A catchy song and even catchier message: LET US TOBOGGAN! For gosh’ sakes, cities: Rather than banning winter fun, let us do it at our own risk!
Great big kudos to writer/performers Laura Cole and Mike McCurlie — who sure look like they’re having a blast! Share this video or go out and sled! (Me, I’m sharing the video. It’s cold out there! But if you are a winter person, go out and embrace it!) Happy weekend! – L.
100 Comments
darling
Excellent! Can’t wait for the song, ‘High Fiving with the Cross Guard Blues.’
I heard about the no tobogganing laws, but I didn’t realize they were in my backyard in Canada! This town is 30 minutes, and it is such a shame they have outlawed tobogganing. BUT, the reason is that a few years a ago a kid got really hurt and the family sued the city. You can’t blame the city, they’ve got to protect themselves. Perhaps if people weren’t so “sue happy” even up here in Canada, then kids could sled where they want!
That was great! Near my home growing up, we had a double hill and would try gather enough speed at the top of the first hill to go down the second hill. =)
@Nicole Kaucher
“You can’t blame the city, they’ve got to protect themselves.”
As the song suggests, put up an “at your own risk” sign, and make it stick.
Couldn’t see the video. But I wanted to share somehting I was just reading on the topic. It pointed to a study showing it is much more dangerous to push kids out of the parks for sledding. As kids who sled in the street are 5x more likely to get hurt and those injuries are more severe. … But I guess minimizing liability comes before minimizing harm.
http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/the_kids/2015/01/sledding_bans_from_iowa_to_new_jersey_cities_are_outlawing_sledding_in_city.html
Laura Cole has beautiful teeth.
Why do folks sue the city if there is a sledding accident, but not a car accident? Sometimes the really crappy roads or design or maintenance do contribute to accidents, but for some reason this is always accepted.
My theory is, people treat automobile accidents as a “necessary risk”….because of the need to drive, but treat things such as sledding, biking or even walking/hiking as “unnecessary” and therefore subject to restricting or banning.
That must change.
How are we gonna to train youngsters to win olympic luge or bob sled?
$2000 fine for tobogganing??!
I wonder what the fine is for a DUI.
I shared the heck out of that thing!
Wow, that is lovely. Hooray for creative protests and activism!
@Lollipoplover–Good point. Might as well toboggan under the influence, so you get two vices for the price of one.
As a former municipal parks and recreation bureaucrat, I can unfortunately tell you that liability concerns are real.
There are countless lawsuits, derived from tragedies, that dictate policy. Keep in mind that even cases that municipalities win frequently generate costs. Not to mention bad press about unsafe parks.
There have been lawsuits filed about sledding down established sledding hills, of kids putting their eyes out running thru a park and into a low tree branch, a laceration from walking into a hanging planter (that wasnt near a walk way), and many more.
Park & Rec officials don’t want to squash fun. Far from it. However, no one wants to be a bad guy and have the evening news asking why they didn’t eliminate a hazard or risk their career when city council asks why liabilities are allowed when it is tax payer money.
I remember doing a survey of other departments in the north Midwest regarding old fashioned outdoor skating rinks. They are disappearing fast. There is the overtime cost from fire departments (or park employees) initially filling the rinks with water but also the complaints from people that fall and injure themselves, from neighbor who love the increase in property values the park provides but tire of the daily noise of children playing (unfortunately very true), and yes, lawsuits stemming from medical bills when someone breaks a limb.
I remember when all slides were removed from a city’s school playgrounds. The Parks department kept slides but eliminated circular ones after a horrible tragedy when a child got their hoodie drawstring caught in a gap at the top of a circular slide and strangled to death.
In not trying to defend worst first thinking. I’m commiserating and trying to explain why even play “professionals” can be forced to eliminate freedom and fun.
Brian, this sounds like something that people need to gather signatures for and get on a ballot. “Free our Parks for our Kids” – with a law that says that parks and sledding, etc. are for the benefit and fun for all, but the risks are on those choosing to participate. Put that on the signs. Make it news. Parks involve physical activity. Occasionally, physical activity results in injuries – see ANY athlete. Choosing to use the parks doesn’t make the parks dept responsible for your actions or your child’s actions that may result in injury. Injury is a part of life. Deal with it.
Maybe not so snarky….
One of the issues in the US is your health insurance company will go after people FOR you, without your consent even, when you are injured. My brother was born with severe bilateral clubfoot deformity, and every time he has a surgery my mom has to repeatedly clarify that it was a congenital deformity, not an acquired injury.
maybe those policies and laws that allow anyone to sue for anything and everything should be revaluated immediately and get back to basic. Greed is taking over common sense and fun! Post signs use at own risk,and on the same sign safety helmets are strongly recommended. Also perhaps the sign could say ” City not responsible for any injuries incurred unless supported by licensed Medical Professionals and minimum cost of $ 25000.oo non refundable to prove any misdemeanours while using this area
It’s a shame these things happen. People are sue happy and see a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow hanging over accidents in life. Greed outlawing a free and healthy childhood.
The song on the video is catchy, but it’s unfortunate that a pack of kids were NOT the primary humans in this video.
————————————————–
I have never understood why a city doesn’t post signs in their parks saying:
WARNING: Remaining in this park could mean
the end of your life TODAY. We are serious about
this and you are warned. If you get hurt or killed
the city will not be held responsible for your
injury or death because you have been warned.
Any activity you do in this park should
be done at your own risk.
Life is full of hazards. Most people have visited
this park and gone sledding, climbed trees, and played
on the playgound equipment without having any negative
consequences. And that’s what most people experience.
However, once again. Remember, the activities in this park
are are not supervised, and you might inadvertently be
harmed or killed.
–The City of ________ —
Loved the video and am so jealous! Never enough snow in my neck of the woods to toboggan. ..hardly ever any snow at all, actually. Though occasionally grass and sand make okay substitutes.
Off topic somewhat, but if you want to watch really dangerous ‘tobogganing’ and other stunts you need to take a look at ‘Double the Fist’….a wonderful group of ‘real’ Aussie blokes
proving their manhood, pitting themselves against other ‘weaker’ types. The best segment is where one uses an eighty year old woman as his ‘toboggan’ on a soapy slide ….😊
I think a simple “Sled at your own risk” sign would be enough. But the solution is go sled on private property. We still have the right to sled on our own property which is where we happen to do our sledding anyway since we have a good sloped yard. They can’t stop you from doing it on your own property or go find a friend or neighbor that has a good sledding hill on their land instead.
Check out Double the Fist…Fist Makeover on Youtube (stuffed if I can link it 😊) for real tobogganing. Enough to make us weaklings forget about using snow…
Only in Oz. Home of ‘real blokes’.
What’s winter without tobogganing?? Silly government. What about our free will and speech? What will be next? “Oh don’t cross the street, you will get hit by a car.” Everything we do is a “risk”. It’s what makes life interesting, yes? I think so. It’s hella fun. I go sledding every winter.
Let us toboggan. Great Song!
For Godssake do we want to remove all human contact ,why shouldn’t students and crossing guards have a good relationship
What were not to toboggan now I thought we were to go outside and get exercise ,so what are people and children. Who don’t have money to so skiing,etc no money for a vacation to do ?
This is my city. A city built on a hill, perfect for tobogganing (which most people still gleefully do, with no actual tickets handed out, but it gives the cops something to threaten you with, I guess).
And, it wasn’t “some kid” who got hurt – it was a lawyer in his 40s, tobogganing at the reservoir, where there WERE signs saying “No Tobogganing” but the ditch wasn’t fenced/marked, and he got hurt. Spent years suing the city, for everything from loss of work to erectile disfunction, to dissolution of his marriage.
We (taxpayers) ended up on the hook for $900K and change, because somehow the judge in the case (and the appeals!) didn’t think that the lawyer and his wife had ANY PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for his injuries, as the city should have maintained the barriers, marked the hazards, and enforced the “no tobogganing” rule.
Ugh.
I’m still taking my kids out sledding this weekend.
It’s not just Canada with this silliness! It’s happening here in the USA! Two of the hills we slid on as kids and I took my kids sliding on are closed to sliding now, both on private property. In both cases it was due to the cost of insurance coverage because someone might sue. And in the news just this past week was a story about cities in several states that are banning sliding in their parks! It’s sad on one hand there’s all this push to get kids out of the house and away from electronics, childhood obesity etc but on the other hand the cities are too busy protecting their bottom line too see how counterproductive it all is. Hmmm I wonder if parents can sue those cities if their children developed a weight related health issues? ??
We have a lake just down the road from us. I posted a picture of my boys and husband playing hockey on our district’s recreation Facebook page and within hours another local mom responded “not something my kids would do…that lake is dangerous” we had 3 nights in a row where temperature hit Negative 20 degrees. We haven’t seen anything over 20 in weeks! Part of me wants to pull the picture down because I fear the district will ban skating. The other part of me wants to make a huge deal about how ridiculous and insulting her statement was. Ok…needed to vent. Thank you 🙂
I can’t believe that they are doing this. It’s so wrong in so many ways!!! GIVE IT UP FOR HEAVEN SAKES. It’s been a tradition for as long as I can remember
Love the song, the video and the message. Banning tobogganing is a STUPID idea and the morons who decided it was a good idea probably have never had the experience. Kids need to get outside, enjoy the fresh air and toboganning is something that EVERYBODY can afford to do!! LET OUR KIDS BE KIDS !!!
Awesome video I will share, just pathetic they push and push to get out and be active, than one person complains and it snowballs into this….. what is next ??? no more swimming??
What next, banning butter knives!
Once again we find ourselves robbed of something that is part of northern pastime. Soon we will all be wrapped in bubble wrap and sitting in a corner! Wake up Canada….accidents happen! Fun should be allowed to happen…innocent free fun. I cannot believe the world we are creating because some individuals play the “sue” card. What a bunch of BS!!!
everyone loves to tabbogon and slide hills why are they trying to take all of this fun from us we Canadians have always done this its a lot better than staying inside playing games . its a Canadian tradition so please don’t take it away
This just sucks not being able to toboggan. Wow
go for it
This is a ridiculous law. Instead of banning tobogganing put a sign up saying of injured the city takes no responsibility. They should worry about the fact that more people die from drunk drivers than a stupid toboggan. I see no law where you have too give up your keys and pass a breathalizer before getting them back. You have to think they ban this, whats next skiing?
can’t believe that kids won’t be allowed to enjoy the fun of tobogganing and having fun.
When did we become a country that banned everything that might or might not hurt us while growing up??
We have all lived after having fun sliding down a hill on a toboggan, or crazy carpet, but because of one or two people that will try and sue anyone, and everyone to get money for their own stupidity of falling on a hill, the cities of Canada have decided to stop all sliding. Ban the one’s who want to sue the city, put them on probation and keep them from using the Citie’s facilities. Beyond frustrated with this nonsense.
Totally agree with the idea of posting sins that say At Own RISK … banning any form of outdoor activity is insane. We as a society DO NOT GET enough physical activity and now we are basically allowing the government to tell our children it’s against the law to be active. CRAZINESS … guess George Orwell was right, even though 1984 has come and gone ??
they are taking everything away from the kids .we all grew up sledding what’s happening to this country were they ones closing all these hills never kids before did they not sleigh ride or go tobogganing before its healthy and fun sometimes they can get hurt but you can get hurt from walking down the street .we all love it and should be able to keep doing it its part of Canadian fun.
I live in one of the towns recently affected by the closing of some parks to sledders. Currently the city allows sledding in 2 of the city parks (and actually one isn’t a park but it’s a golf course). At first, I was a little upset, but upon looking into it further, I’m not upset with our city and I don’t think that it is an overstepping of the government’s boundaries. Recently in Iowa, a family sued for 12 million dollars and won. I DO NOT want my tax money going to that. As soon as our Iowa legislature gets back into session, the laws at the state level over whether or not individuals can sue if they get hurt for sledding will be changed. However, our city pro-actively moved ahead until those rules are changed so that our tax money goes for actual city improvements and not to one family. Please get all your information before you think that cities are wrong in doing this.
sign should read “at own risk” …. I can’t believe this is happening. And people who sue “get a grip people” ….
@Mindy-
People will sue for anything. Look at the town of Newtown, Conn. getting sued because they didn’t have bulletproof glass.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/sandy-hook-families-sue-newtown-schools-citing-lax-security/ar-AA864Wt
WE TOO UP HERE IN SUDBURY ONTARIO ALSO
ARE NOW UNABLE TO SLED DOWN OUR HILLS
WE ARE CANADIANS AND WE SHOULD HAVE THE
RIGHT TO DO SO AT OUR OWN RISK
POST POST POST
Excellent song. Great idea and YES it is crazy that you can’t toboggan in Canada. Where’s the link to the online petition?
this is a great song let our kids and everyone enjoy the snow there isnt really to much you can enjoy about it except play in it. watch your children always but never take the fun out of their lives tobogganing, down a hill is a wonderful memory for everyone especially kids. They keep saying get your kids out of the house and outside so quit taking their fun away.
great song tobogganing is such a great memory for kids and everyone why are they trying to take the fun away. We have winter around for 3 months or so and the only enjoyment out of it is letting your kids or everyone play in it. we all had enjoyment and fun going sleigh riding and tobogganing when we were kids let our kids get the enjoyment out of it. Always watch over your children but let them enjoy their childhood while they are young .
When I was in college in Fairbanks, AK, mumblety years ago, there was a ski area right on the campus. I think it was more like people skied on campus regardless, so the administration said, “OK, let’s acknowledge that people ski right through campus without freaking out about it.” There were signs on each potential run explaining which ones were easy and which were really not a good idea. They left it at that.
Every winter, somebody broke a leg or arm skiiing or sledding or just walking around from building to building, because winter in Fairbanks dumps heavy layers of snow that naturally compact into ice under their own weight, and the budget allowed for either scraping every surface clean OR heating and lighting the buildings. And nobody ever sued. Because living in the North involves, gee willikers, enormous quantities of snow and ice.
What ever happened to people taking responsibility for their own actions! They are banning tobogganing because of irresponsible people suing the cities. Take responsibility for your actions. It’s your choice to take your kids tobogganing or to go yourself. If you get hurt, it was your choice to be there. People get hurt riding bikes, kids fall off and get hurt so what are they gonna start to ban bikes also? So many people put blame on others these days its ridiculous! If I want to take my children tobogganing I am going to! Give me a ticket or whatever I really do t care! It’s a family tradition to many families, its sad these pathetic people that don’t take responsibility of their actions are able to take this away! Society really frustrates me these days!!
can not believe what the government wants us not to do….stay inside and play video games kids…
I want to join in and toboggan wherever it isn’t allowed – lets protest these bubble wrapping by-laws for the future of INTELLIGENT CHILDREN taught common sense.
End the bullying government – Keep Canadas LAND – FREE!!!!!
Hamilton:
Get real.
this is GREAT!!!!! how about being held responsible for our own decisions….fear of lawsuits has gone to far!!!
…
So sad! No wonder our kids our ending up unhealthy and overweight! How can they take this great Canadian winter pass time away from us?! I will fight for our rights!
if they can put up no tobogganing signs..they could put up slide at your own risk signs…why the heck take away something that has been going on for years and years… CRAZY
this is absolutely ridiculous!!kids have been tobogganing for years!!! What has this country come to? taking away any pleasures that kids have to play in the snow!!! Yes they will let cyclists ride the streets with cars and not enforce safety rules~ that is 100 times more dangerous~~ the powers that be really should pick their battles more reasonably!!!
Great video… Bureaucracies, please let us and our kids play. There are always risks in enjoying the great outdoors and there are tremendous rewards that far outweigh them!
I know tobogganing can be dangerous and i would like to think your doing this for safety reasons (not because your afraid of being sued) But skating can be dangerous those blades are sharp so stop skating to no more hockey or arenas course if you think about it football is dangerous to, come to think of it you should outlaw all sports, and how many kids get hurt going to and from school, even at school so you should ban that to. Use your imagination you can think of many more ways to get rid of things that make us Canada. Let Canadians go sledding
Crazy rule. Next no climbing trees, no bikes, no skiing….. where does something like this end.
Get a grip ppl take the fun away and you will cause the spawn of more criminal acts cause there will be nothing fun anymore except for breaking the law. And parents out there u did the same shit and had fun so why take it away from your kids u survived so what’s the dam problem
This is so sad that our country Canada…..the land of the free, has lost their freedom. This is all because of our LAWERS and INSURANCE COMPANIES.
What next,Get ride of all the play slides and parks.just have trees and grass.it seems anything free in this world is slowly cumming to a end.Hiking and swimming at public places will be banned. Indoor pools and paved walk ways with railing are going to be the only places to get out .Maybe these fear mongers should get out of the expensive gyms and see how the rest of the country enjoys a sat afternoon .
It just as bad as the animal control it sucks they put all the cats brought in to sleep .so why would they let u us the hill.
I think Hamilton should make a law about driving in the snow… any sign of snow: close schools, stop all production, close all retail businesses and most importantly warn people to not go outdoors cause they may get hurt worse then that Have Fun!
This is Bullshit I thought we lived in Beautiful Canada were we have freedom of speech but what is happening we as Canadians are loading our rights of freedom I’m getting the feeling we might as well be in a consatration frickin camp you need to take your tobogganing band and shove it were the sun don’t shine
This hill was closed to toboganning because a lawyer sued after getting hurt……It’s simple….Just ban lawyers.
I have now been around for a lot of years. As a kid growing up i was always told to go out and play. I loved every minute of it. I could not wait for the snow so i could go sledding and tobogganing. We never worried about laws or penalties because we knew that we were playing at our own risk. We all survived and we are all better people because of it. No tobogganing is a stupid law. I agree with the song. change the signs to say toboggan at your own risk. We always have. Some of the laws that make us do or not do some things are fine but this law needs to go away for ever.
Keep sharing ,,what else will they take from us.. CRAZY NO TOBOGGANNING
It’s just stupid!!!
fuck it ban everything
Let us go tobogganing [at your own risk]
C’est ridicule je suis pour les glissades de tous genre.
Sooner or later you won’t be able to walk it will be too dangerous let’s just stay home and be safe don’t skate because you might fall.
I think we should all wrap ourselves in BUBBLE WRAP !!!!!!!!!!!
This is a bad idea. Kids need to play outside. Kids need to have fun.
This is Canada. Come on Hamilton wake up and toboggan! What’s wrong with these people!!!!
go for it its your right
Put up signs that warn people to sled at their own risk…but do not take away the right to one of the most fun, traditional, winter pass times in Canada (which by the way is excellent exercise). Have a helmet ordinance if you must…but do NOT take away tobogganing!
The grinch has taken fun out of winter,,
this is crazy sledding has been around forever, it seems like all the outdoor sports in summer and winter have so many restrictions and do as we say standards now, the fun is being taken out of all our outdoor activities,Maybe they should have sledding guards in popular sledding areas like they have life guards at the beaches to keep a eye on things to prevent law suits if that’s what they are concerned about. We had fun fun fun till they took my toboggan awayyyyy. 🙁
For the person that posted liability issues are real!? Ffs, the problem isn’t the people that sue, it’s that lawyer and judges entertain all this bull @#&*ING sh1T! How can you have empathy for a suck who should know the risks and refuse to be personally responsible? The system is a joke.
Kids need to be outside playing in fresh air instead of playing on the toboggan on the wii
so sad
And we wonder way are kids are obese
This is so silly!! It’s a great winter activity!
were is our free country gone there taking evething from us it is time for Canadens to stan up befor it is all gone
I think we should remove half the government and half the LAWS. I THOUGHT THIS WAS A FREE COUNTRY.
Tobogganing is the correct spelling of the word.The city doesn’t know how to spell.
Just go do it! get a hole bunch say a schools worth 250 -300 kids and their family’s together and go so that come’s out to like 750 to 1000 people and organize it with all the other school’s and you all go out .
They can not arrest you all and wont even try and the dumb signs will come down and the next time you vote you make the bad people go away or else ! Just sayin…..Let them know and let them go !
Really, we always toboggan! At our own risk is understood. If parents are worried about injuries, then – supervise your kids!
This is an enjoyable part of my Canadian heritage. It is extremely fun! And great exercise! If you feel the need to sue someone – get yourself insurance to cover your own actions or lack there-of.
If they r banning tobogganing. .. isn’t skiing even more dangerous? What about banning that? Or hokey. .. now there’s a super dangerous pass time… and figure skating… oh wait that’s right… Noone actually makes money from tobogganing. .. so ridiculous. At own risk signs would be a better way to deal with it. So stupid.
Are you f…king kidding me what else are you going to take away we need a whole new government .you fight for oil that don’t belong to us you make war.we can and will toboggan put that in your pipe and smoke it.
this is ridiculous
Excellent SONG
So glad someone is standing up and speaking out!!! Kids and parents together need to STAND strong on this.
Well, that’s just Un-Canadian!!! We lived for toboganning when we were growing up. We survived it. Some people just like to live in a bubble!!! Hell skiing is WAY more dangerous and that’s allowed!!! Post an “At Your Own Risk” sign and let people decide for themselves!!!
Monday Jan. 19th, 2015
da.wilson@bell.net
Wilson
This country is trying to keep the kids inside and on video game.. they need to get out and enjoy the outside, we are not raising a bunch of wimps…
We where raised to get out and enjoy, even a few bumps and bruises never hurt any of us…What is going on with is world time to get back to basics and let the kids have fun just plain fun…