As pedestrian safety gains urgency in Richmond Hill, visibility is emerging as a powerful tool at the crosswalk. The Stop Umbrella turns a universal traffic symbol into a handheld statement about being seen and staying safe.
On any given day in Richmond Hill, pedestrians navigate wide arterial roads, school crossings, and fast-moving turning traffic—an environment where visibility can shape outcomes in a split second. As the city continues to grapple with road-safety concerns and Vision Zero ambitions, innovations like the Stop Umbrella are entering the conversation—not as novelties, but as reminders that being seen is one of the most immediate forms of protection pedestrians have at the curb.At a busy intersection, visibility isn’t optional—it’s critical. Signals change in seconds, vehicles surge through turns, and pedestrians are often left negotiating space with little more than body language and caution.
For Abigail Hoiland, that reality became deeply personal—and ultimately transformative.
The product she would go on to create, the Stop Umbrella, didn’t begin as a design exercise. It began as a response to real human consequences on neighbourhood streets.
The Incidents That Changed Everything
As Hoiland recounts in the brand’s origin story, two pedestrian collisions in her community shook her sense of everyday safety.
One victim was a familiar figure—a regular she recognized from a local coffee shop, struck while walking his usual route. Soon after, a young boy on his way to school was hit as well.
Hoiland didn’t witness the impacts themselves—but the aftermath stayed with her.
The emotional weight of those moments sparked a question she couldn’t shake:
“What if an umbrella could double as a STOP sign?”
It was disarmingly simple—but powerful. If drivers respond instinctively to stop signs, why not place that same visual command directly in pedestrians’ hands?
From that question, the Stop Umbrella was born.
Designing for Presence
When opened, the umbrella transforms into a full stop sign canopy—bright red, unmistakable, and elevated above the visual clutter of the street.
It borrows the authority of traffic control and gives it to the most vulnerable road users.
For Hoiland, the design wasn’t just functional—it was emotional.
It reflected a belief that pedestrians deserve to feel visible, confident, and valued in public space.
The message behind it is captured in the brand’s ethos:
“I’m here, and I matter.”
And in its slogan:
“A Handle on Life.”
Both phrases speak to empowerment as much as protection.
From Kitchen Table Idea to Street-Level Tool
The journey from concept to product required translating advocacy into usability.
The umbrella was engineered to be:
- Highly visible with a stop-sign canopy
- Trimmed with reflective edging for low-light awareness
- Compact enough to fold to water-bottle size
- Easy to carry for children, seniors, and everyday walkers
Hoiland’s goal was practicality—creating something people would actually bring with them, rather than safety gear left at home.
Advocacy With Heart—and Humour
Hoiland’s approach to awareness has also embraced storytelling and community engagement.
At events, her team has deployed a towering inflatable chicken mascot—nicknamed “Giblet”—to draw attention to pedestrian visibility in a playful way.
The humour is intentional: if a giant mascot can make drivers slow down, it proves the central thesis—visibility changes behaviour.
The umbrella simply makes that visibility accessible every day.
A Mission Rooted in Safer Streets
For Hoiland, the Stop Umbrella is part of a broader vision—healthier, more walkable communities where people feel safe moving on foot.
The product intersects with public-health advocacy, urban design conversations, and pedestrian-first planning ideals.
It’s not positioned as a cure-all—but as a tangible intervention that shifts how drivers perceive pedestrians at crossings.
She’s also careful to ground expectations, emphasizing that visibility tools complement—not replace—safe crossing habits.
As the company notes:
“The sheer presence… will not deem you invincible.”
Availability in Canada
The Stop Umbrella has grown beyond its local origins and is now available internationally—including for Canadian buyers through Amazon Canada.
That accessibility has helped schools, families, and safety advocates adopt it as both a practical crossing aid and an educational conversation starter.
One Idea, Raised High
What began with Abigail Hoiland processing two painful community incidents has evolved into a globally recognized symbol of pedestrian visibility.
It’s a reminder that innovation doesn’t always start in labs or boardrooms.
Sometimes it begins at a crosswalk—watching, worrying, and deciding to act.
And today, when that red octagon rises above the street, it carries more than a traffic command.
It carries one founder’s determination to make sure pedestrians are not just present—
but seen.