Still no crossing guards near crash-prone Hamilton intersections
Three weeks after students returned to the new St. Patrick elementary school in central Hamilton, families are still waiting for the city to hire crossing guards for nearby intersections, including one on busy Main Street East.
The Catholic elementary school had been closed for roughly two school years while it was demolished and rebuilt to accommodate students from St. Brigid's Catholic Elementary School. It reopened May 2.
The school, located at the corner of East Avenue North and King William Street, should have two crossing guards - at East and Main Street East, and East and King Street East. But both require staffing at this time," the city says.
The board is always concerned about student safety, especially in areas which experience a high concentration of vehicular traffic," Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board chair Pat Daly said in an email.
If the past is any indication, it could take some time to find people for these hard-to-fill positions.
As of May 18 - about a month before the end of the school year - the city was almost 50 crossing guards short. In an email to The Spec, city staff said 30 of the 232 locations across Hamilton that need a crossing guard don't have one.
The city is also short 18 spare guards, who fill in when regulars are absent.
The city is experiencing staffing shortages," said James Buffet, city manager of parking enforcement and school safety, in an email.
For years, the city has had a tough time recruiting and retaining crossing guards - and not without reason. The jobs pay $17.20 an hour (just above the provincial minimum), involves fewer than three hours of work a day (typically a split shift) and requires working outdoors in the heat, cold, rain and snow.
In winter of 2022, 15 to 20 locations a day were without crossing guards. Back then, the city had more guards on its payroll - 212 regulars and 22 spares. In September 2021, the city was short more than 30 guards.
Daly said the board understands there is an ongoing shortage, but hopes priority will be given to St. Patrick Catholic Elementary School, where students and parents are not only becoming acquainted with their new neighbourhood but are learning to navigate its busy streets."
Four of the 10 worst intersections for crashes that result in injury or death are found on Main Street West or East - including where it crosses Victoria Avenue South, a block away from the St. Patrick crossing guard location - according to city collision statistics. Also on the list is King and Victoria, a block away.
Buffet said the city is actively" recruiting to fill vacant positions through public job postings, school board communications and social-media channels. In September, the hourly rate will increase to $19.05.
Kate McCullough is an education reporter at The Spectator. kmccullough@thespec.com