Crossing guards returned on Monday to the Abbotsford intersection where a nine-year-old girl was fatally struck by a transit bus last week.
It remains unclear why no guards were on-hand on Friday morning, when Hala Albarhoum — a Syrian refugee — was killed.
The girl, a student at Ten-Broeck Elementary, was in a crosswalk at South Fraser Way and Hill-Tout Street when the accident occurred.
She was rushed to hospital, but did not survive.
On Monday, parents told Global News there had been no crossing guard at the intersection for weeks.
Christine Gagnon said she even went to Abbotsford Community Services the day before the accident to ask about the absent guard, and said she was told he was ill.
“Well, he’s been sick for three weeks, and there’s no one there for him to cover. I just told them that someone’s got to be there or someone’s going to get hurt or killed,” she said.
WATCH: Young girl struck by bus in Abbotsford
Parents are now asking for changes to ensure there is always a crossing guard posted at the intersection.
“It needs to be full-time, Monday to Friday, morning and after school,” said Jennifer Dixon with the Parent Advisory Council.
“If you call in sick, there needs to be a replacement. You can’t just not have a crossing guard there.”
A petition calling for regular crossing guards at Abbotsford schools is also circulating.
The Abbotsford School District contracts crossing guard services to Abbotsford Community Services, which hires, trains and manages the team of crossing guards in the district.
The district says 25 crossing guards work at 20 different elementary and middle schools throughout the city.
WATCH: Community mourns girl, 9, killed by bus
In a statement Monday, the district said it continues to review the situation, and that staff’s thoughts are with the school community and the little girl’s family.
An Abbotsford police investigation into the accident is ongoing.
On Saturday, family and friends of Hala held a funeral for the young victim.
Meanwhile, an online fundraiser for the Albarhoum family has smashed its initial goal, having collected nearly $30,000 by Monday evening.
–With files from Kyle Benning
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