Ottawa·NewExternal experts have given the City of Ottawa three options to make the hill at Mooney’s Bay safer for sledding.Popular slope closed 4 years before child died in 2021 sledding mishapCBC News · Posted: Nov 17, 2025 3:20 PM EST | Last Updated: 7 minutes agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.A sign at Mooney’s Bay Park alerts people that sledding is prohibited. The city will consider three possible options for reopening the popular winter attraction. (Celeste Decaire/CBC)External experts have given the City of Ottawa three options to make the hill at Mooney’s Bay safer for sledding.The municipal landmark was officially opened for sledding in 2007, but was closed 10 years later after what the city said was a significant number of injuries to sledders and other park users.People continued to use the hill for sledding despite the closure, and in 2021 an 11-year-old girl was fatally injured when she struck a signpost at the bottom of the slope. The hill has been fenced off ever since.A report that will be presented to the city’s community safety committee on Nov. 25 presents three possible options for reopening it.The first option would cost about $2.5 million to create a 15-metre “thrill hill” with a grade of 18 per cent.The second would cost $1.3 million for a 5.7-metre “bunny hill” with a 13 per cent slope.The third would have both a thrill hill and a bunny hill and cost $3.1 million.Each option separates sledding areas from cross-country skiing trails, and each accounts for soil remediation on the hill, which began as a construction landfill.River ward Coun. Riley Brockington, who represents the area and supports reopening a sledding hill in the park, said he intends to consult with staff and residents before any decisions are made.If city council eventually approves one of the options, Brockington said it won’t happen in time to reopen the hill this winter.With files from Joseph Tunney
City to mull options for reopening sledding hill at Mooney’s Bay
