‘National embarrassment’: Council to vote on reversing toboggan ban in Toronto

Even if there was snow, you couldn’t go toboggan on many hills in Toronto, but that could soon change.

Councillor Brad Bradford (Beaches-East York) is putting forward a motion to city council on Wednesday that, if passed, would reverse the tobogganing ban on 45 hills citywide.

“This has created the national embarrassment of the tobogganing ban in Toronto, and we’ve earned the moniker ‘the no fun city,'” Bradford said.

On Jan. 14, the city banned tobogganing at parks it deemed “unsafe,” citing unclear paths that could put those participating in the winter activity at risk of injury due to the obstruction of trees, ditches, trails and fences.

East Lynn Park, located in Bradford’s ward and a hot spot for tobogganing in past years, is one of the many hills where tobogganing is currently restricted. The Beaches-East York councillor has since launched a petition that has garnered more than 500 signatures from residents backing his motion.

“We found language that is going to overturn the ban and reinstitute the safety measures, and make sure that if staff ever have the bright idea about introducing a tobogganing ban again, they would come to council and ask for permission first,” said Bradford.

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CityNews spoke to some locals strongly against the ban, with one woman urging officials to “let kids be kids.”

“I am 50. I did all kinds of things in my youth, and I am alive to talk about it,” the woman said. “I think we need to relax and start enjoying life. They are not going to let kids be kids? We just got out of a pandemic where kids were not allowed to be kids.”

Mayor Olivia Chow has seconded Bradford’s motion.

“We just need to say to folks, be careful,” Chow said.

In 2017, the city enforced a toboggan hill inspection program that involved city staff regularly inspecting prevalent toboggan hills and posting signs that outlined the risks of tobogganing. The city also said the number of prohibited and designated toboggan hills is “dynamic” and that the number could change year-over-year depending on site conditions. 

Bradford’s motion would see new signage that contains what the councillor calls common-sense language, educating the public about potential risks and alerting them to designated toboggan hills in the city.

The motion would also require the re-installation of haybales, a safety measure used in the past, and request that provincial and local governments develop a plan to address municipal liability issues relating to the use of city property for recreational activities.

A complete list of hills that are deemed to be safe by the city, as well as safety tips, can be found online at toronto.ca/tobogganing.

With files from Hayley McGoldrick of CityNews