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Standing on guard

Crossing guard urges drivers to 'get off your cellphones and slow down'

Alexandria Marshall can be having a bad day, but when she approaches the intersection of Westmount Drive and George Street, her frown is turned upside down.

“He knows when you’re in a sour mood, and he can make it better just by us seeing him,” said the Harriett Todd Public School student.

He is Carl White, and he has been helping kids safely across the Orillia intersection for 15 years.

White may be “a joker,” as Marshall’s mother, Cathy, put it, but he takes his job seriously.

“It’s a busy intersection. If he wasn’t here, I’m sure there would be a lot of incidents,” said Cathy Marshall, who walks her daughters, Alexandria, 12, and Kyleigh, 6, to and from school every day. “I’ve seen Carl almost get hit a couple of times.”

Donning his bright, reflective jacket and handheld red stop sign, White can be found at the corner of Westmount and George five days a week.

“I enjoy seeing the kids, making new friends,” he said. “And somebody has to do it.”

His work doesn’t end there. A member of the joint health and safety committee, he visits different intersections every month and reports back on any concerns.

At Westmount and George, “the biggest problem is they don’t stop. Some just run right through,” despite it being a four-way stop, he said.

The thought of becoming a crossing guard came to White while he was working at Kubota.

“I often thought about it when I was working — that it was something I might want to do,” he said.

When he left Kubota, he applied with the city. He started his crossing-guard training at the former Mount Slaven Public School. His first shift was at Highway 12 and Forest Avenue, before being moved to a spot near the former David H. Church Public School. The same year, he set up at Westmount and George, and he's been there since.

“I see kids now that have gone through school, gone through college, and they come back and talk to me,” he said.

White’s passion to see kids remain safe and be successful goes beyond his duties as a crossing guard. He often volunteers to play the role of Santa Claus at local events, where his wife joins him as Mrs. Claus. The two were also involved in Scouting for about 30 years, having started a Beavers group at St. David’s Church.

While safety is his No. 1 priority in his role as a crossing guard, the social aspect is equally fulfilling.

“How did you make out with your red truck?” he asked a father who was crossing with his kids, and White seemed relieved to hear the man’s truck is doing well.

Feb. 21 is Crossing Guard Appreciation Day in Orillia, an opportunity for the city to recognize the important work the guards do every morning and afternoon to keep students safe. The recognition is nice, White said, but he likes to keep his focus on the kids’ safety. If he has one piece of advice for drivers, it’s this: “Get off your cellphones and slow down.”


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Nathan Taylor

About the Author: Nathan Taylor

Nathan Taylor is the desk editor for Village Media's central Ontario news desk in Simcoe County and Newmarket.
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