The School Crossing Guard Program provides an important service for families in Toronto. School crossing guards help students cross the street safely and confidently and remind drivers and people cycling of the presence of pedestrians at key locations.
The City’s School Crossing Guard Program is the largest of its kind in Canada. There are currently 879 dedicated, well-trained crossing guards working to improve road safety in Toronto.
School crossing guards play a vital role in ensuring the safety of students as they travel through our school communities. They do so by guiding them across busy roads and intersections and by making sure drivers and people cycling are aware of pedestrians crossing. They are trained to be attentive, patient and observant. School crossing guards wear bright, reflective clothing and use a stop sign and a whistle.
The School Crossing Guard Program is one of the many programs under the City’s Vision Zero Road Safety Plan, which aims to reduce the number of traffic-related injuries and fatalities in Toronto. More information is available on the City’s Vision Zero Road Safety Plan webpage.
This year, School Crossing Guard Appreciation Week will take place from June 3 to 7. Giving a card is a simple but meaningful way to show support and let all guards know that their efforts are appreciated. The City of Toronto encourages everyone to show your appreciation with a printable thank you card to your local crossing guard. A reminder that June 7 is a PA Day for many schools in Toronto. Be sure to hand out your cards by June 6 if this is the case for your school.
As per the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, where a school-crossing guard displays a red and white stop sign, you must stop before reaching the crossing and remain stopped until all people, including the school crossing guard, have cleared the entire roadway and it is safe to proceed. If you have any doubts about when it is safe to drive forward, wait until all the children and the guard have cleared the crossing. Drivers who don’t follow the stopping requirements may receive a substantial fine and get three demerit points.
Drivers and cyclists traveling through school zones should exercise caution during peak hours to ensure the safety of pedestrians. The City recommends:
If the location does not meet one or more of the following criteria, please contact SchoolCrossingGuard@toronto.ca for instructions on how to proceed and do not submit an online form.
If the locations meet all criteria needs below, please proceed to complete the online form and request endorsement from the principal and ward councillor.
| Criteria | Does the criteria apply to the location you wish to apply for? |
|---|---|
| 1. The requested location is on a roadway with a speed limit less than 60 km/h. | Yes or No |
| 2. The associated school has an age range between Junior Kindergarten and Grade 5. | Yes or No |
| 3. The requested location is within the walking boundary or within 1.5km of the associated school. | Yes or No |
(1) Requestor to complete online form
Please complete the online form by answering all questions and clicking on “submit” at the end of the form. One location per submission only please. You should receive an on-screen confirmation that your form has been successfully submitted at the end.
Online form must be fully completed and submitted to be considered. Timed-out or partially completed forms will not be considered.
(2) Councillor and Principal to email endorsement
Please contact the ward councillor and school principal requesting that they email their endorsement to SchoolCrossingGuard@toronto.ca with Response ID, school name and intersection in the subject line.
Only fully completed and submitted online forms with supporting emails from the school principal and Ward Councillor will be processed.
(3) Understanding Timelines
| Submission Deadline | Data Collection Months | Analyze the Data | Notification of Results | Council Approval | Provision of Service* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 31 | Spring
(Apr-May) |
Summer
(Jul-Aug) |
Fall
(Sep-Oct) |
Fall
(Oct-Nov) |
Winter
(Jan) |
| July 31 | Fall
(Oct-Nov) |
Winter
(Jan-Feb) |
Spring
(Mar-Apr) |
Spring
(May-Jun) |
Fall
(Sep) |
*Provision of service is dependent on budget approval/availability of funding and is a minimum of 12 months after the submission deadline.
Please expect delays in processing applications because of school closures associated with COVID-19 restrictions. Open schools are required to complete data collections associated with traffic and pedestrian counts that are necessary to complete the data analysis step in the above table.
School crossing guards are not hired directly by the City of Toronto.
The City of Toronto hires external suppliers that provide school crossing guard services in different City Zones. In this section you will find:
It is a transition year for the school crossing guard program. The existing contract started in 2019 for a period of two years with an option to renew for two additional, one year periods. Both optional years were exercised and the contract is coming to an end on July 31.
The City has completed a procurement of the new contracts for a period of two years with an option to renew for three additional, one-year periods.
The City’s procurement process was designed to maintain continuity and stability by prioritizing the job security of the existing school crossing guards employed by the previous two vendors.
The new contracts include a requirement that existing school crossing guards be given the first opportunity to be hired by the next suppliers. This requirement was specifically designed to ensure existing crossing guards are faced with a limited risk of job loss.
New suppliers will be providing school crossing guard services starting in the 2023-2024 school year.
| Zone | Supplier Name | Wards |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1: North York | Carraway Inc. | 6, 8, 15, 16, 17, 18 |
| Zone 2: Toronto and East York | Synergy Protection Group Inc. | 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 19 |
| Zone 3: Scarborough | Carraway Inc. | 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 |
| Zone 4: Etobicoke-York | Ottawa Safety Council | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 |
View the map of New Suppliers and Community Council Boundaries.
| Zone | Supplier Name | Application Information |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1: North York | Carraway Inc. | Apply to become a School Crossing Guard for Carraway Inc.
Contact Information:
|
| Zone 2: Toronto and East York | Synergy Protection Group Inc. | Apply or email below to become a School Crossing Guard for Synergy Protection Group Inc.
Contact Information:
|
| Zone 3: Scarborough | Carraway Inc. | Apply to become a School Crossing Guard for Carraway Inc.
Contact Information:
|
| Zone 4: Etobicoke-York | Ottawa Safety Council | Apply to become a School Crossing Guard with the Ottawa Safety Council
Contact Information:
|
Please call 311 to report an issue with a current school crossing guard. This will start a formal investigation. We will investigate and respond to your concern. Please ensure you have the following details available:
For all other inquiries, please email SchoolCrossingGuard@toronto.ca.
| Zone | Supplier Name | Contact Information |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1: North York | Carraway Inc. |
|
| Zone 2: Toronto and East York | Synergy Protection Group Inc. |
|
| Zone 3: Scarborough | Carraway Inc. |
|
| Zone 4: Etobicoke-York | Ottawa Safety Council |
|
The locations of the school crossing guards can be viewed using the Vision Zero Mapping Tool. To view these locations when using the Vision Zero Mapping Tool, turn on the “School Crossing Guard Locations” layer found in the “Safety Measures” tab of the filters.