Beurling Academy parents demand Verdun build a crosswalk across busy Champlain Boulevard

Parents at Beurling Academy say they’re concerned about student safety when being dropped off on Champlain Boulevard.

Audrey Pratt drops off her two children every morning.

She says, the last stretch to school is the most dangerous part of the journey.

She would know, a few years ago one of her kids was hit by a car a just a few blocks away.

Her son was fine but she is still concerned.

“You don’t want to see that happen to someone else, especially on this road,” she said watching traffic rush by.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "You don't want to see that happen to someone else, especially on this road," she said watching traffic rush by.

With no stop signs or crosswalks on that stretch of Champlain, many drivers don’t see a need to slow down.

“Cars don’t stop, nobody pays attention,” said Pratt. “To me, it’s a school zone, people should stop even if there’s lines or not.”

Parents at Beurling are asking the borough to paint a crosswalk here.

Verdun city councillor Sterling Downey says one is on the way, but not for the reason you might think.

There are plans to build a dog park across the street and those plans include a crossing.

“From what I heard from Verdun Mayor Jean-Francois Parenteau, there will be a crosswalk there because of the dog park,” he said.

There is a designated drop off zone on the school side of the street.

Downey says part of the problem is drivers are using Champlain Boulevard as a bypass around detours to get to the highway.

“Drivers are now are going down Champlain westbound, crossing over to Angrignon to merge onto Highway 720.  Parents want to drop their kids off on the opposite side from the school and it’s becoming a huge problem,” he said.

That’s exactly the case for Pratt who heads off to St-Laurent after dropping off her kids.

She says she’s worried that another one of her kids will end up in the hospital because of a dangerous commute.