Montreal community organizations march for safer streets

Families from across Montreal rallied alongside community groups this morning in a collective call for safer streets.

Two years after a tragic hit-and-run claimed a young life, parents are criticizing the Quebec government saying it hasn’t done enough to protect minors from road accidents.

“It's incredibly scary to think every day that your child may be crossing a street and they may get hit by a car,” said Joanna Duy with the Parent Participation Organization at Royal West Academy.

The demonstrators paused at the site where seven-year-old Mariia Legenkovska was killed after being struck on her way to school in 2022, a haunting reminder of the daily dangers students face.

Now, parents want the province to appoint a road safety ombudsperson.

“They would hold schools, municipalities and other stakeholders accountable for addressing dangerous intersections and implementing real safety measures rather than blaming the students that attempt to navigate them,” says Katherine Korakakis, president of the English Parents’ Committee Association of Quebec.

They say an ombudsperson could deploy inspectors, identify risky areas, answer families’ complaints and follow up on coroners’ reports.

“At the moment, these reports are often shelved,” says Ann-Julie Rheaume with collective Pas Une Mort de Plus. She added, “we’d like the ombudsman to demand corrective action from road network managers.”

Recent tragedies and close calls underscore the urgency.

In June, a 14-year-old boy died after being hit by a car.

There was another death in September, when a six-year-old was struck by a school bus driver.

Last month, another child died crossing the street in the Mile-End, and there are more examples.

Advocates say the province is taking steps in the right direction, with Bill 48, which amended the Highway Safety Code to add photo radars and lower speed limits in school zones.

But someone has to enforce the rules, says Quebec Solidaire's transport critic Etienne Grandmont.

“We need to have someone who goes in the field, with a team and see the results of those measures,” Grandmont added.

The Quebec Ministry of Transport did not respond to CTV’s request for comment by deadline.