“Mooney’s Bay Hill Safety Recommendations Revealed”

City of Ottawa has received recommendations from external experts regarding the safety enhancements needed for Mooney’s Bay hill for sledding activities.

The hill was initially opened for sledding in 2007 but was closed down after 10 years due to a significant number of injuries reported among sledders and other park visitors.

Despite the closure, people continued to use the hill for sledding, leading to a tragic incident in 2021 where an 11-year-old girl lost her life after colliding with a signpost at the bottom of the slope, resulting in the hill being cordoned off.

A forthcoming report to be presented to the city’s community safety committee on Nov. 25 outlines three potential options for reopening the hill.

• Mooney’s Bay sledding study gets go-ahead, but hopes for reopening hill slipping away

The first option involves constructing a 15-meter “thrill hill” with an 18% slope at an estimated cost of $2.5 million.

The second option proposes a 5.7-meter “bunny hill” with a 13% slope, costing around $1.3 million.

The third option suggests the construction of both a thrill hill and a bunny hill, with an estimated cost of $3.1 million.

All options include separating sledding areas from cross-country skiing trails and addressing soil remediation on the hill, which originally served as a construction landfill.

River ward Coun. Riley Brockington, representing the area, advocates for reopening a sledding hill in the park and plans to engage with staff and residents before any decisions are finalized.

Brockington stated that even if the city council approves one of the options, the reopening of the hill for this winter season is unlikely to happen.