Hi Kelly,

As we settle into new fall routines, let's continue to make School Zone Safety a top priority. If we work together, all road users can travel to and from school safely. And as simple as that sounds, we are guessing many of you continue to see speeding, stop sign running, and other dangerous road behaviours occurring on a daily basis!

Below is an image of how to use RoadSMARTS around school zones. Please click and download the image and share it on your social networks. The more people see and understand what it means to use our RoadSMARTS, the safer our roads can be - for all road users.

And remember, 

• Reduce speeds in school zones
• Be alert and ready to stop
• Be on the lookout for and obey school bus signals
• Watch for pedestrian crossovers (PXOs), and follow the rules
• Obey adult crossing guards and watch for walking school bus leaders
• Wait for all pedestrians, including Crossing Guards, to be fully crossed and on the curb before proceeding
• Leave extra travel time during school bell times
• Be patient 

The Ottawa Safety Council

PS - Did you know? By taking the Road SMARTS Pledge, you Support Making All Road Travel Safe, which can help improve road safety for everyone.

Road safety principles are most effective when learned at a young age. We need to educate our children on how to keep themselves safe. Our WalkSafe Pedestrian Safety presentations give children the tools, knowledge, and skills to prevent injury.

Presentations are age-appropriate (Kindergarten to Grade 6) and equip children with the tools to keep themselves safe while walking, biking, skateboarding or scootering to school. We provide the tools to encourage healthy, active and SAFE living.  

They are available in French and English and are interactive; use flash-cards, PowerPoint, props, games, songs and a working model of a traffic light!

If you're interested in learning more or booking an in-person WalkSafe Presentation for your school, click the button below.

Whether you want to learn more about our road safety programs, resources and workshops or just want to say hello (and grab some swag!) - drop by our booth at the Community Addictions Peer Support Association's Working On Wellness Festival (WOW) Festival tomorrow, Friday, September 16th from 11 am to 4 pm at the Marion Dewar Plaza in front of Ottawa City Hall.

The WOW Festival will be filled with fantastic speakers, live performances, and a Wellness Community Fair providing information about wellness organizations in the region. We hope to see you there! 

For festival information, please visit https://capsa.ca/wow-festival.

Our Executive Director, Jamie Kwong, has been busy in the media discussing Ottawa Safety Council's programs, workshops, school zone safety tips, and OSC's ongoing Crossing Guard hiring blitz! Click on the links below to listen to her most recent interviews and share with anyone you think would benefit from learning more about the OSC!

📻  580 CFRA with Andrew Pinsent 

📻  CityNews Ottawa with Sam Laprade

📺 CTV News Ottawa with Matt Skube

Are you looking for a part-time job with a purpose? We're still looking to add Crossing Guards to our remarkable team of Guards!

Learn how you can work in your community or for more information on this rewarding employment opportunity, visit: https://www.ottawasafetycouncil.ca/crossing-guard-program/  

or reach out to Stephanie, our Recruiter!

Visit the Employment Section of our website for more information.