KITCHENER- The City of Kitchener is putting the brakes on speedy sledders at the McLennan Park tobogganing hill.

A permanent wooden fence is being constructed across the face of the popular run, effectively cutting the hill in half. A second fence at the top of the hill will stop people from starting their toboggan run there; people will be directed to start their slides from the midpoint.

Now, this may come as a Grinch-ly surprise in the weeks before Christmas, but city staff insist they're just trying to keep everyone safe.

"Tobogganing is one of those things we want to see people enjoy," said Niall Lobley, Kitchener's director of parks and cemeteries. "We also want to see people enjoying it safely."

Changing winter conditions and heavy use can combine to make the hill extremely icy. "We are aware that people overshoot the bottom of the hill sometimes," Lobley said.

Straw bales at the base, intended as crash barriers, have instead turned into ramps in the past as snow piles up against them.

So the city is doing the one sure thing it can to slow people down, apart from closing the hill altogether - shorten the run considerably.

"We've seen a couple of close calls," Lobley said. "It's really before anyone gets hurt."

A few years ago, the City of Hamilton was forced to pay about $900,000 after a lawyer suffered serious injuries while tobogganing on city property. The activity was technically banned there, but the courts found that signage was poor and enforcement lacking.

Straw bales will be added to channel people up either side of the McLennan Park slope as they trudge up for another run. "We're just trying to manage the flow of people better on the hill," Lobley said.

Similar traffic flow measures are being added at the city's two other tobogganing locations; Foxglove Park - a slight slope ideal for younger children - and Hillside Park.

In the summer, the McLennan hill is in frequent use by high-intensity runners; gates at the centre of the fences will be open in the summer to allow this activity to continue.

Staff will be on hand this winter at all three parks to monitor the changes. The fences at McLennan Park are expected to be completed by Christmas. If it snows before then, the city may close the hill temporarily.

bdavis@therecord.com

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