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Summer is the time of cycling to the pool for swim team practice, backyard parties, and playing outside. We are so incredibly fortunate to live in Pointe-Claire with the abundance of parks, pools, and activities for our children as well as plenty of things for us grown-ups to do all year long.
Summer activities also mean more people, including children, out and about; this translates to the need to be more vigilant as we are driving around, especially near parks and pools. As drivers, we can never assume that cyclists or pedestrians are aware of approaching vehicles or going to stop or going to act in a predictable manner.
Despite all the safety features built into new cars, they are also built higher, heavier, and are equipped with more distractions than ever. Pedestrians and cyclists can also be prone to distractions and dangerous behaviours, including wearing headphones, looking down at their phones while out and about, or wearing dark clothing after dusk.
Editorials are not supposed to be signed, but as editor-in-chief of the Pointe-Claire Record, I can assure you we all stand behind this editorial. I spent 42 years as a paramedic in Montreal, and I have the nightmares to back it up. Please, let’s make sure our kids wear helmets when cycling, and while driving, I implore you to SLOW DOWN.
What is astounding is the pushback to implementing safety measures to reduce injuries and fatalities. For years, I’ve been advocating for speed bumps around our parks and schools, but others argued, saying it wasn’t necessary since they hadn’t heard of any deaths. So we only make things safer after a child dies?! There’s a reason why Pointe-Claire has created pedestrian islands, raised intersections, and curb extensions – these are exactly why you don’t hear of any deaths. Because Pointe-Claire acts proactively instead of reactively.
There is hope on the horizon, though, with the CAQ’s road safety action plan that would, without exception, reduce speed limits in all school zones across the province to 30 km/h, make photo radar available to municipalities for school zones, and invest in new signalling technologies to improve the safety of both drivers and pedestrians.
Pedestrian and cyclist accidents are not the only risks in summer, though. Water-related accidents are sadly far too frequent, with 59 presumed drownings being recorded in Quebec in 2024 and 25 since the beginning of 2025. That is 84 too many, with so many of those being preventable.
There are also new regulations in Quebec for backyard pools that many do not like, but these new regulations come because of too many deaths each and every year. Yes, a new fence isn’t cheap, and making changes to your deck configuration can be a hassle, but the cost to your mental health of finding a child floating in your pool is immeasurable, I can assure you. And please do not forget to wear a life jacket while on a boat or at the lake. A selfie without an ugly piece of protective gear may seem like a great idea, but a moment of inattention can result in tragedy.
Together we can make Pointe-Claire as safe as it is a beautiful place to live. One last mention on safety, and then I’ll let you relax with your delicious BBQ’d burger. If you have never taken a CPR/First-Aid course or are just overdue for a refresher, contact the city and book a course. Those first few minutes of an emergency are critical, and YOU are an essential element in the chain of survival.
Barry Christensen,
Retired Paramedic and Editor-in-chief