Greenway School's Grade 3 students are calling for a crosswalk to be constructed at the intersection of St. Matthews Avenue and Simcoe Street.
Students, staff and families at the school want easier and safer access to Simcoe Tot Lot Park.
On May 2, teacher Sarah Claassen's Grade 3 class visited Daniel McIntyre councillor Cindy Gilroy at City Hall. There, the students attended a meeting of the standing policy committee on infrastructure renewal and public works, where the crosswalk issue was considered. Ms. Gilroy made a presentation to the committee on behalf of the Greenway group.
"We want people to not be jaywalking. We want people to cross the road safely. We want the community to be safe," said Fatima, a Greenway student.
"I live on Home Street and I want to go with my cousins to play at the park," said Lukas, another Greenway student. "I can't go if there's no crosswalk. I would have to go around all the way to the end to go there (the closest crosswalk is at St. Matthews and Arlington). I live with my grandma and she can't walk that far."
The Greenway students undertook the community improvement project as part of their school's ongoing involvement in the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada's Roots and Shoots program. The international program encourages students to identify challenges in their communities and collaborate with local leaders to address them.
