The in town has been widely condemned by residents sparking a petition demanding the municipality reconsider its decision.
Christina Petluk-Byrd said she decided to start the petition after her five-year-old step-son broke down in tears when he heard he wouldn鈥檛 be allowed to play there anymore.
鈥淥ur little boy was really upset because we go there everyday. When he heard he wasn鈥檛 allowed to go there anymore he cried until bedtime so I promised him I鈥檇 do something,鈥� said Petluk-Byrd. 鈥淚鈥檓 tearing up just thinking about it.鈥�
On Jan. 19 closure signs appeared on Snape鈥檚 Hill, located along Willow Avenue, and the church hill, located on the corner of Pyramid Lake Road and Bonhomme Street. The hill at Centennial Park remains open for use.
Administration decided to close the areas after an independent risk consultant visited Jasper on Jan. 16 and strongly recommended the municipality take immediate action to address safety concerns. Both hills spill out onto roads and there are signs and a fire hydrant in the tobogganers' path.
Petluk-Byrd said she was shocked by the news.
鈥淭obogganing is something that I think everyone has done as a kid so to have someone police it just seems really bizarre,鈥� said Petluk-Byrd.
鈥淓very winter activity comes with a risk. It鈥檚 slippery, it鈥檚 wet everyone is going to get hurt at some point, but it鈥檚 really up to the users discretion whether they want to take that risk.鈥�
She said she hopes to get at least 200 signatures for the petition and present it to council in the near future.
In addition to the petition, a appeared overnight inviting residents to go tobogganing at Snape鈥檚 Hill on Friday, Jan. 20. The event was created by Wendy Hall and begins at 3:30 p.m.
Mark Fercho, the town鈥檚 chief administrative officer, said the organizer will assume liability for anyone that shows up.
Despite the warning, Hall said she still planned to go ahead with the event.
"You assume liability in life no matter what you do," said Hall. "I just feel like these kids need a last kick at the can."
She said the municipality should have engaged residents to try and figure a way to make the areas safer instead of closing them.
"If it's been deemed a risk, let's figure out a way it's not a risk so our kids can still be outside playing."
To close the hills municipal staff will install temporary snow fences across each hill to stop people from sliding and install signage warning users that tobogganing is prohibited. The signs will also encourage people to use the hill at Centennial Park.
In a lengthy note to municipal staff on Jan. 19, Fercho wrote the town could not ignore the risk consultant鈥檚 recommendation.
鈥淭he risk management consultant recognized by our municipal insurance provider was in Jasper to provide staff training and inspect various areas of interest brought forward by staff; this included toboggan hills, service standard policies; the underpass, etc. The number one risk that was identified in all we do was the toboggan hills, we received a recommendation to close them immediately. We cannot simply ignore this, we must act immediately,鈥� wrote Fercho.
鈥淭he closure was not a council decision. It is an operational decision, the same as a boil water advisory or road closure. We act for the safety of people first, then look to work through the issue second.鈥�
The note went on to acknowledge that people will be upset by the town鈥檚 decision, but it is better to have a discussion about the closures now than to have the same discussion in response to a child being injured or killed.
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Paul Clarke
[email protected]
