TORONTO, Dec. 2, 2025 – 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 2025 Canada’s Favourite Crossing Guard Contest drew a contest-record 814 nominations for 126 crossing guards from five provinces. The winners are: 

André Sauvé

École Léopold-Carrière, Les coteaux, Québec

André is known for his passion and joy: he is nicknamed monsieur sourire and monsieur bonheur (Mr. Smile, Mr. Happiness). His playful decorations that change with the seasons and holidays, his Minions and plush toys, all create a warm, visible landmark that catches drivers’ attention, calms anxious students and encourages everyone to follow the rules. Behind the fun lies something serious — André strengthens road awareness, builds trust and creates a sense of safety around the school. Beyond his duties, he is an advocate for anti-bullying and raises awareness about suicide prevention and local organizations that help children by displaying information at his crossing.

Khevin Enriquez

Huron Street Public School and Jesse Ketchum Public School, Toronto

Khevin’s professionalism and warmth make a remarkable difference at one of downtown Toronto’s busiest intersections. Even with heavy traffic and ongoing construction, he remains calm, friendly and attentive. He greets everyone with genuine kindness and ensures children, parents and pedestrians feel safe and cared for. He lifts people’s spirits and teaches the children about safety in engaging, memorable ways. Outside his crossing duties, Khevin continues to give back by helping create arts-based programs and Filipino theatre productions that build community and celebrate culture.

Pat McDermott

Abbotsford School of Integrated Arts (ASIA) – North Poplar, Abbotsford, B.C.

For 25 years, Pat has worked in a high-traffic area and has to keep the traffic flow going safely, as it leads off a highway. He makes sure the children are safely crossing from two directions and is “tough with drivers who make stupid decisions and put pedestrians at risk.” He balances that toughness with friendliness and kindness to the students, who he knows by name and remembers who’s supposed to cross, and who’s supposed to wait at school for their parents. He’s also been tapped to train new crossing guards to learn from his experience and caring attitude.

Parachute, Canada’s national charity dedicated to injury prevention, launched this annual contest in 2005 to acknowledge the tremendous efforts of dynamic crossing guards who help keep our children safe. Since 2022, this contest has been supported by Desjardins Insurance, our exclusive road-safety partner. 

Each winning guard receives $500, as does each of their schools. 

“This year, the nominations for Canada’s Favourite Crossing Guard talked specifically about the dangers in the complex intersections that they are responsible for,” says Pamela Fuselli, President and CEO of Parachute. “These dedicated community champions deserve to be celebrated and recognized for the important work they do every day keeping children and families safe. Thank you to all the crossing guard in Canada and congratulations to the three 2025 award winners.”  

“Desjardins Insurance is proud to continue supporting Parachute and this important contest that shines a spotlight on the incredible work crossing guards do every day,” says Valérie Lavoie, President and COO, Desjardins General Insurance Group. “Their dedication to protecting children and families, while fostering safer communities, is truly inspiring. We celebrate their commitment and thank them for making our roads safer for everyone.”

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

  • Pamela Fuselli, President and CEO, Parachute  
  • Stéphanie Fournier, Senior Vice President, Member and Client Relations and Direct Insurance, Personal Lines (Quebec), Desjardins General Insurance Group
  • Dr. Richard Louis, Injury Prevention Specialist, NB Trauma Program, member of Parachute’s Expert Advisory Committee 
  • Marie-Ève Piché, Content Creator and TV host, @maman_cafeine
  • Jenelle Smit, Digital Creator, @nellecreations

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 Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About Desjardins Group 

Desjardins Group is the largest co-operative financial group in North America and the sixth largest in the world, with assets of $501.3 billion as of June 30, 2025. It has been named one of the top employers in Canada by both Forbes magazine and Mediacorp. It has also been recognized as one of the World’s Best Banks 2025 by Forbes. The organization has more than 57,200 skilled employees. 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, its online platforms, and its subsidiaries across Canada. Ranked among the world’s strongest banks according to The Banker magazine, Desjardins has one of the highest capital ratios and one of the highest credit ratings in the industry. In 2025, Desjardins Group is celebrating its 125th anniversary, marking more than a century of focusing its ambitions and expertise on being there for members and clients.

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