by CONNIE TABBERT
Editor
COBDEN — The crossing guard issue has yet to be fully resolved by the corporate services committee of the Township of Whitewater Region.
The issue of crossing guards was brought to the table at the Aug. 19 committee meeting, but no decision was made.
Chief Administrative Officer Christine FitzSimons noted during budget deliberations, council suggested the crossing guard issue be discussed, because there are three in Cobden and none in Beachburg or Westmeath, where there are also elementary schools.
She noted crossing guards are paid for by the township since it was downloaded by the school board years ago.
It was suggested during budget deliberations there could be changes, she said.
“Did you want to make any changes to the three allocated in Cobden,” CAO FitzSimons questioned. “Did you wish to, for the 2016 budget, have a look at beefing up the crossing guard numbers so there is coverage in the other villages?”
Treasurer Marsha Hawthorne pulled budget figures about how much the township is paying for crossing guards, she noted.
Councillor Daryl McLaughlin said a decision should be made by November so it can be changed in 2016 if that is the wish of council.
Councillor Dave Mackay doesn’t believe there needs to be a crossing guard in Beachburg. The teachers watch the students and there’s a three way stop at the closest intersection, he said.
There are sidewalks for students to walk on when going to the main street and on both sides of the main street in Beachburg, he noted.
Coun. Mackay did suggest possibly painting striped lines or a crosswalk on Beachburg Road where the children should be crossing for those who need to get to the other side of the street.
“It’s not very dangerous,” he said. “When I watched where they went, they followed the sidewalks up and down.
“I don’t think you need crossing guards.”
However, Councillor Cathy Regier disagreed.
“I did watch it myself,” she said. “There is an intersection where you have the county road going straight through and the bank is there. It is quite a busy section of road there and it is very congested morning and afternoon.”
She would like to see at least one crossing guard at that intersection. She suggested instead of hiring another guard, to remove one of the crossing guards from Cobden.
Councillor Charlene Jackson recalled when she was in elementary school many years ago, the Grade 6 and 7 students were the crossing guards. They wore reflective vests and had flags and were properly trained, she said.
“Perhaps we could ask the (principals of the) schools in Cobden, Westmeath and Beachburg, to see if they would be in favour of doing something like that, to have the older students responsible for that,” she said.
She also suggested the principals be asked if crosswalks and crossing guards are required, and if so, where.
The crossing guards in Cobden are located at the annex entrance, the main entrance and on Main Street Cobden at Crawford Street.
Coun. McLaughlin said this discussion should be done at another meeting.
“We cannot increase our budget this year because it’s set,” he said.
Coun. Jackson agreed and she said she has an issue with the two at the entrances. The one on Main Street is required, she said.
However, Coun. McLaughlin said the crossing guards are at the school entrances because of school buses arriving and departing as the children who walk arrive and depart school.
“That is very, very dangerous,” he said. “I’ve brought this issue to my boss, because we’re unloading children off the busses and there are children walking to try and get into the main entrance.
“No, that would not, in my opinion, be a real safe issue to remove the crossing guards,” he said.
Mayor Hal Johnson said Dave Shields, chairman of the Renfrew County District School Board, should be part of the discussion when the committee reviews this issue again.
“I think it’s very iportant,” he said. “There are possibly more issues to be discussed than just crossing guards.”
CAO Fitzsimons said a letter could be sent to the four principals regarding the issue of crossing guards.
She also suggested the four principals and Mr. Shields all be invited to a meeting to discuss the crossing guard issue at the committee meeting in November.
Coun. Jackson suggested they all be made aware of what the issue is and what the proposals are that have been briefly discussed.
The committee passed a motion directing staff to invite representatives from schools in the municipality to the November committee meeting to discuss propsals regarding the crossing guard issue. This motion was then passed at the council meeting following the committee meeting.
