Toronto bans tobogganing at 45 'unsafe' hills in city

The city put up a sign reminding residents that tobogganing is banned in Christie Pits Park in Toronto (CTV News Toronto/ Hannah Alberga).

The City of Toronto has banned tobogganing at 45 hills across the city, citing “unsafe” conditions at those locations.

In a statement sent to CTV News, the city said certain hills were deemed unsafe as they did not have a “clear path” from the top of the slope to the bottom, citing obstructions like trees, ditches, trails and fencing.

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“The City is responsible for ensuring its properties and any activities performed on its properties are reasonably safe,” the statement read in part.

“…Designated toboggan hills 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. Designated toboggan hills are inspected for hazards regularly, to enhance user safety.”

Concerns over the safety of tobogganing are not new.

In 2017, the city adopted a toboggan hill inspection program. Since then, officials have been surveying popular tobogganing sites to ensure continued safety.

Later, in 2022, a city councillor told CTV News that sledding and tobogganing “has never been allowed” in Christie Pits Park due to it being “unsafe.”

In Oshawa last year, there was a debate on banning tobogganing all together in parks due to a fatal incident that happened on a hill in Ottawa years ago.

Additionally, Montreal saw an increase in tobogganing injuries from 2020 to 2022, according to findings gathered by Oatley Vigmond.

“A lot of these injuries relate to the fact that toboggans are generally very difficult to control,” the report reads. “This results in collisions either with an object or another person. When you combine this with the fact that snow can hide or camouflage dangers on the toboggan hill, it is not surprising that serious injuries can result from this beloved winter activity.”

Unsafe tobogganing hills in Toronto have been identified by signage, the city said. On the other hand, non-designated tobogganing sites are a ‘use at own risk’ situation.

A full list of hills that are deemed to be certifiably safe can be found online at toronto.ca/tobogganing.