Toronto has banned tobogganing on 45 hills across the city.
The ban comes from safety concerns, and apparently, sledding/tobogganing is their top priority as if there are no other pressing issues in the city.
Gang violence, shootings, theft, homelessness, the opioid crisis... NOPE. It's TOBOGGANING. That's the REAL problem in this city!
One of the 45 hills is East Lynn Park - this was a very popular tobogganing spot for many years and, just last year, had bales of hay wrapped around the trees at the bottom of the hill. It was the go-to spot.
However, this winter, signs have been put up explicitly stating that the activity is prohibited in that area.
Lane Harrison/CBC
The ban was announced through the city's email last Friday. Yep - they seriously banned fun right before the weekend!
Tobogganing is not permitted at some hills because of hazards obstructing the slope, which render the hill unsafe for tobogganing.
...
East Lynn Park was assessed using the toboggan hill inspection process and deemed unsafe due to several permanent obstacles and safety hazards onsite, including a staircase, wading pool, field house building, light poles and trees.
City Councilor Brad Bradford, representing the area, labeled Toronto as a "no fun city" and believes that individuals are perfectly capable of managing their own risk assessments when it comes to tobogganing.
Individuals managing their own risk assessment is a lost concept in Canada since the pandemic, you see.
There has been some backlash from the residents over the ban (because this is obviously a really dumb thing to do), but rest assured that the city of Toronto is allowing folks to sled on 29 designated hills across 27 parks.
In an interview with CBC, Bradford calls this nonsense.
This is just nonsense. It's the no fun city when you start seeing them cracking down on tobogganing, especially in a place that has decades of experience and a tradition of tobogganing.
He also said we're getting lots of snow coming, and people are still going to toboggan - including him and his daughter.
We're supposed to get 10 centimetres of snow overnight. That might include me and my daughter. It's not a good use of time. It's not a good use of resources. And again, this is why folks get cynical on the City of Toronto.
Basically, the city is scared of being sued.
Though Bradford recognizes the liability concerns, he believes the "all or nothing" approach diminishes citizens' autonomy regarding personal responsibility.
Autonomy and personal responsibility are also concepts that were thrown out the window during the pandemic.
Bradford says the city should find a "more thoughtful" approach to manage the liability.
The city of Toronto began a sledding hill inspection program in 2017, and they've stated that the city is "responsible for ensuring its properties and any activities performed on its properties are reasonably safe."
Troy Burtch, a local resident and father of two, calls the ban "ridiculous."
And I agree!
If you're going to go tobogganing, you know what you're doing. You're going down a hill on a piece of plastic and there's potential for a broken arm or just a bruise. The kids have a great time here and we've been doing this since they were little.
The Great White North, they say...
Bradford is correct in saying stuff like this is why people hate Toronto.
Please leave us alone and let us toboggan.
Playing around in the snow and getting hurt is what being Canadian is all aboot!
And if you get hurt... sorry!
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