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Aug 26, 2022

4 min. read

School safety runs in the Flamand family

When fifth grader Mia Flamand first put on her CAA School Safety Patrol uniform for Winnipeg’s Pembina Trails School Division, she was following in the footsteps of her family. Her older sister Kennedy was a patroller, as was her mom, Heather, at Carpathia School in 1989.

“I was excited but a little nervous because it’s a big responsibility,” says Mia, who dreamt of being a patroller one day. “She used to sit and read at her older sister’s crosswalk while she patrolled,” says CAA Member Heather. “And Mia talked about how exciting it was that one day she could be a patroller like Kennedy.”

The CAA School Safety Patrol program was created to help keep youth safe in school zones, and Mia is one of over 5,000 patrollers in 275 schools across Manitoba. “Keeping kids safe in school zones is very important,” Mia says. “It’s also really fun!”

Heather recalls her own fond memories during her school years. “It taught me responsibility at an early age, and young me loved the benefits, too. The patrol card was like a VIP card at Saints Roller Rink,” she chuckles. Mia also enjoys the perks, but her main focus remains safety. “School patrollers make sure people don’t get hurt,” she says, “and knowing I help do that makes me proud.”

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