On July 31st, 2025, a young boy tragically lost his life after being struck by a vehicle while walking on the Walkway between the Aquatic Center and Lester B Pearson Park in St. Catharines, Ontario. This tragedy has profoundly affected our community, highlighting the urgent need to enhance safety measures around the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatic Center Parking and Walkway.

The west side of the parking lot at this location is a heavily trafficked walkway, especially by children traveling between the Aquatic Center and the park. Currently, there are only simple posts serving as a visual aid to signal drivers not to park too far forward onto the walkway. These deterrents are insufficient and do not effectively prevent vehicles from inadvertently encroaching onto the path used by pedestrians, especially our most vulnerable - the children.

We propose the installation of a robust vehicle barrier along the west side of the parking lot, between the walkway and parking spaces. Such a barrier would not only serve as a visual marker but also as a physical blockade, preventing vehicles from endangering pedestrian lives. This solution is both feasible and necessary to ensure a safer environment for all Aquatic Center and park visitors.

Consider the heartbreaking potential for more tragedies if action is not taken. Ensuring the safety of everyone in our community, particularly our children, should be a priority. By installing a vehicle barrier, we can provide reassurance to all parents and community members that their loved ones are protected when they use this walkway.

Join us in advocating for the installation of a vehicle barrier to honor the memory of the dear boy we lost and to prevent future accidents. Your signature can help us drive change and potentially save lives in our community. Please sign this petition to support a safer St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatic Center.

Please Note that any donations made through this site do NOT go to the victims family, nor towards the installation of this initiative. The donations through this site merely go to Change.org to continue providing this free service and administrating the site.

While I do applaud donating to the site to continue this free online petition service, I feel obligated to make you aware of where that donation is, and is not going.