Ottawa hires consultant to conduct review of Mooney's Bay sledding hill

Mooney's Bay Hill. (Jeremie Charron/CTV News Ottawa)

An independent consultant has launched a safety review of the Mooney's Bay hill to see how the city can manage risks at the long-time sledding spot.

The giant hill at the park along Riverside Drive is a destination for tobogganing each winter, despite the hill being unsanctioned for sledding.

Coun. Riley Brockington called on the city to conduct a review of the hill following the death of Josée Abi Assal, 11, in a tobogganing accident on Dec. 27.

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services general manager Dan Chenier said the city has engaged a consultant to review the hill.

"The work will initially focus on the Mooney’s Bay location to evaluate the use of the hill for sledding and to develop recommendations on how to best manage any associated risks," said Chenier.

"The City expects to receive a written report from the consultant in the next 30 days. Any decision on expanding the review to other City sites used for sledding will be made following the review of the report.”

Following the death of Assal, the city installed protective barriers near the hill, removed metal posts at the bottom of the hill and covered the bases of lamp posts with hay bales.