Seven Years, One Crosswalk, and a Message for Anyone Who’s Ever Been Told “No”

April 23 2025

It finally happened.

The crosswalk on Renforth Drive that first got me involved in community advocacy is finally being installed—seven years after we first started asking for it.

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Seven years of petitions, meetings, emails, follow-ups, and waiting.

Seven years of being told no, or not yet, or that it didn’t meet the “warrants”.
Seven years of watching students, parents with strollers, and seniors try to cross a busy road with no safe crossing.

And now, the work is underway.

This might sound like a small victory—but if you’ve ever tried to get something basic done in Toronto, you’ll understand how big this really is.

Because this isn’t just about painted lines or a new pole. It’s about proof:
Even in a city where things move slowly—you can make things happen if you stay with it and keep showing up.

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Why this matters

This crosswalk became a symbol for me. It was the moment I realized that change often feels impossible—not because it's wrong, but because the system makes it hard for residents to be heard.

But here's the thing: the more I spoke to neighbours, the more I realized I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. And slowly, momentum built.

Our voices got louder. We kept asking. We kept showing up.

And in the end, it worked.

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Let’s keep the momentum going—and keep making Etobicoke safer, one crossing at a time.