Ridgeway daycare blocks parking spaces following provincial orders

Parking spaces have been blocked at daycares this week after the province ordered immediate safety changes in response to a fatal crash last week.

The instructions are in response to a tragic incident on September 10 where a vehicle drove into a daycare in Richmond Hill, killing a one-year-old boy and injuring six other children and three adults.

The Ministry of Education has told all licensed child-care providers to close parking spots next to buildings, playgrounds and entrances. The move aims to reduce the risk of vehicles striking children, and local families are already feeling the effects.

At Top of the Ridge in Ridgeway, several parking spots nearest to the building’s rear entrance have been blocked off since Monday, requiring parents and children to travel further during pick-up and drop-off.

“This incident was tragic and unimaginable,” said Brittany Meloche, supervisor at Top of the Ridge, in an email to Fort Erie Radio. “Daycare is supposed to be a safe place for (parents and) their children.”

In a memo obtained by Fort Erie Radio, Education Minister Paul Calandra said adjacent parking spots must remain empty during daycare hours unless barriers are already in place. He wrote that centres may use pylons, signage or staff vehicles to keep the spaces clear.

Meloche said the order arrived with little notice and has left many child-care facilities scrambling.

“All other centres have to implement the changes effective immediately, rushing the decision without thinking through the process and impact of centres now having to navigate these changes with no real clarity,” she said.

At Top of the Ridge, about 10 spaces sit empty, unusable by visitors or staff.

“It has been noticed there is more congestion in the parking lot during peak arrival and departure times, creating more chaos and unsafe spaces for families and children,” said Meloche.

The ministry says it is considering permanent options like bollards, planters or raised curbs outside daycares. For now, Ridgeway parents are being asked to use alternate spaces until further guidance is given.

Meloche believes that there are other municipal measures that could be more effective at protecting child care centres similar to what has been implemented around certain school zones, such as speed enforcement cameras or sidewalks, which are not present on Prospect Point Road North where the daycare is located.

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