聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 White snow covers the ground, it's cold but you're dressed in multiple layers so the cold air doesn't nip too badly. You'd quickly work up a sweat though and the layers you'd unzip your bulking parka for a little while.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 It was that awkward temperature all Canadian kids know. It was the temperature you reached running up the hill, towing your sled or toboggan behind, just to zip down the hill, and do it all again. It's good exercise, a lot of fun, and something everyone can enjoy.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Tobogganing is an age old Canadian tradition. It's a winter activity I remember taking part in at school on west side of our school. I remember taking our crazy carpets out at home where we would either hike over to a good hill in our area or down one of the mounds Dad made from clearing our yard.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Even in university my friends and I bought crazy carpets to enjoy a spot called the Sugar Bowl in Lethbridge. Kids had built ramps and had the entire area packed down; you could get going pretty quick if you were up for it.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 It never crossed our minds that if we got injured that someone else could be liable; it was our decision to go, it was our decision to go off the jumps the local kids had made, and it was our decision how fast we went down the hill.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I always knew that doing something I chose to participate in that brought with it the possibility of injury was on me. The city or owners of that property weren't responsible for our decisions.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 It was therefore strange to read the other day that in Ontario, in the town of Orangeville, a tobogganing ban was posted at a hill which sounded very similar to the Sugar Bowl in Lethbridge.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Apparently the sign posted has been up since 2009 when the town purchased the land from the school board. An insurance company explained that the hill came with dangers and potential liability issues in the event someone was injured while sliding down the hill.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Though a sign had been posted in 2009, residents didn't take notice until the sign was replaced a few weeks ago. Since then the sign has gone missing and a 鈥渟ave tobogganing鈥� sign hangs in its place.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 A protest was actually held on Sunday, Jan. 11, with 50-60 people arriving at Murray's Mountain to take part in a day of tobogganing and fun.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The town's mayor was also present who commented that the town council would look into making Murray's Mountain into an official tobogganing hill.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Though this doesn鈥檛 seem like the most striking story, the issue was actually trending on the internet, meaning that it was one of the most talked about things on Sunday around the world.
