Mooney’s Bay Hill may once again become a popular winter destination if the City of Ottawa agrees to spend up to $3.1 million to rebuild it.
The hill opened for sledding in 2007 but it was closed in 2017 after accidents involving injuries. Despite the closure, residents used the hill until 2021, when an 11-year-old girl died after striking a post at the bottom of the hill.
The tragedy pushed the city to fence the hill off.
A feasibility report is now asking councillors to consider three redesign options, ranging from a “bunny hill” to a full mixed-use winter recreation area with two sledding hills and an enhanced cross-country ski area. The latter option would cost the city $3.1 million.
Residents are waiting to see if council will approve reconstruction, and, if so, which design.
River Ward Coun. Riley Brockington, who represents the community surrounding Mooney’s Bay, has said in council meetings that improving the hill is “feasible and worth exploring” if it means offering residents a safe winter attraction.
Third-year Carleton University student Ellize Manzo, who has lived near Mooney’s Bay for two years, said the price is hard to understand.
“I personally can’t understand why they would spend that amount of money on a hill,” she said. “I know about the death that happened … the big issue was really the safety at the base. I feel like $3 million is a little bit of overkill.”
Brockington said the money to support this project can come from many sources, and doesn’t all have to be spent at once. “We could use $1 million in 2027, $1 million in 2028 and $1 million in 2029 [if that’s what it takes],” he said.
Maraki Assefa said the investment could revitalize a community space that becomes almost unusable once snow arrives.
Assefa lives across the street from the park. She said winters in her neighbourhood feel “like a ghost town.”
“I go to the park every single day in the summer,” she said. “But in the winter, I don’t have much use for it. So creating something during the winter that I can enjoy makes me happy as a resident.”
Assefa said she would definitely use a renovated hill and believes it would draw families. With many residents raising young children, she said the city lacks free winter-friendly activities. “I genuinely can’t think of anything besides the (Rideau) Canal [for skating] or the Christmas market,” she said.
Still, Manzo said shutting down the hill after the child’s death in 2021 was the right decision, at least temporarily.
“It was something that was completely avoidable,” she said. “Other cities put hay bales around posts or signs. That should have a baseline safety measure.”
The city’s study outlines several costly components, including reshaping the slope, removing obstacles, installing new lighting, expanding existing cross-country ski space, adding safety buffers at the bottom and creating accessible paths and seating. Construction could take a full season or more, depending on the design chosen.
“It just boils my blood not to see this hill remain open,” said Brockington.
Cross-country skiing is already available at the hill and if the reconstruction goes through, the ski school will still charge fees for lessons and generate money. However, parking could become a challenge. The parking lot for the Terry Fox Athletic facility has about 130 spots, designated for staff and skiers in classes. The four tiered parking lots on the park side of the hill do not get plowed in the winter, according to a city staffer.
Brockington said the city might be open to having them plowed if the hill gets approval for sledding again.
Assefa said she hopes the city chooses the most expensive option as it offers “something for everybody, different skill and age levels.”
Manzo agreed, saying the mixed model “would be available to the most amount of people possible.”
Both residents say the city needs to clearly communicate its timeline. Construction during summer months could disrupt festivals and community programs long associated with Mooney’s Bay.
However, Brockington said there is no definite timeline yet. “My goal is to listen to the community this winter,” he said. “I would need to identify an option, direct city staff to complete a final design and quota, find the money, and if council endorses the construction, hire a contractor.”
“It’s not just a [sledding] space, it’s a full community space,” Manzo said. “The sooner they make a decision, the easier it will be for everyone who uses it.”
