City council looks to set record straight on tobogganing rules in Calgary
Posted Jan 12, 2015 4:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
After seeing a firestorm erupt across social media about tobogganing being illegal on many Calgary hills, councillors are now attempting to put the rumours around an old bylaw to rest.
Ward 12 Councillor Shane Keating asked Community Services and Protective Services General Manager Stuart Dalgliesh if anyone had been ticketed for tobogganing where they weren’t supposed to.
“We don’t have any recall, in recent memory, of tickets being issued,” he told council. “Having said that, what’s important to point out is we focus first on education, we would focus on speaking to someone about where they are and encourage them to use an approved area.”
Eighteen areas are currently approved by the city and Dalgliesh said they would be willing to look at more.
“Hilly areas would be important and a process to get public input into it as well,” he said.
According to Dalgliesh, they have a long list of criteria they look at, including the grade of a hill and making sure it’s away from such things as dog parks, traffic and trees.
For those upset with the low number of approved areas, Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said we need to keep in mind we are still in the prairies.
Officials are planning to launch the city’s outdoor winter play initiative on Thursday, for which tobogganing is included.
