).

Signage will be posted at the affected crosswalks without coverage to advise pedestrians that a crossing guard is not on duty. The Orillia Police Services Board has notified the impacted elementary schools and requested that this information be shared with the school community.

For those who may be crossing an area where a crossing guard is not present, please be cautious and follow these tips:

• Always press the pedestrian “walk” button at traffic-light controlled crossings. At some crossings, you will not get a walk signal unless you press the button and doing so will give you more time to cross.
• At four-way stops, signal your intention to cross by moving to the edge of the roadway and making eye contact with the driver of approaching vehicles to ensure they see you.
• Always look left, look right, then look left again before stepping off the curb.
• Avoid crossing at mid-block locations when the crossing guard is not present. Instead cross at the nearest corner that is controlled by traffic lights and/or stop signs.

For anyone interested in applying to become a school crossing guard, the following are a few facts about this rewarding position:

• Duties include being a responsible safety escort for pedestrians across roadways at designated school crossings while adhering to traffic safety.
• Crossing guards are responsible to perform these duties during all types of weather.
• Crossing guards work two hours per day – from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. and from 3 to 4 p.m.
• Successful candidates are provided with signs and protective outerwear, and receive six hours of paid training.
• Crossing guards work each school day from September through June and have the summer off.
• This position does not work on weekends, school holidays or statutory holidays.

A video informing the community of the role of the crossing guard is available at: https://youtu.be/FdWiJ5JV2Fo.

To apply to become a school crossing guard, please contact Nancy Wilding, the City of Orillia’s Health and Safety Officer, at 705-325-6275 or nwilding@orillia.ca, or apply online at careers.orillia.ca.