A Bradford City Councilor is bringing a campaign to ban sledding to City Council meetings

Beaches-East York City Councilor Brad Bradford brought forward a motion to lift the ban on sledding at several Toronto parks at the Feb. 6 city council meeting.

It comes after the city announced on January 14 that it would ban sledding at 45 parks, including Bradford's ward.

“It's not a fun town when you see them sledding, especially in a place with decades of experience and tradition,” Bradford told CBC News..

“Families have been sledding at this park in my community for years – decades. I even bring my daughter here,” he told Beach Metro News.

Councilor Brad Bradford said a petition signed by 500 people called on the Council to lift the “ban on sledding”.

— Matt Elliott (@GraphicMatt) February 6, 2024

Bradford told the City Council on Tuesday that he has a petition signed by 500 people calling for the ban to be lifted.

The city is lined with trees, pools, light poles, fences, etc. on the way to the bottom of the hill.

The decision sparked debate over the effectiveness of the ban, whether the decision to sledding should be left up to the individual or guardian/parent, and whether the city has other precautions and safety measures in place instead.

Bradford is spearheading the repeal of the ban. He did not respond to interview requests from the Toronto Observer.

The park in his ward is East Linn Park on Danforth Avenue, west of Woodbine Avenue.

East Linn Park has a playground and pool that can be considered a city obstacle course.

“In fact, there will be people sledding at East Linn Park tomorrow,” Bradford told the CBC.

It also predicts that preventative security measures such as fences and hay bales will be more effective in keeping residents safe and reducing risks than in years past.

“The problem is, it didn't work,” city spokeswoman Lindsey Brodhead told City News in response to questions about why hay bales and fences weren't used this year. “There were injuries, and in some cases serious injuries. So a lot of riders could go down and some didn't, even though it was all good.”

Another argument is that it should be left up to the individual, although the city understands that this could be a liability issue if someone is filing a lawsuit where someone could be injured by objects while sledding.

Sledding has been the talk of the town for quite some time. In 2017, the city adopted an inspection program for sledding, and the 2022 incident at Christy Pits Park reignited the issue.

Information was provided about 29 sledding hills approved in the city.

Riverdale Park, located on Broadview Avenue north of Gerrard Street, is one of the city's approved sledding hills. It is filled with blue signs that remind people of their decisions and hold them accountable for their actions.

“The ban is really hard, kids need to be outside, they need to be active,” said Courtney French, a parent and East York resident. “I don't think it's a deterrent to sledding, especially if it's a hill with a tradition of sledding, if there aren't penalties.”

Sledding has been taking place in this city for more than a century. This is not the first time it was banned – it was banned in 1912. However, the ban was only on Sundays, as they were reserved for worship and rest.

Bradford's proposal to end the current sledding ban will go before Toronto City Council on February 7th or 8th.

It depends