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Cheryl Turpin, Crossing Guard, Convent Glen Catholic School

Hello everyone! For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Cheryl Turpin. I am the morning crossing guard (last year the afternoon guard) at the corner of Jeanne d’Arc and Fortune. I want to share some important information about pedestrian safety and the ongoing construction in our area.

Pedestrian Safety Rules

It’s crucial for drivers to understand and follow the rules regarding pedestrian crosswalks. According to Ontario’s regulations, it is against the law, with fines up to $2000, for any vehicle to enter, encroach upon, or drive through a crosswalk when it is occupied. This means waiting until all occupants, including children, crossing guards, adults, dogs, bikes, etc., are safely on the sidewalk before proceeding¹. I will stand in front of your car with my sign if you attempt to enter the crosswalk. Please obey the law. If you have an issue, contact the Ottawa Safety Council. Please ensure your kids know that they will be required to walk their bikes across the crosswalk and the same with scooters.

For more detailed information on these rules, you can visit the Ontario Government’s page on driving near pedestrian crossovers and school crossings¹. Additionally, the new crosswalk rule implemented in Ontario can be confusing for some drivers. The rule requires drivers to wait until pedestrians have completely crossed the road before moving forward². You can read more about this on Young Drivers of Canada’s blog³.

Construction Updates

You may have noticed the construction at our intersection. After speaking with the Project Manager, Kyle Delaney, I can report the following updates:

• A temporary crosswalk will be located 30 feet to the right of the current location (toward the fire station) with overhead signals that are pedestrian-controlled. These are not traffic lights; the current lights will remain in use until they are replaced by the temporary ones.
• Two construction flaggers will be monitoring and controlling the flow of traffic.
• There will be two weeks of digging sidewalks and streets for the installation of a large sewer line and new catch basins.
• Existing gravel will be graded and maintained until temporary sidewalks are installed.
• Current light signals will stay in place until the temporary signals are installed.

For more information on the construction project, you can visit the City of Ottawa’s page on Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard Transit Measures⁴.

If you have any questions, please contact the Project Manager, Kyle Delaney, using the email from the City of Ottawa page above.

See you on Tuesday morning! Give yourselves lots of time and please be patient.

¹ Ontario Government’s page on driving near pedestrian crossovers and school crossings

² Stopping for pedestrian crossovers | The Official MTO Truck Handbook

³ Young Drivers of Canada’s blog on Ontario’s new crosswalk rule

⁴ City of Ottawa’s page on Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard Transit Measures