‘These kids don’t stand a chance’: Parents demand safety changes after child struck outside Half Moon Bay school

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Families in Barrhaven are calling for immediate safety improvements around St. Juan Diego Catholic School after a child was seriously injured in an incident during pick-up and drop-off hours.

On March 12, the child was struck by a vehicle outside the school, prompting renewed concerns about traffic conditions and student safety in the area.

Ottawa Police say no charges will be laid, as the driver was not found to be at fault. The child’s condition cannot be released due to privacy restrictions.

St. Juan Diego Catholic School is located at the corner of Main Halyard Lane and Flagstaff Drive in Nepean.

Parents say the situation outside the school at drop off and pick up times has become increasingly dangerous, particularly during peak times when traffic is heavy and visibility is limited.

Cassandra Petrella is a parent of two children who attend the school.

“We observed many people, right around pickup time, just running right through the stop sign,” Petrella said.

“It’s a very large road… there’s a lot more that’s needed to calm traffic and protect these kids. And we really need the city to listen.”

She says the risks go beyond driver behaviour, pointing to ongoing construction and large trucks moving through the neighbourhood.

“These kids don’t stand a chance against all of this traffic, all of these moving vehicles. There’s still construction in the neighbourhood. There’s an immense amount of trucks that go by at this time,” Petrella said.

“They don’t stand a chance and these kids need to be protected.”

Petrella is also calling for basic safety infrastructure that she says is currently missing at the school.

“We need proper crossing areas, safe crossings with crossing guards,” she said.

“Those do not exist at all right now. We also need signage and awareness to the neighbourhood that this is a school zone because we don’t even have a school zone sign.”

Barrhaven Coun. David Hill says the city is now reviewing possible solutions, acknowledging both safety concerns and logistical challenges.

He noted that current parking restrictions may be contributing to unsafe behaviour.

“Parking is prohibited during pick-up and drop-off hours… but for a parent to pick up their child, they have to leave the car,” Hill said.

“So having it as parking prohibited doesn’t really work functionally.”

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Hill says one major concern is illegal U-turns.

“People pick up their child and then, instead of driving around the block, they’ll sometimes do a U-turn to skip traffic… that’s one of the principal safety issues here.”

Following the incident, the councillor requested urgent action from city staff around St. Juan Diego Catholic School.

“We had a child get hit here… we needed a protected place for someone to cross.”

A temporary three-way stop has now been installed, with plans to push for it to become permanent at an upcoming public works committee meeting. Additional measures under consideration include:

• A permanent pedestrian crossover
• Accelerating another three-way stop at a nearby intersection
• Seasonal traffic calming tools like flex stakes
• Potential short-term parking options during pick-up times

Balkaren Romana, a member of the school council, says the school community is actively working with the city and school board, but more needs to be done.

“Pick-up can definitely be better… we are working with David Hill and also getting the board involved to see what we can do,” Romana said.

However, she emphasized that municipal action is critical.

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“The city is definitely going to need to step up when it comes to prioritizing safety measures, slowing down traffic, and really just getting this whole situation taken care of,” Romana said.

The city confirms that bylaw officers are often on site to issue tickets. In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, the city said, “Officers regularly monitor the school zone near St. Juan Diego School, as well as other school zones across the city.”

“Bylaw and Regulatory Services (BLRS) officers frequently attend this school zone due to repeated issues of parking non-compliance. Vehicles that park or stop contrary to the posted signage can create unsafe conditions by reducing sightlines and increasing congestion in an area with high volume of traffic, particularly during pick-up and drop-off times.“

The Ottawa Catholic School Board says, “Regarding traffic safety on Flagstaff Drive, student safety is always our top priority. We welcome the opportunity to participate in discussions with the City of Ottawa on school zone safety.”

As the community awaits next steps, families say one thing is clear - preventing another incident must be the top priority.

“The city and the school board need to start paying attention—and it needs to be done urgently,” Petrella said.