Social media outcry helping return Stouffville toboggan hill
Post had more than 5,000 hits in first 48 hours: mayor

YorkRegion.com
Aug. 13, 2015
Sandra Bolan

The toboggan hill is coming back to Thicketwood Park, according to Mayor Justin Altmann.

“It is the one thing that should have never been removed from the park,” Altmann told The Sun-Tribune.

The idea came about after Altmann recently went for dinner on Main Street, then grabbed an ice cream and went for a walk through Memorial Park.

He spoke with adults and children about what they liked and didn’t like in the park, with the overwhelming sentiment being the toboggan hill has to come back.

Altmann then went to Facebook with this: “How many people would like to see the toboggan hill returned to Memorial Park?”

Within 48 hours, the post had more than 5,000 hits and it now sits at over 8,000, according to Altmann, who added, all of the feedback has been positive.

“Yes and I don’t even have kids. Memorial Park used to be filled with people in all seasons. Now it is empty green space with a road through it. Bring the fun and people back to the park,” wrote Lynn Kahrkling

“Yes. Everything has been taken out of Memorial Park, our neighbourhood park. By the time anything gets added, my kids will be in university,” wrote Krista Beatty.

Altmann said he has already spoken with the people from Tiny Seedlings, a not-for-profit community program for children operated by United Soils, who have confirmed they will donate material and labour to reconstruct the hill.

Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville staff will take care of seeding and sodding it, along with its regular maintenance, according to the mayor.

In the past, town staff would first do a report on the feasibility of such a project, possibly with some preliminary costing and then provide a recommendation to council. Public consultation would then follow.

“You’ve got to go to the people and then the reports … not telling people what they should or shouldn’t have,” Altmann said of his process.

Altmann plans on making a notice of motion on resurrecting the toboggan hill at the next council meeting, which is scheduled for Aug. 25, 7 p.m.

The mayor has no costing or timetable for its construction, but said it “would be a very good possibility” the toboggan hill could be ready for this winter.

In 2010, the toboggan hill in Thicketwood Park was relocated to a berm in the vicinity of Lori Avenue and Thicketwood Boulevard walkway.

The move was part of the Memorial Park master plan and Park Drive extension, then-mayor Wayne Emmerson told The Sun-Tribune.

“That was always the plan. It was supported by the residents,” he said in April 2010.

The hill was also moved for safety reasons, according to a town staffer, who said York Regional Police had concerns about the lack of lighting and that you could not see around the side of the hill to the skateboard park.

While backhoes levelled the hill, young residents affixed handwritten signs to the surrounding fence requesting it be saved.