City staff looking for solutions to reopen contentious Mooney's Bay sledding hill
City of Ottawa staff are looking ahead to next season’s snowfall and what to do about the toboggan hill at Mooney’s Bay.
- Sign up now for our daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
This week, a report will be presented to the city's community services committee recommending $250,000 for additional analysis on changes to the hill to make it safer.
It’s been a contentious discussion for years following the tragic death of a child while sledding on the toboggan hill in late 2021.
Since then, the hill has remained closed, but one year after the tragic incident, Ottawa city councillor Riley Brockington brought forward a motion asking staff to modify the hill to allow it to reopen for tobogganing.
The results of that report go to a committee this upcoming week.
"This is probably the most visited park in the city of Ottawa and people want to continue to use this for tobogganing," said Coun. Riley Brockington.
"That's why I've been engaged with the city for a number of years on using some professional help and expertise on how to keep this hill open and if physical modifications need to be made in order to make it a safer place to toboggan."
The site officially closed to sledding in 2017 following reports of injuries and collisions, but the 2021 tragedy put pressure on the city to implement temporary measures to increase enforcement and signage preventing the hill from being used.
"The family was quite clear to me that they wanted to see tobogganing continue here at the site, that they did not want this hill closed," said Brockington.
“The onus is on the city is to keep this park as safe as possible. And if there are some modifications that we can make to this hill that would make this a sanctioned site for tobogganing, that is my focus to keep this open four seasons a year."
That report is going to a city committee on Tuesday. As of right now, it’s not clear when the city could see a final decision on whether the hill will officially reopen.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.