Oshawa Tourism’s top four tobogganing hills in the ‘Shwa

We’re back with another Local to the Core, and this time we’re giving a very opinionated… opinion on what I think are the four best tobogganing hills in Oshawa. Tobogganing is regarded as a favourite winter sport for many Canadians; some may say it’s ingrained into our DNA. As soon as there’s a nice layer of snow, we instinctively seek out any snowy incline and sit our bottoms on anything that will carry us down said incline at a satisfying velocity. To save you time and endless debates over which hill is best, we’ve compiled what we hope is adequate information to get you and your crew out on some hills as fast as possible. Note: if you don’t have enough sleds for everyone, head to your local Canadian Tire and buy one of their budget-friendly blue speed disks of doom for about $7-10. Avoid Crazy Carpets, because let’s face it, they’re the worst.

Knights of Columbus Park – 137 Farewell St.

Offering a long stretch of steep hill and its own parking lot with plenty of street parking, Knights of Columbus Park is nice and close to local coffee shops and restaurants if you need a nice place to warm up after an afternoon on the hills. If barreling down snowy slopes isn’t your thing, there is also a nice walking path nearby, the Harmony Creek Trail, that you can venture down while the sledders in your group defy death and injury. One of the nice things about Knights of Columbus park is its sheer hill size and length, so overcrowding never becomes an issue.

R.S. McLaughlin CVI – 570 Stevenson Rd. N. I have very fond memories of trying to learn how to snowboard with my department store snowboard back in the late 90s/early 2000s at the R.S. McLaughlin High School hills. While I never quite got the hang of snowboarding, these family-friendly slopes are perfect for sledders of any age while providing enough of an incline to satisfy even the bravest of your group’s sledders. Plenty of parking and hill space is available, so crowding should never be an issue.

Kinsman Valleyview Gardens – 109 Colborne St. W.

While the beautiful botanical gardens may be buried under snow, there’s still plenty of wintery beauty at Kinsman Valleyview Gardens, and you can spend your day sledding there! Short, but steep, hills surround this central Oshawa tobogganing destination. It even comes complete with a set of stairs to ferry your group back up to the top of the hill to ensure that you can make the most of your sledding time, and not embarrassingly slide back down the hill after slipping on a patch of ice or overly slick snow. Be warned that parking is a bit of a premium, and there is quite a hike to the hill, so be prepared to walk.

Grandview South Park – Grandview Dr. and Bloor St. E.

A hill that I only recently was introduced to in my adult years, Grandview South Park was always a park I knew was there, and I’m sure I played baseball as a kid, but never experienced tobogganing there. Plenty of thrills to be had at this narrower hill, including but not limited to a variety of trees to run into while speeding down the hill, this fun little park is suitable for your whole group regardless of age. Luckily if the kids get bored there’s a park to play at and if the adults get bored (or cold!) The Bulldog Pub across the street offers plenty of seating and delicious chicken wings. Plenty of parking is available at this location, but out of this whole list of tobogganing locations, it’s easily the busiest due to its smaller size.

After a day on the toboggan hill, you are definitely going to need to warm up with a cup of cocoa. Might I recommend Isabella’s Chocolate Café, Cork & Bean, or Oshawa House Cafe?

with files from Kyle Kornic