Winnipeg dad frustrated after his child had near-miss crossing Jubilee Avenue

A father is calling out Winnipeg’s drivers after he claims impatience and entitlement put his eight-year-old at risk.

“You’re a ***ing idiot!” That insult yelled from a driver as Winnipegger Ian Walker crossed Jubilee Avenue with his son on Mother’s Day.

“There was loads of cars blocking the intersection while the light was red. So, I pulled my phone out because I was frustrated that these folks weren’t obeying the law and staying out of the intersection until it was clear,” explained Walker.

Screenshot from video recorded by Ian Walker crossed Jubilee Avenue. (Photo Credit: Ian Walker)

Walker says incidents like this happen often, but especially on Jubilee.

While at the same crosswalk on Jubilee Avenue, CityNews experienced the very same thing crossing the road. Walker says he’d had enough of cars blocking intersections, and wanted to film some proof.

Jubilee Avenue. (Photo Credit: Mike Albanese, CityNews)

“My son was kind of excited to go for ice cream and he ran ahead of me and a big pickup truck didn’t stop at the stop line and entered the sidewalk area. Made my son jump, which kind of got my back up.”

Walker says his son was visibly shaken, seeing the truck approach from behind the SUV while they had the right of way.

“We got onto the sidewalk, and then another vehicle that decided to run through the red light. The owner of the vehicle screamed out the window that we were f’ing idiots. It may have been directed at me or the person in the truck, I don’t know, but it made my poor eight-year-old was crying. I was pretty frustrated.”

Walker says although his child had the right to cross, he will still use this as a lesson in using extra caution crossing the street.

City Councillor Janice Lukes put a motion forth five years ago to develop a road safety strategy, and says the plan has been developed and got funding in the last budget for the hiring of four staff members.

“Pedestrians and cyclists get frustrated with vehicles, vehicles get frustrated with pedestrians and cyclists. So I hope that our new Road Safety Strategic Action Plan helps change the dial, and works on culture along with many things,” explained Lukes.

“It’ll take some time, we’ve got old infrastructure, old design, but I’m optimistic, that we’re going to see some significant differences with the implementation of the staff over the next few years.”

Lukes says the team is expected to be fully staffed and operational by the fall.