Supported by:

Our national contest honouring the best crossing guards in Canada has three winners from Ontario and Quebec.

Extraordinary crossing guards across Canada are at the front line of children’s safety, providing vigilance, caring and community as children travel to and from school. Parachute, Canada’s national charity dedicated to injury prevention, wants to hear about these unsung community heroes through our Canada’s Favourite Crossing Guard contest.

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.”

This annual contest was launched 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.

Our 2022 contest judges

  • 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

History of Canada’s Favourite Crossing Guard contest

Parachute, Canada’s national charity dedicated to injury prevention, launched Canada’s Favourite Crossing Guard Contest in 2005 to acknowledge the tremendous efforts of dynamic crossing guards who help keep our children safe.

To date, Canada’s Favourite Crossing Guard Contest has honoured 48 crossing guards nationwide.

Top