• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
South Muskoka Doppler

South Muskoka Doppler

Read Local

  • Home
    • All Stories
    • Community Guidelines
  • COVID-19
  • News
  • Community
  • Commentary
    • Letters
  • Business
    • Professionally Speaking
  • Sports
  • Obituaries
  • Lifestyle
    • Entertainment
  • Events
    • Event Listings
    • Add Your Event
  • Speak Up, South Muskoka!
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
  • North Muskoka
  • Art Fx
You are here: Home / News / GPS parents ask council to address James Street crosswalk concerns

GPS parents ask council to address James Street crosswalk concerns

By Jane Glenn On July 1, 2022 News

Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
Email this to someone
email
Print this page
Print

Parents at Gravenhurst Public School (GPS) have approached council to improve the safety of a school crosswalk. 

Christina Hunter, Chair of GPS’s parent council attended the June 21 Committee of the Whole meeting with a request for a crossing guard or a crosswalk at James Street.

Hunter explained that the school currently has 265 students, only 20 of whom take the bus, “so we are a predominantly walking school.”

“A number of the students walk from Pratt Crescent, Fernwood Drive and they take the trail to head to the Ridge as well, ” she said, noting that Gravenhurst High School students also use the crossing area. 

Hunter gave comparisons to other local schools: Bracebridge has three crossing guards at three “heavily trafficked crossings” and Huntsville has one crossing guard per school. 

“Even though we have the most students walking, we have no crossing guard,” Hunter said. 

Hunter said that students walking via other intersections can safely cross, but “the students leaving the backside of the school, on James Street, have no safety measures.”

Hunter then read a statement from OPP officer Sam Bigley, who also sits on GPS’s parent council. She agreed it was a busy street, with not just local traffic but also commercial vehicles. Biggs said she has watched traffic with her radar on many mornings and after school  and knows drivers would be going much faster if her vehicle wasn’t there. She also said that the existing lines on the road are faded and re-painting them soon would be a step in the right direction.

Hunter also read some statements from parents who have had scares at the intersection, with cars rolling through, not waiting for pedestrians to cross and cars coming around the corner too fast. “It is an accident waiting to happen,” finished one statement. 

Hunter concluded her presentation saying that the parent council would help in any way to promote a job posting and that they already had one interested party. 

Coun. Varney was the first to voice her support. “As the councillor for Ward 1, I know that the condos over there, I worked with Mr. Stacey to get the flashing lights over there because they were having a terrible time being able to see around the corner. I absolutely would support a crossing guard there.”

Deputy Mayor Lorenz asked if it would make sense to do an analysis because there are people using the crosswalk year-round, and kids use it during non-school hours. 

Don’t miss out on Doppler!

Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox three times per week!

Click here to support local news

Reader Interactions

Join the discussion:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All comments are moderated. Please ensure you include both your first and last name and abide by our community guidelines. Submissions that do not include the commenter's full name or that do not abide by our community guidelines will not be published.

Primary Sidebar

  • Recent Stories
  • Popular
  • July 18, 2022 3

    Councillor proposes Bracebridge-wide item swap weekends

  • August 6, 2022 3

    Is Muskoka going to the dogs?

  • July 14, 2022 2

    Cyclist struck in Gravenhurst

  • August 8, 2022 2

    Muskoka Lakes considers indoor lighting restrictions

  • July 29, 2022 1

    MAHC self-screening requirements for COVID-19 start July 28

  • August 12, 2022 0

     District passes accidental water leak policy

  • August 12, 2022 0

    Council considers basketball courts in Bala

  • August 12, 2022 0

    Dockside Festival and Muskoka Music Festival join forces

  • August 11, 2022 0

    Complaint leads to impaired charges in Gravenhurst

  • August 11, 2022 0

    Brenda Rhodes running for District council

  • 2021 Federal Election (1)
  • A Sponsored Profile (6)
  • Advertise (1)
  • Art Fx (13)
  • Breaking (2)

Footer

About Doppler

Established by a bunch of local news hounds, Doppler strives to be the go-to source for people wanting to know more about what is going on their community.

We strive to provide local news that is relevant and timely. We also look to tell local stories that inspire, inform and engage.

Notice the persistent use of the word local? Our mantra is local. South Muskoka Doppler serves the communities of Bracebridge, Gravenhurst and Muskoka Lakes with features on local people doing extraordinary things, local business spotlights, news and sports coverage, all supplemented by provocative opinion pieces on topics near and far. We are working hard for you.

Feel free to drop us a line at matt.driscoll@doppleronline.ca and tell us how we are doing, what you would like to see more of, or to just say ‘Hi’.

Thank you for reading Doppler.

South Muskoka Doppler – READ LOCAL
A division of C3 Digital Media Group Inc.

Bracebridge Ontario Canada
August 12, 2022, 11:36 pm
Clear
Clear
11°C
real feel: 12°C
current pressure: 1020 mb
humidity: 87%
wind speed: 0 m/s N
wind gusts: 1 m/s
UV-Index: 0
sunrise: 6:15 am
sunset: 8:30 pm
© 2022 AccuWeather, Inc.
 

Recent Comments

  • Jackson Triggs on Wakes, noise and speed: Lakes survey reflects growing frustrations
  • Robert Dyment on Graydon Smith faces charges laid by private citizen
  • brian sisler on One person dead, one injured in Bracebridge shooting
  • RJR on What on earth has happened to us? | Commentary
  • RJR on Is Muskoka going to the dogs?
  • Heather Boyce on Muskoka Lakes considers indoor lighting restrictions
  • Bob Braan on Muskoka Lakes considers indoor lighting restrictions
  • Bob Braan on Is Muskoka going to the dogs?

Copyright © 2022 ·Doppler Online, a division of C3 Digital Media Group Inc. · Log in
  • About
  • Support Local News
  • Advertise with us!
  • Community Guidelines
  • Contact