Councillor calls for safety review of Mooney's Bay sledding hill after girl dies in accident
At Queenswood Heights Centennial Park in Orléans, Veronique Gervais and her family are enjoying a few runs on their sleds.
"For the most part I think we feel safe," Gervais said. "Like anything else you have to be careful and look around and make sure there’s no danger."
However, at Mooney’s Bay, barriers continue blocking vehicle access to the popular park. Signs at the entrance remind people sledding is not allowed.
This comes just days after a 10-year-old girl died sledding at the park’s hill.
"I don’t think it’s feasible to have bylaw or security guarding hills across the city every winter's day going forward," said River Ward coun. Riley Brockington.
The city of Ottawa said this week that the hill is not an approved hill for sledding. Brockington is calling on the city to conduct a review of the unsanctioned hill to keep people safe in the future.
"We know that people will come here, we know there are risks," he said. "Tobogganing is likely going to happen and continue to happen here. What does the city need to do to have it professionally assessed and make it safe for users."
In a statement, the city of Ottawa says a longer-term assessment will be conducted at Mooney’s Bay to determine what can be done to further discourage people from using the hill as a sledding hill. At this time, there are no further details on what that assessment will look like.
"It’s such a well-placed hill,” said Suzanne Chartrand, out hiking at Mooney’s Bay with her sister. "Many children around here. It would be a good idea to safety proof it more and let people enjoy it."
The week, the city installed protective barriers near the hill, with hay bales covering lamp posts and trees at the bottom of the hill.
The Mooney's Bay parking lot is expected to remain closed until Jan. 7.
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.