Canada’s top crossing guards are beloved members of their community who advocate for children’s safety and educate the community about how to make our roads safer.
The 2024 Canada’s Favourite Crossing Guard Contest drew 346 nominations for 59 crossing guards across four provinces.
We are thrilled to share that Clayton Ross, a Crossing Guard at St. Paul Catholic School is recognized as one of three award recipients for Canada's Favourite Crossing Guards.
Clayton is cherished by his community for his extraordinary efforts to ensure student safety and spread positivity. Parents praise him for learning the names of students and their families, bringing treats for neighbourhood dogs, and volunteering to teach road safety in classrooms. Clayton even handed out reflective stickers at the end of the school year, urging children to stay safe over the summer.
A parent remarked, “Clayton’s presence is not just about safety; it’s about making every student and family feel seen and valued.”
Parachute, Canada’s national charity dedicated to injury prevention, launched this annual contest in 2005 to acknowledge the tremendous efforts of dynamic crossing guards who help keep our children safe. Since 2022, this contest has been supported by Desjardins Insurance, our exclusive road-safety partner.
Each winning guard receives $500, as does each of their schools.
“Crossing Guards are beacons of safety and trust in a community. They put smiles on children’s faces as they help them travel to and from school,” says Pamela Fuselli, President and CEO of Parachute. “Celebrating these dedicated volunteers is one way of saying thank you, and recognizing how much they give back to the neighbourhoods where they enable children to walk or wheel to school safely.”
“Desjardins Insurance is honoured to support Parachute and the annual Crossing Guard contest, which recognizes the phenomenal work that local crossing guards do daily, to better protect their communities,” says Valérie Lavoie, president and COO, Desjardins General Insurance Group. “The efforts of each crossing guard, to reduce road-related injuries and fatalities is as honourable as their unique ability to connect with the students and pedestrians they interact with on a daily basis.”