It’s the first day of school for Grade 7 students at Beurling Academy in Montreal’s Verdun borough.
There is one difference: there are now two brand new crosswalks on Champlain Boulevard heading into the school.
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It’s a welcome relief for some parents and faculty.
“It’s a big help,” said Ardis Root, who directs the adult centre at the school.
However, Sterling Downey, a city councillor in Verdun, argues the crosswalks are poorly thought out.
Though designed to allow pedestrians to cross the street, they don’t connect to a sidewalk on the other side of the street, just grass at the edge of a park.
Yet, as students trudged into school, parents and staff insist the crosswalks are a welcome sight.
“It was always a bit dicey,” said Julie Prescesky, a parent to three Beurling Academy students.
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They say the current situation is much safer.
“We’ve had accidents here,” said Trista Moroczek, who works at the school.
“I think it’s much better than it was before.”
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Sidewalks are expected to be built in the future to link the crosswalk on the side of the park across Champlain Boulevard, school officials said.