This morning, the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) hosted the School Safety Patrol Awards ceremony at the Winnipeg Convention Centre.

This was the 43rd annual awards ceremony for the School Safety Patrol Awards. The program has existed for 81 years, and WPS has been involved since 1936.

Ecole Lacerte (Division Scolaire Franco-Manitobaine), Pacific Junction School (Pembina Trails School Division), Montrose School (Winnipeg School Divison, South), and Lakewood School (St. James-Assiniboia School Division) were honoured as the top four City-Wide School Patrol Teams. The School Patrol Team awarded Most Improved was River West Park School (Pembina Trails School Division).

Additionally, Bryce McKenzie of Hirayama Oakenwald School (Pembina Trails School Division) was the 2017 recipient of the Louise Staples Nomination Award. The award is given to the most efficient Patrol Captain of a School Patrol Team in honour of Louise Staples, a teacher at Greenway School who played a significant role in beginning Winnipeg's patrol program.

Winnipeg was home to the first officially recognized school patrol program in Canada.

This year, approximately 7,000 patrols worked to ensure children's safety during their daily school commute.