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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday October 7, 2006 - 3 Keeping kids safe en route By Wilma Blokhuis OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF BARRIE ERSKINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER ON THE JOB: Jim Arnold is an 82-year-old crossing guard who has been helping kids cross the street to arrive safely at St. Matthew School for 16 years. ith a friendly, cheerful smile and a sparkle in his eye, Jim Arnold greets the kids as they cross the street to get to and from school. Sporting a goatee and a thick shock of white hair, Arnold, a youthful 82, spreads his arms out wide, stop sign held high in his right hand, and stops the traffic to let the kids cross Nottinghill Gate safely in front of St. Matthew School. He chastises drivers who don't stop. About four years ago, he saved a kid's life. "Jim saved my child," said Paula Schnarr, whose son Patrick, now 14, is in Grade 9. "A van came whipping through the crosswalk and Jim was holding back the kids. I was walking with my two daughters, one on each hand, and Patrick, who was 10 at the time, ran out ahead. Just then a van came barreling through the intersection (Nottinghill Gate and Monk's Passage) and Jim grabbed Patrick and screamed at the driver. There were salt stains on Patrick's mitts ­ he actually touched the van. Jim had grabbed Patrick and held him back. Another second and it would have been too late." For his heroism, Arnold was given a large plaque containing a newspaper article of the incident plus pictures of him on the job and signatures of all of the children in the school by grade. "They caught me by surprise," Arnold said. "How all those kids kept that quiet I'll never know." Schnarr, whose two daughters attend St. Matthew, has nothing but praise for the man who saved her son's life. "He's very much appreciated, he's a very special guy," she said, adding he always greets them with a "pleasant `good morning,' `how was your weekend?' and `best get home before the rain.'" W "He is a wonderful guard who crosses hundreds of children safely across a busy road," said Margot Smeenk, another St. Matthew parent, via e-mail. "Bus drivers, municipal workers and local commuters all know and appreciate Jim. Most impressively, he knows all of the children by name and greets them each coming and going. He always has a friendly word for all, especially in the most atrocious weather." Working as a crossing guard for the Town of Oakville is Arnold's fourth career. He was a firefighter in his native Scotland, a gold miner in Timmins for about two years when he first came to Canada in 1952, a transport truck driver for 34 years and today he's in his 18th year as a crossing guard ­ his 16th at St. Matthew. Previously, he hopscotched around town being posted at different intersections and schools. He's lived in Oakville for 33 years. He is one of the town's most senior crossing guards. "I'll keep going as long as I'm capable and when I'm no longer capable, then I'll retire." However, Arnold has said that before. "When I first retired I had thought of building up a garage maintenance business between my driving trips, but I gave it up when a friend suggested I apply to become a crossing guard. He was hired on the spot. "I turned 65 on April 26 and by the beginning of May I was a crossing guard," said Arnold. "I was hired immediately as a spare crossing guard." He was given a yellow vest and a stop sign. "And, I've been out there ever since...sunshine, rain, sleet, snow...I enjoy it. "The kids keep me young." Arnold is in front of St. Matthew three times a day from 8 ­ 8:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., ­ 12:30 See Guard page 9 The One. The Only. Over 16,000 graduates in Oakville since 1979 (905) 845-7200 Oct 28 9 N 9:30 am - 4:1-2pm ov 4-5 5 2 weekends Nov 6 M 6:00 pm - 9:1onp& Wed 5 m 4 weeks