Victoria will increase funding for crossing-guard services this year.
City councillors agreed Thursday to provide an additional $69,000 out of contingency funds to the Greater Victoria Crossing Guards Association, on top of a previous grant of $25,000.
The funding means crossing-guard services will be provided at the intersections of Bay and Forbes streets, and Hillside Avenue and Doncaster Drive, in addition to services already provided.
“I think these services are essential in the community,” said Coun. Ben Isitt.
“I don’t think we’ve landed on the appropriate long-term funding model, but I think it definitely is supportable as a one-time expenditure.”
Coun. Jeremy Loveday said it’s important to ensure children have safe routes to schools and more efforts have to be made in terms of traffic calming. “I’ve heard for years specifically about Bay and Forbes and about Hillside and Doncaster, to a lesser extent, from parents who are worried about their kids getting to school safely.”
Mayor Lisa Helps said that as the city grows, the Greater Victoria School District is having to consider the possibility of new schools and reopening schools.
“We want to make sure not only that kids can get safely to and from school, but that they have that sense of autonomy and freedom to move and that the city and public spaces also belong to them,” Helps said. “I think crossing guards are a key part of that.”
The newly formed Greater Victoria Crossing Guards Association, created when Beacon Community Services stopped managing the crossing-guard program, had missed the window for grant applications, said Susanne Thompson, city director of finance.
“There was a timing gap between the two organizations and as such, the crossing guard association missed the application window in 2018 for the strategic plan grant intake for that year,” she said.
“They did request a grant outside of the cycle and council did approve that, [but] unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding, they only requested funding for September to December 2018 rather than the school year.”
The association continued to provide services January to June, but without approved funding, so the $25,000 council has already approved was used to cover those costs, Thompson said.
The schools serviced through the crossing guard program include Margaret Jenkins, Lansdowne, Oaklands, George Jay, Quadra, Sir James Douglas and South Park.
Fraser Work, director of engineering, said city staff will be meeting with school district staff and other stakeholders in the fall to find a more sustainable funding system.
