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Tobogganing hills to be big draws during shutdown

Outdoor winter activities are recommended by the city to keep families healthy and active. And what such activity is more Canadian than tobogganing?

Twenty-three hills are officially open for tobogganing in neighbourhoods this year — sure to be be big draws whenever we get enough snow.

And the city wants you to take advantage of them.

“Torontonians made great use of the city’s parks and other recreation activities over the summer and we expect that interest to continue through the winter,” Mayor John Tory said in announcing the Welcome T.O. Winter parks plan today.

“While the public health advice has been clear — people need to stay home wherever possible — we do want to encourage people to safely get fresh air and exercise to maintain both their physical and mental health.”

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These activities include skating (although with a maximum of 25 people), walking and snowshoeing in city golf courses, playing disc-golf at six locations, exploring 60 recreational trails in parks, and tobogganing.

Below are some the officially recommended sites in local parks to head for with your sleds and toboggans after a good snow (park names bolded), as well as some of the other sites that tobogganers have suggested (not bolded).

But note, the city has banned tobogganing in some parks and posted signs at the hills. We’ve kept the ones we know about off this list. But if you find signs banning activity on a hill or in a park, you must heed them — and let us know.

 

Top tobogganing hills in Streeter communities

 

Beaches-Leslieville

  • Cassels Park, small hills for young kids, at Cassels Avenue and Golfview Avenue, in Upper Beaches
  • Fairmount Park, off Gerrard Street East at Beaton Avenue in Upper Beaches
  • Glen Stewart Park, along Glen Manor Drive in the Beach
  • Greenwood Park, between Greenwood and Alton avenues, north of Dundas Street East in Leslieville

Central Toronto

  • Bickford Park, at Grace and Harbord streets in the Palmerston area
  • Christie Pits Park, at Christies Street and Bloor Street West in Christie Pits
  • Riverdale Park West, in the east end of Cabbagetown

Don Valley

  • Graydon Hall Park, between Don Mills Road and the DVP in the Graydon Hall area

Forest Hill

  • Cedarvale Park, on several hills bordering the park cutting across Cedarvale and Forest Hill South

Leaside

  • Howard Talbot Park, south off Eglinton Avenue East, east of Bayview Avenue, in Leaside

North Toronto

  • Eglinton Park, gentle slope for young kids, between Eglinton Avenue West and Roselawn Avenue, several blocks west of Yonge Street in midtown Toronto (not the southwest corner of the park where tobogganing is prohibited)
  • Sunnybrook Park, a variety of hills, northwest of Leslie Street and Eglinton Avenue East, in the Sunnybrook area
Donora Park tobogganing hill
WAITING FOR SNOW: The gentle hills at the back of Donora Park may be East York’s best-kept tobogganing secret.

Riverdale-East York

  • Dentonia Golf Course, officially in Scarborough but on the edge of East York, just north of the Victoria Park Subway, its rolling hills open to all during winter
  • Donora Park, two gentle hills for beginners and little kids, hidden at the south end of the small park, south off Donora Drive, east of Dawes Road, in the east end of East York
  • East Lynne Park, medium-size hills for all ages, south off Danforth Avenue, two blocks west of Woodbine Avenue, in East Danforth
  • Riverdale Park East, off Broadview Avenue in west end of Riverdale, where tobogganing was banned last year while repairs were made to the hill
  • Stan Wadlow/Taylor Creek parks, a medium-size hill falling off the north side of Stan Wadlow Park (at Cosburn and Cedarvale avenues, though the adjoining Taylor Creek Park, stretching across East York offers further opportunities
  • Withrow Park, between Carlaw an Logan avenues, a block south of Danforth Avenue, in Riverdale

If you know of any corrections to the above or would like to add your own favourite hill to the list, tell us through the comments below or by email.