City of Toronto adds 45 tobogganing hills to prohibited list

The City of Toronto has added 45 tobogganing hills to their list of prohibited park locations, due to conditions that have been deemed “hazards” to the slope.

In a statement to The Leader Spirit, the city said that, “tobogganing is not permitted at some hills because of hazards obstructing the slope, which render the hill unsafe for tobogganing.”

East Lynn Park was one of the parks that was assessed using the city’s toboggan hill inspection program, which was implemented in 2017. The process deemed the park unsafe due to “several permanent obstacles and safety hazards onsite, including a staircase, wading pool, field house building, light poles and trees.”

According to the city, the program ensures that highly-used toboggan hills are inspected regularly by staff, with signage posted with the risks of activity outlined. The city also says the number of prohibited and designated toboggan hills is “dynamic”, and the number could change year-over-year depending on site conditions. 

There are 29 designated toboggan hills in 27 park locations across the city, which have been inspected to have “a clear path from the top of the slope to the bottom, without any obstacles or hazards such as trees, ditches, trails or fencing, etc.” They are also regularly inspected for hazards to ensure user safety.

Tobogganing is permitted at any location where it is not posted as prohibited under bylaw, however tobogganing at non-designated sites is considered “use at own risk” by the city.

A full 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.