This Ottawa intersection is dangerous and parents say it needs a new crossing

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsLocal News This Ottawa intersection is dangerous and parents say it needs a new crossing Over 200 parents back a petition for a crossing guard and flashers near two west-end schools following multiple close calls. Author of the article: By Abyssinia Abebe Published Sep 21, 2026 Last updated 35 minutes ago 5 minute read Join the conversation Amanda Charbonneau is a concerned parent in Knoxdale-Merivale who says Amira, her 7-year-old daughter, and Kareem, her 10-year-old son, have had multiple close calls with car collisions at the intersection of Bertona Street and Charing Road on their way to and from school. PHOTO BY JEAN LEVAC /POSTMEDIA Article content It’s been three weeks since the start of the new school year. But twice now, Amanda Charbonneau says her seven-year-old daughter Amira has come close to a collision incident at an intersection she and her classmates cross daily on their way to school. Article content “She got honked at, yelled at and a lot of the kids have had close calls with drivers,” Charbonneau said as she stood at the corner of the Charing Road and Bertona Road during a Wednesday afternoon rush hour. Article content Article content Article content Bertona is a main route for students attending two schools in the Craig Henry and Manordale neighbourhood in Ottawa’s west end: the St. John XXIII Catholic School and Manordale Public School. Article content The Evening Citizen The Ottawa Citizen’s best journalism, delivered directly to your inbox by 7 p.m. on weekdays. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content During rush hour, Charbonneau says the typically quiet neighbourhood is a “mess,” and a number of concerned parents often gather near the intersection monitoring their children as they make their way across. Article content “I just can’t imagine my own kids having to cross the street on their own,” Johannah Sabino, another parent, said Wednesday, as she grasped for her son James’ hands. Article content Amanda Charbonneau says this Manordale intersection is dangerous for her kids as they go to and from school, especially during rush hour. PHOTO BY JEAN LEVAC /POSTMEDIA Article content The issue hadn’t always been front of mind for Sabino. It became glaring when four-year-old James…