Community in Toronto neighbourhood looking to name laneway after beloved crossing guard

For years, Concetto Merlino was a crossing guard in the Caledonia neighbourhood of Toronto.

Merlino’s presence was always a welcome sight to the parents, children and staff at St. Nicholas of Bari Catholic School. So when the 80-year-old passed away on Jan. 8, the entire community was devastated.

Messages of support and memories were coming in droves for Merlino on the memorial page at the funeral home where he was laid to rest. Then a message on Facebook from a school board trustee sparked an idea.

“I met Concetto maybe seven years ago. He always had a smile about him, and had his eyes on the road,” said Frank D’Amico, a trustee for Ward 6 York at the Toronto Catholic District School Board.

D’Amico said he got dozens of messages on his Facebook post sending condolences to the family of Merlino and that the post was shared more than 50 times. It was there that D’Amico realized that Merlino wasn’t just a crossing guard but a staple in the community.

So now, D’Amico is working with Toronto City Council to immortalize Merlino by naming a laneway after him. The laneway is steps from where Merlino was a crossing guard.

“Mr. Concetto had a significant impact on this community,” D’Amico said fondly of his friend.

A petition is being worked on right now to speed up the process to get this laneway named after Merlino.