Kincardine Lions unveil new crossing guard shelters

Just in time for the start of the school year, in less than two weeks, the Kincardine Lions Club unveiled its new crossing guard shelters, Thursday morning.

Gathered around the structure on Durham Street, installed last week, were Kincardine Lions Jim and Linda Prenger, Nancy and John Brash, George Ling, John McManus, Dan Holm and Larry the Lion, along with crossing guards Andy Stopford, Cheryl Martin, Shirley Catto, Stephanie Rutledge and Julia Pagnan; and Kincardine public works operations manager Don Huston and employee Ryan Deer.

Besides the shelter on Durham Street, there is one on Russell Street and a third one beside Ecole Elgin Market Public School at Queen Street and Kincardine Avenue. They replace the original units that were installed in 1984.

Ling said there is some history to those 33-year-old shelters.

During the winter of 1983-84, Kincardine police constable Don White was on patrol and saw the crossing guard on Russell Street shivering outside on a typical Bruce County storm day. He could barely see the guard in the blowing snow.

Being a former member of the Kincardine Lions Club, White approached the club with the idea of some type of shelter for the guards. The Lions took up the cause and, after finding out that the cost of prefabricated shelters was exorbitant, they approached local contractor Don MacArthur with the idea.

MacArthur’s draftsman drew up a plan, his crew built the two original shelters and the Lions installed them - one on Russell Street and one at Elgin Market School. They were installed and in use by April, 1984. A third shelter was added later on Durham Street due to the development of a housing subdivision to the north of the street and the addition of a crossing guard.

"These shelters stood up well but were starting to decay with age," said Ling. The Municipality of Kincardine approached the Lions who agreed to pay for the materials, and the municipal public works department fabricated and installed the new shelters which are a bright red colour - easily seen in a snowstorm!