'Things are very hard here': Popular Toronto crossing guard asks community for help finding work

James Makusa is shown on the job as a crossing guard in Toronto's west end on Oct. 23. (Scott Lightfoot/CTV News Toronto)

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

Each weekday, James Makusa can be seen helping kids and parents on their way to and from school. In his reflective yellow vest, and with a broad smile on his face, Makusa greets many of the kids by name, and can be heard telling their parents to have a great day, as he crosses back and forth over Garden Avenue and Sunnyside Avenue.

But now, the popular crossing guard is hoping someone will be able to help him.

“I’m here for green pastures you know,” Makusa told CTV News Toronto. “I’m here to look for new opportunities.”

Makusa moved to Canada from Zambia, where he worked as a bus driver, about a year-and-a-half ago. He said that he spent his first months here living in a shelter. There, with the help of an aid organization, he found part-time work as a crossing guard.

It’s a job he obviously enjoys, as he chats with community members as they pass. But it’s also a job that makes living in the city next to impossible due to the relatively low pay, he says.

“Things are very hard here” Makusa said. “Things are expensive in Toronto.”

Over the past several months, Makusa says he has been constantly applying for full-time jobs.

“I’ve been applying to Air Canada, I’ve applied to Amazon” he said. ‘I’ve been applying to those, Walmart, anywhere.”

But so far he’s had no takers. Even though he himself was almost taken. A friend suggested to Makusa that he should hire what was described to him as an agent- a job hunter to help him find work.

“They called me and they told me like to pay them- which was so much money. Like they told me to pay like $3,000 for them to find a job for me,” he said.

Fortunately, Makusa didn’t do that. But what he did do was take to social media. He posted in the neighbourhood Facebook group, asking anyone in the community if they might have any leads for someone who is willing to do almost anything.

“I can do warehousing” Makusa said. “I can do labouring jobs, I can do anything- packing. Anything! I’m able, very fit- I can do anything.”

Makusa’s post has received dozens of supportive comments from community members who are promising to keep their eyes open for any potential full-time employment opportunities. Now he’s hoping his new community will come through to help him find work and help keep his dream of a better life in Canada alive.