Listen to this article
Estimated 4 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
When Jessica Houde-Woytiuk arrived at an intersection in Montreal West early Tuesday morning, she walked straight up to the crossing guard manning the road and gave him a hug.
“I don’t think he understands how much this population has been waiting … for the safety of our children,” said Houde-Woytiuk, a parent at the nearby Royal West Academy and parent commissioner at the English Montreal School Board.
After years of public pressure, a crossing guard is now stationed — at least until the end of the school year — at the busy intersection of Westminster Avenue and Ainslie Road, just steps from the train station and the local high school.
As students began to trickle in around 7:30 a.m., the mood at the corner was closer to celebration than a typical school morning. At one point, a driver slowed down, honked, and shouted “Finally!” — drawing cheers from a group of parents waiting to cross.
WATCH | Crossing guard comes to Montreal West:
Montreal West gets crossing guard for contentious intersection where students were hit by cars
A new crossing guard is now on duty in the municipality of Montreal West after parents and students spent months pushing for one to be assigned to an area where students were recently struck by vehicles.
Houde-Woytiuk said the reaction speaks to how deeply the issue has resonated in the community.
“Oh, we are absolutely overjoyed,” she said. “I think he’s probably the most liked crossing guard today in all of Quebec.”
The push for increased safety measures in the area began after a student was struck by a car at the intersection in 2024. In February of this year, two more students — ages 12 and 13 — were hit and taken to hospital with minor injuries.
Jessica Houde-Woytiuk, right, and Joanna Duy, left, were among a group of parents asking for a crossing guard to be stationed near the high school. (Aatefeh Padidar/CBC News)
Parents say the intersection poses unique risks. It sits about 100 metres from a level crossing near the Montreal West station, where frequent train crossings disrupt traffic flow and, at times, lead to impatient driving.
“We started with parent committees, went to the city, got the school board involved,” Houde-Woytiuk said. “We haven’t given up.”
Their efforts grew into a broader campaign — including a petition backed by local MNA Désirée McGraw — calling for changes to provincial rules that typically limit crossing guards to areas near elementary schools.
LISTEN | One parent spoke to CBC last year about the effort to get a crossing guard:
Daybreak Montreal11:50Should high schools have crossing guards?
Concerned parents in Montreal West says one street crossing is so dangerous, they want their high school to have a crossing guard. They’re worried for the safety of their teenagers after a Royal West student was hit by a car last year. Daybreak hears from parent Joanna Duy, who is behind a new petition sent to the National Assembly, and the mayor of Montreal West, Jonathan Cha.
Joanna Duy, who chairs the safety subcommittee of the school’s parent participation organization, said seeing a crossing guard in place is already changing behaviour.
“[I’m] very happy and relieved,” she said. “To just see how the cars will actually stop for them now.”
In Montreal, crossing guards are typically only assigned near elementary schools, not high schools like Royal West. Montreal police allocated funding for this crossing guard until the end of the school year in June — something parents and school officials say is not enough.
Royal West Academy principal David Lee says having a crossing guard is a step forward — but hopes it won’t stop here. (Aatefeh Padidar/CBC News)
Royal West Academy principal David Lee said the presence of a crossing guard is making a difference, but the conversation needs to continue.
“It’s a great solution,” he said. “It’ll be interesting to see what will happen in the fall.”
Mayor of Montreal West Jonathan Cha says the change reflects a collaborative effort between the community and different levels of government.
“Everyone demonstrated attentiveness and openness in the search for solutions. Student safety is everyone’s responsibility, and we are happy to have brought together all stakeholders to enhance the process,” he said.
For now, families say they’re taking a moment to appreciate what they’ve achieved together — a small but meaningful victory born out of persistence.
“This is one piece of the puzzle,” Houde-Woytiuk said. “But it’s a big one.”