TORONTO, Dec. 7, 2022 – Canada’s top crossing guards are beloved members of their community who advocate for children’s safety and educate the community about how to make our roads safer.

The 2022 Canada’s Favourite Crossing Guard Contest drew 368 nominations for 29 crossing guards. The winners are:

  • Geneviève Carrière, École des Moissons, Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Québec. A 10-year veteran of her post, she is beloved in the community. She says hello to all motorists, calls everyone by name and remembers details of their lives. She is noted for her “contagious good humour” and generosity, such as giving out treats at end of year and at Hallowe’en. She’s known for her singing and dancing while at her post, all while navigating heavy traffic and protecting children on the community’s main boulevard.
  • Thomas Dickerson, École Catholique Ste-Croix, Haileybury, Ontario. He has an impeccable safety record for the four years that he has been a crossing guard and he goes above and beyond to engage the kids so that they develop their own skills to safely cross the street. He has worked closely with the school principal and the local Active School Travel program to ensure the students safety while the school underwent a new site design this year. He also started a community garden across the street from the school.
  • Carl Wright, Hillsdale Elementary school, Hillsdale, Ontario. He runs a blog where he posts information on traffic and vehicle safety, sharing his experiences as a crossing guard. He also spread awareness around World Car Free day among the Hillsdale community. One nominee pointed out that “Highway 93 goes through Hillsdale with many vehicles driving way more than 50km/h posted (some upwards of 80-100km/h). His focus on traffic and the children has helped avoid devastation on multiple occasions when vehicles did not stop for the traffic lights.”

Parachute launched this annual contest in 2005 to acknowledge the tremendous efforts of dynamic crossing guards who help keep our children safe. In 2022, we revived the contest after a pandemic shutdown, thanks to our exclusive road-safety partnership with Desjardins Insurance. 

Each winning guard receives $500, as does each of their schools.  “Canada’s Favourite Crossing Guard Contest celebrates the role crossing guards play in their communities on pedestrian safety and helping to keep children safe as they are travelling to and from school,” says Pamela Fuselli, President and CEO of Parachute.

 “As a first-time judge for the crossing guard contest, it was fantastic to read the nominations,” says Valérie Lavoie, President & COO Desjardins General Insurance Group. “There was such positivity and freshness, and such good people! Desjardins is proud to support Parachute’s road safety work, including this contest, and give much deserved recognition to crossing guards across Canada.”

This year’s judges, who selected the three winners, are:

  • Pamela Fuselli, President and CEO, Parachute, Ontario
  • Stephanie Holmes, @SassyModernMom, lifestyle writer and blogger, Ontario
  • Julie Houle, TVA Host, Quebec
  • Richard Louis, Injury Prevention Co-ordinator, NB Trauma Program, New Brunswick
  • Valérie Lavoie, President and COO, Desjardins General Insurance Group, Quebec

For more information on Parachute and our commitment to pedestrian safety, visit parachute.ca.

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To request media interviews:

Kelley Teahen, Vice President, Communications & Marketing, Parachute
416 886-0950 (mobile)
media@parachute.ca

About Parachute

Parachute is Canada’s national charity dedicated to reducing the devastating impact of preventable injuries. Injury is the No. 1 killer of Canadians aged 1 to 44 and the financial toll is staggering, with injury costing the Canadian economy $29.4 billion a year. Through education and advocacy, Parachute is working to save lives and create a Canada free of serious injuries. For more information, visit us at parachute.ca and follow us on on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About Desjardins Group

Desjardins Group is the largest cooperative financial group in North America and the fifth largest cooperative financial group in the world, with assets of $ 404.1 billion. It was named one of the 2022 Canada’s Top 100 Employers by Mediacorp. To meet the diverse needs of its members and clients, Desjardins offers a full range of products and services to individuals and businesses through its extensive distribution network, online platforms and subsidiaries across Canada. Ranked among the world’s strongest banks according to The Banker magazine, Desjardins has one of the highest capital ratios and credit ratings in the industry

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