Quebec schools receive snow hill safety guidelines, but urged to use ‘common sense’

Quebec’s school insurers have released guidelines on how snowbanks should be built in schoolyards, and some worry the strict rules could limit winter play.

In a note sent to school principals across the province, the Quebec Reciprocal School Insurance Union (URASQ) recommends that snowbanks used for sliding be no more than 1.8 to three metres high, have a moderate slope of about 25 per cent, and include clearly identified climbing and waiting areas.

URASQ, which provides civil liability insurance to school boards, also advises against placing snowbanks near fences, calls for daily inspections, and suggests schools adopt supervision plans and usage schedules to limit crowding.

The insurer notes that helmets are not mandatory if snowbanks meet the recommended criteria, which it describes as suitable for beginner-level sliding.

If these guidelines are not met, URASQ recommends that children wear safety helmets.

Guidelines, not rules

School officials stress that the recommendations are not binding.

“It’s advice, not directives,” said Normand Page, secretary general and director of communications for the Centre de services scolaire des Chênes in Drummondville, in an interview with Noovo Info.

Like any insurer, URASQ’s role is to outline ways to reduce risk, but does not to dictate how schoolyards are run.

Page also pushed back against the idea that staff will be measuring snowbanks with tape measures.

“It’s the snow removal contractor who shapes the slope, as in past years,” he said. “School administrators then use their judgment: Is there ice? Is the slope too steep? Is it safe? If yes, students use it. If not, they don’t.”

The same logic applies to helmet use, Page added.

“The principal decides. Clearly, if I were a principal and thought the kids needed helmets to go down, I’d close the slope,” he explained.

Balancing safety and winter play

Usage schedules, already common in some schools, are also framed as a safety measure, particularly in large schools where it becomes difficult to manage when there are too many children on the slopes at once.

Page said the intent is really about common sense, by allowing students to enjoy winter while keeping them safe.

According to Page, his school service centre has not filed any insurance claims related to snowbank injuries in the past three to four years.

A matter of ‘common sense’

Education Minister Sonia LeBel weighed in Tuesday, also emphasizing judgment over rigid rules.

“I’m encouraging school administrators to exercise their judgment, as they do for all outdoor activities,” she wrote on X. “What matters is that students can play outside and enjoy winter in a safe environment. It’s a matter of common sense.”

The comments follow last year’s push by then-education minister Bernard Drainville to bring snowbanks back to schoolyards, arguing children should be allowed to play outdoors without excessive restrictions.

In a 2024 report, the Canadian Pediatric Society said a certain level of risk in play can benefit children’s health and development, describing “risky play” as engaging, free play with uncertain outcomes — and an accepted possibility of minor injury.

- With files from Noovo Info’s Jennifer Gravel