Alejandro Medina is the picture of a happy man.
Anyone who crosses paths with the happy-go-lucky crossing guard can’t help but smile.
The City of Burlington employee, who’s been crossing children at the busy Brant Street/Havendale Boulevard location for a few years, makes everyone’s day better.
He takes his role seriously and loves interacting with the students and anyone who comes by the busy intersection.
Fist bumps, special words or a simple smile with kindness in his eyes have made him a much-loved friend to the many students who attend the nearby schools.
In February, the trustees of the Halton District School Board presented him with an Inspire Award for “going above and beyond to support our students by: demonstrating caring, initiative, innovation and creativity, inspiring others and contributing to their achievement.”
Students treat him with thank-you gifts and notes at the end of the school year and at Christmas. They say things such as:
Thank you for being a really nice person and making me and my brother smile. You bring joy to everyone everyday, even when they are sad. You are the kindest and most caring crossing guard. You give us so much joy and happiness. You are the best crossing guard ever.
“Reading what they feel is the best reward ever,” he says.
Medina, who came to Canada from Venezuela in 2017, said every day is special and he likes to do things so that others enjoy life as much as he does.
He sends messages of love each morning to his own grown children and grandchildren, who live in Costa Rica.
“I like to do that, so when they wake up they look for a special message,” he said, adding he studies English every morning as a way to thank Canada for all the country has given him.
He rides his bicycle from the Leighland neighbourhood twice daily for school students crossing Brant Street each morning and afternoon.
“I respect kids. They tell you the truth and they are the future,” he said. “You have a chance to interact with the kids and the families here.”
And interact he does. From dancing and singing to waving and petting each and every dog, Medina is a familiar site on the busy street. Car, truck and bus drivers wave and honk at him regularly. Students who get picked up from school roll down the car windows when they pass by to say hello or see you tomorrow.
“You don’t need to be chained to life,” says Medina. “Enjoy life.
“Kids are magical,” he said, adding he crosses more than 20 boys and girls each shift. “You can’t imagine how much I appreciate them. They are our tomorrow. I want to make people feel happy.”
A red light only lasts for about 20 seconds, but that’s enough time for Medina to shine.
He says he has few rules to living, but one of them is that when you hug someone you make it genuine. For him, that means “counting one Mississippi, two…all the way to five.”
