At a council meeting on February 11, the District of North Vancouver council voted 4-3 on a motion by Councillor Jordan Back to address safety near local schools. The motion directs staff to explore funding options for high-priority school crossings, establish a pilot program for school crossing guard in collaboration with School District 44, and report on the potential expansion of the pilot.
The motion for the pilot project was opposed by Mayor Mike Little, and Councillors Catherine Pope and Betty Forbes, though the motion for the guards was supported by Coun. Pope.
The motion for the pilot was supported by Councillors Jordan Back, Jim Hanson, Lisa Muri and Herman Mah.
Parents have raised concerns about unsafe school crossings, particularly at Eastview Elementary School. In hit motion, Coun. Back highlighted examples from neighboring municipalities, including the City of North Vancouver and Vancouver, with similar programs. He also pointed to the North Shore Safety Council as a potential resource for training crossing guards.
Speaking to the motion, Back underscored the challenges families face when walking to school because he is also a parent of two young children. While infrastructure improvements through the district’s Safe Routes to Schools Program have helped, Back stressed that some key crossings remain dangerous and require immediate attention.
“We need a focused and immediate approach to protecting our youngest and most vulnerable road users,” he said, explaining that the pilot program would provide a structured, reliable solution. He noted that many schools rely on parent volunteers for crossing guard duties, but it’s inconsistent due to a lack of training. “A structured, funded program would ensure that crossings are staffed consistently by trained professionals, providing safety and peace of mind for families,” he added.
Back urged staff to identify cost-effective solutions while prioritizing the highest-risk school crossings. “This is a practical, achievable step toward making our school zones safer,” he said, citing studies that show crossing guards significantly reduce collisions and near misses.
The motion, he added, reflects concerns heard from parents, school PACs, and community members across the district. “We’ve heard stories of near misses at crosswalks, drivers failing to slow down in school zones, and families feeling uneasy about letting their children walk to school. These are not minor inconveniences—they are real safety concerns that demand action.”
The sidewalks and sight lines near Eastview area have been worked on since the school kids brought this forward as a concern for safety. So much better. Way to go kids. I was a school crossing guard when I was a student at Eastvuew.
MOST Elementary Schools in North Vancouver were built in the 1950-70 period with the expectation being that children would walk or cycle to school. (for example Seymour Heights Elementary which I attended for grades 1-3 or Norgate Elementary which my brother attended – both of us were expected to walk to school) Lynn Valley Elementary is about the ONLY elementary school located close to an arterial road.
While I understand the present generation of parents like to drop their kids off at school, most of these have student crossing guards such as the one my son headed up in his 6th-7th grade days at Upper Lynn. (My children normally walked to elementary school via a cul de sac one block from my home that connected to a small park which connected to the Upper Lynn school grounds)
If in 2025 it is decided paid adult crossing guards are needed this should be part of the school board budget and not the District of North Vancouver budget.
I routinely walk my dog in the area around the local elementary school and while some parents do drive their kids to school, most do walk and the only real issue I can see is too many cars within a block of the school at 9 am and 3 pm.
I do NOT support funding this from the general District of North Vancouver budget which is already stressed to the max.