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A report being presented to the City of Ottawa’s community services committee next week contains recommendations aimed at ensuring the sledding hill at Mooney’s Bay Beach and Park meets safety standards and can be reopened as a sanctioned sledding location.
The hill was removed from a city list of designated sledding sites in 2017 following numerous reports of injuries, collisions and near collisions.
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However, in December 2021, an 11-year-old girl died after the sled she was on struck a sign post at the hill.
River ward Coun. Riley Brockington, whose ward includes the park, has been seeking solutions so sledding can be safely resumed there.
In 2022, he proposed a motion to have the hill professionally assessed and modified, aimed at addressing specific safety issues associated with its north-facing side.
“I put a motion forward to staff to professionally assess the hill and bring us some recommendations that would lead us to modify it in a way that would make it safe and, at the same time, keep sledding open for the public,” he said.
The report says that, despite delays in receiving recommendations, city staff are recommending engaging professionals to further assess the hill and to provide guidance on necessary physical modifications that would ensure the hill meets safety standards and can be reopened as a sanctioned sledding location.
The report includes three recommendations for the city: allocate up to $250,000 for external expertise to analyze and design modifications to the hill and surrounding parkland; report findings to council for potential further action; and maintain seasonal temporary fencing on the hill until safety issues are resolved.
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Brockington emphasizes the popularity and historical significance of the hill, which was a beloved sledding spot for decades.
The hill is a large, human-made park feature with an extremely steep slope, created using construction debris in the 1970s. It was originally designed as a junior ski hill, the report says.
“I do want to see this hill remain open to the public all four seasons. It’s very popular, well-used and well-visited,” Brockington said.
Brockington acknowledges the inherent risks of tobogganing, but says that, with appropriate modifications, these risks can be mitigated to create a safer environment at Mooney’s Bay for Ottawa residents to enjoy outdoor activities there.
“This is not about digging the hill apart or shaving some of the height off, it’s about determining which side of the hill is the safest for tobogganing,” he said.
Historically the city has tried several safety measures, including padded barriers, hay bales and warning signs.
Brockington suggests permitting sledding at the hill’s halfway point, restricting it to one direction. The steep upper slopes would remain off-limits, but the less steep and shorter north side could be used.
He says erecting fencing in a public amenity is not a long-term solution, which is why he supports the motion coming forward.
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