Calls to restrict tobogganing prompt criticism, debate in some cities
Calls to restrict tobogganing prompt criticism, debate in some cities
The quintessential winter activity of tobogganing is taking over slopes across the country. But as Canadians slide through the winter months at local hills, the age-old question of safe sledding returns to communities and even council chambers.
In Oshawa, Ont., a city just east of Toronto, councillors spent hours this week debating a proposal to ban tobogganing at all but two city parks.
During the debate, Coun. John Neal finished a comment by saying “parents are not happy.” The city did receive a number of letter submissions denouncing the proposal.
“Children don’t know what to do, they don’t know about amendments and bylaws and numbers. All they know is can I go tobogganing or not and we want to say yes,” said Gail Syme, who attended the meeting in person.
The mother and grandmother frequents local hills with her family. “It’s amazing for your mental health and not just for the children as well as physical activity but for the adults. They’re laughing again, they’re having fun thinking about their childhood.”
The proposal stems from an insurance review of city-owned hills, where tobogganing is a common activity. The review found issues that should be addressed.
Neal, a councillor of more than 20 years, suggested it was a topic not to be discussed by council.
“I’ve been saying this since the committee meeting, don’t go down this road because if you do then be prepared because there are so many things that can be sanctioned at a park.” Neal suggested the hills be treated like other areas of the city that come with their own risks. “Put signs up ‘use at your own risk’ like we do with our beaches at Lake Ontario.”
Between 2020 and 2021 there were 170 tobogganing-related hospitalizations recorded in Canada, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information. In comparison, there were 522 injury hospitalizations related to ice skating, and 6,590 from falls on ice. That year, there were 1,446 hospitalizations from playground injuries.
After hours of debate, Oshawa councillors decided it was a hill they didn’t want to go down and the item was shelved.
“It was unfortunate that we even had to have the debate -- common sense would tell us that we shouldn’t have these debates in the future, you can’t absolve yourself of 100 per cent of the liability,” said Coun. Tito-Dante Marimpietri, adding that councillors will leave it with city staff to post signage if deemed necessary.
TOBOGGANING ALSO DEBATED IN OTHER CITIES
Oshawa isn’t the only city to have the debate; cities across the country have weighed in on sledding safety over the years.
Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Hamilton and Ottawa are among those with designated tobogganing hills that are maintained and monitored by the city. Many municipalities have websites listing the designated hills along with safety recommendations.
Sledding in an undesignated spot could cost you. In Calgary, for example, there is a range of fines starting at $50 for tobogganing in areas not approved for that activity.
Toronto has 27 designated tobogganing hills. At unsanctioned hills, signs prohibiting tobogganing are drawing a lot of criticism in at least one ward.
“I don’t think I’ve had so many irate phone calls as I did about the sign that prohibited tobogganing at Broadlands Park,” said Jon Burnside, councillor for the area. He’s working to change the wording to be more of a warning.
“The last thing we want is Toronto be the city of no fun and when you have signs prohibiting everything right down to tobogganing, that seems like the direction we’re going,” Burnside said.
“It wasn’t about enforcing the no tobogganing, my understanding is it was more about protecting ourselves from litigation. So why not just tell people what the hazards are and let them make their own choices?”
In a statement, the City of Toronto said “the signage is installed to inform residents and direct them to toronto.ca/toboggan for locations where toboggan hills are regularly inspected for hazards.”
Burnside is optimistic that Toronto Parks staff will be able to make changes to the signs to something that reads more like a warning encouraging people to make safe choices.
Months after Canada's ban on foreign homebuyers took effect on Jan. 1, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has made several amendments to the legislation allowing non-Canadians to purchase residential properties in certain circumstances.
The 2023 federal budget released this week includes a series of affordability measures, tax changes, and major spends on health care and the clean economy. But, tucked into the 255-page document are a series of smaller items you may have missed.
CTV News has learned that RCMP officers are currently in northeast Syria, interviewing Canadians held in detention camps in order to bring them back to Canada. The three Mounties have so far interviewed only Canadian women in Al-Roj camp.
A senior Bank of Canada official says the central bank is keeping a close eye on the stresses to the global banking system ahead of its next interest rate decision and monetary policy report in April.
The family of a 37-year-old man who was stabbed to death in Vancouver last weekend says he was attacked after asking someone not to vape near his young daughter.
The federal government unveiled its spring budget Tuesday, with a clean economy as the centrepiece, and detailing targeted measures to help Canadians deal with still-high inflation.
The Vatican says Pope Francis will be hospitalized for several days for treatment of a pulmonary infection after experiencing difficulty breathing in recent days.
Home prices have fallen below the national average in 14-out-of-20 regional housing markets, according to a report by Zoocasa. Saint John, N.B., took the top place for the most affordable region, with an average home price of $268,400.
W5 investigates aging asbestos pipes across Canada and the potential health hazards if it ends up in your tap water. Watch W5's 'Something in the Water' on CTVNews.ca and W5's official YouTube channel.
W5 investigates aging asbestos pipes across Canada and the potential health hazards if it ends up in your tap water. An interactive map and chart on W5.CTVNews.ca shows where in Canada these asbestos cement pipes are being used.
CTV W5 speaks with members of the comedy industry, including Russell Peters, for a wide-ranging look at how political correctness and 'cancel culture' has changed the world of stand-up comedy.
An Ontario couple has filed a request with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) to appoint a new police force to investigate the death of their 17-year-old son Benjamin, who died during a hockey team-bonding event in September 2019.
The parents of young Ontario hockey player Ben Teague have been searching for answers since he died while at a team retreat in 2019. The mystery about what happened and the code of silence in hockey culture is explored in CTV W5's 'What Happened to Ben,' on CTVNews.ca and W5's official YouTube channel.
The parents of young Ontario hockey player Ben Teague have been searching for answers since he died while at a team retreat in 2019. The mystery about what happened and the code of silence in hockey culture is explored in 'What Happened to Ben' on CTV W5.
The RCMP knew about a potential cocaine shipment from the Dominican Republic to Toronto aboard a Canadian charter flight but inexplicably allowed the crew that discovered and reported the drugs to be detained for months without intervening, a W5 investigation has revealed.
CTV W5 investigates what authorities knew about plans to smuggle cocaine out of the Dominican Republic on a Toronto-bound Pivot Airlines flight. The airline's crew is demanding justice following their eight-month detention.
A Toronto police officer is facing disciplinary charges after he allegedly failed to 'conduct a sufficient investigation' into a woman's 'repeated pleas' for help with an ex-boyfriend that she had come to fear, just days prior to her murder.
Two First Nation leaders have been removed from Ontario's legislative chamber for shouting at Premier Doug Ford to meet with them over mining concerns.
The federal government unveiled its spring budget Tuesday, with a clean economy as the centrepiece, and detailing targeted measures to help Canadians deal with still-high inflation.
NEW I A woman who sustained critical injuries earlier this month during an east London, Ont. apartment fire has died from her injuries, London police said on Wednesday.
The Legault government plans to reform Quebec's network through the creation of an agency called Santé Québec. Health Minister Christian Dubé introduced Bill 15, An Act to make the health and social services system more effective, on Wednesday.
The man who allegedly killed a Quebec provincial police (SQ) officer on Monday had a long history of violence detailed in court documents. Sgt. Maureen Breau was fatally stabbed while trying to arrest a man on accusations of uttering threats in Louiseville near Trois-Rivieres. Two other officers then shot and killed the man.
A 22-year-old McGill student who suffers from a terminal disease could soon lose access to the medication she needs because she's graduating from university.
A lawyer who represents Nova Scotia mass shooting victims' families said in an interview they are hoping "for clear commentary on what things went wrong and what things ought to have been done better or differently."
The sale listing for a deconsecrated Roman Catholic church that has been a landmark in the Acadian community in southwestern Nova Scotia has been put on pause.
In an online video, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is heard speaking with outspoken Calgary pastor Artur Pawlowski, creating more doubts about her influence on Alberta court cases.
Okotoks Centennial Arena was buzzing Tuesday night with a record crowd, but on the ice, the Brooks Bandits dominated, defeating the Oilers 5-2 in Game 3 of the AJHL south division semifinals.
The 2023 federal budget released this week includes a series of affordability measures, tax changes, and major spends on health care and the clean economy. But, tucked into the 255-page document are a series of smaller items you may have missed.
In an online video, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is heard speaking with outspoken Calgary pastor Artur Pawlowski, creating more doubts about her influence on Alberta court cases.
Shares of Lululemon Athletica Inc. climbed more than 10 per cent in early trading after the company reported its net revenue for its fourth quarter rose 30 per cent compared with a year ago.
After 13 months of fighting, the parents of a Campbell River, B.C., boy have received a birth certificate that accurately reflects the spelling of his name.
CTV News has learned that RCMP officers are currently in northeast Syria, interviewing Canadians held in detention camps in order to bring them back to Canada. The three Mounties have so far interviewed only Canadian women in Al-Roj camp.
The 2023 federal budget released this week includes a series of affordability measures, tax changes, and major spends on health care and the clean economy. But, tucked into the 255-page document are a series of smaller items you may have missed.
The Royal Canadian Legion is asking the Liberal government for more details about its promise of more money to address longstanding delays and backlogs for ill and injured veterans.
Drugs that combat obesity are under consideration for the first time for the World Health Organization's 'essential medicines list,' used to guide government purchasing decisions in low- and middle-income countries, the UN agency told Reuters.
Children who live with cats or dogs during fetal development and early infancy may be less likely than other kids to develop food allergies, according to a new study.
A new peer-reviewed study from the Medical University of South Carolina report in Brain Connectivity has found individualized brain fingerprints which can help diagnose early Alzheimer's disease.
Tucked into the 2023 federal budget unveiled on Tuesday in Ottawa, the Liberals have announced plans to explore implementing a standard charging port across Canada, in an effort to save Canadians some money and reduce waste.
Apple is getting into the buy now, pay later space with a few tweaks to the existing model -- including no option to pay with a credit card. The company will roll out the product to some consumers this spring, and will begin reporting the loans to credit bureaus in the fall.
A group of prominent computer scientists and other tech industry notables such as Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak are calling for a 6-month pause to consider AI's risks on society.
Students at Heyer Elementary School in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, were set to perform a 2017 duet by Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton, until school administration asked fors its removal from the concert because its lyrics 'could be deemed controversial.'
The Army is working to quickly pull together some new recruiting ads to air during the NCAA's Final Four basketball games this weekend, after being forced to yank commercials that featured actor Jonathan Majors, in the wake of his arrest last Saturday.
Gwyneth Paltrow's attorneys are expected to continue relying mostly on experts to mount their defense on Wednesday, the seventh day of the trial over her 2016 ski collision with a 76-year-old retired optometrist.
Months after Canada's ban on foreign homebuyers took effect on Jan. 1, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has made several amendments to the legislation allowing non-Canadians to purchase residential properties in certain circumstances.
A senior Bank of Canada official says the central bank is keeping a close eye on the stresses to the global banking system ahead of its next interest rate decision and monetary policy report in April.
Real estate observers say a new mortgage code of conduct promised in the federal budget will be handy for Canadians facing financial difficulties, but they still feel the economic plan was lacking needed housing affordability measures.
A Japanese student showed up to graduation as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's lookalike, wearing his signature olive-colored, snug-fit T-shirt and khaki trousers to show his support for Ukraine's fight against Russia.
A mysterious, Montreal-based street artist named Junko is generating buzz in Metro Vancouver with futuristic, bug-like sculptures made from old car parts, scrap metal and tossed out shoes.
Major League Baseball's new rules package is set for its regular-season debut Thursday when all 30 teams play their first game. For many fans, it'll be the first time seeing the sport's sizable list of rules changes, including a pitch clock, limits on infield shifts and bigger bases, which were tested in spring exhibitions but weren't used in the WBC.
Closing out a half century of purely gasoline-powered V12 cars going back to the brand's earliest models, Luxury Italian sports car designer Lamborghini has unveiled its first supercar with a charging port.
U.S. highway safety regulators have opened yet another investigation into problems with Teslas, this time tied to complaints that the seat belts may not hold people in a crash.
California lawmakers on Monday approved the nation's first penalty for price gouging at the pump, voting to give regulators the power to punish oil companies for profiting from the type of gas price spikes that plagued the nation's most populous state last summer.
