'Wear a helmet': Toronto bans tobogganing across most of the city, declares tubing and pets unsafe

The City of Toronto has banned tobogganing at the majority of hills, citing safety concerns, while designating certain parks and locations specifically as toboggan hills.

A total of 45 hills out of 74 have been deemed unsafe by the city, with officials stating that all toboggan hills must have a clear path from top to the bottom without any hazards or obstacles. Obstacles include ditches, fences, trails, and trees.

These designated tobogganing hills are also allegedly regularly inspected for safety, the city claimed.

"Tobogganing is not permitted at some hills because of hazards obstructing the slope, which render the hill unsafe for tobogganing," the city told CBC News, Canada's state broadcaster.

The city called the number of banned hills "dynamic," and reportedly noted that the number may vary depending on the year if site conditions change.

The city's superfluous toboggan hill inspection program began in 2017 when officials decided to assign municipal staff to inspect "highly used" toboggan hills and warning signs.

"The city is responsible for ensuring its properties and any activities performed on its properties are reasonably safe," the city asserted, and it is apparently taking its toboggan safety very seriously.

On Toronto's official toboggan website — which provides a map of where taxpayers are allowed to enjoy themselves — safety tips are provided.

The tips include "wear a helmet," "slide down the middle of the hill," and "avoid ice-covered areas."

The city also advised fun-havers to avoid using "dangerous" discs and tubes and reminded everyone to not partake in the joy of bringing a family pet to the park.

"Please leave your pets at home. Pets may get excited, become hard to control and could cause injury," the city declared.

City Councilor Brad Bradford said that he might breach city ordinances in his own ward due to Toronto becoming a "no fun city."

"This is just nonsense," the councilor said. "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."

A popular tobogganing spot at East Lynn Park, where Bradford is councilor, was recently placed on the no-go list.

"The reality is there are going to be people tobogganing in East Lynn Park tomorrow," Bradford claimed. "We're supposed to get 10 centimeters 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."

The city reiterated in its statement that the park in question was officially deemed unsafe.

"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."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!