by Brian Roulston
Tobogganing was at one time a popular winter-time activity here in the Ambitious City long before skiing gained prominence in the 1920s. There were several tobogganing clubs in the area during the 1880s. The two main ones were the Victoria Toboggan and Snowshoe Club and the Hamilton Toboggan and Snowshoe Club and they built massive wooden slides straight down the escarpment, comparable to a bobsled run or a ski slope. The Victoria Club’s run stood near the top of Victoria Avenue South, at the foot of the escarpment while The Hamilton Club was located south of Aberdeen Avenue and Locke Street South, which was also at the bottom of the escarpment.
The clubs imposed a 100-member limit per season, despite the high demand from hundreds of others who wanted to join in on the fun.
The town was decorated by shopkeepers and other businesses for the inaugural Hamilton Winter Carnival in February 1887, where tobogganing was a major attraction. During the week-long festival both toboggan runs were open to the general public. Despite a snowstorm on the first day of the event, laughter and screaming could be heard far and wide from the thousands of people who raced down the mountain at breakneck speeds with snow flying in their faces and cold wind nipping in their ears. The Winter Carnival was a popular annual event well into the 1900s.
Twenty-five thousand people watched as the Hamilton and Victoria Toboggan Clubs, together with other clubs, marched along James Street South towards Gore Park with their decorated toboggans, past a decked-out arch at the corner of King and James streets, escorted by the 13th Battalion Band. Following the 7:00pm event William Hand’s fireworks factory set off an impressive display of glitter in the night sky over Hamilton.
According to Wikipedia, in the late 1800s, tobogganing was considered an adult pastime, the gentlemen and the ladies would dress up in their Sunday best, complete with top hats and dresses, for the ride down the hill. There is no specific date when youngsters began to enjoy the sport, although it was probably not long after.
The word “toboggan” seems to have a few unconfirmed origins, one of them is from the North American Algonquian term “odabaggan”, for a kind of man-hauled freight sledge made of bark, hardwood or whalebone, and deer or buffalo skin. The other from the Mi’kmaq term “tobakun” and it too was made of whale bone and pulled across the snowy tundra.
The First Nations of North Eastern Canada also had a toboggan, which they called “Ubagaan,” and it is thought that Henry Hudson of the Hudson Bay Company saw these toboggans used on James Bay during the winter of 1611.
No matter the origins, these sledges were the main mode of transportation for Native Americans in the Great Plains and the Great Lakes region from 3000 BCE onwards. Odabaggan’s are thought to have been around long before the invention of the wheel and could carry people, goods, and hunting catches during their winter migrations. The Natives called a small and recreational type of sledge “Tom Pung”. After viewing the indigenous’ invention, the colonists borrowed the word and applied it to the low-profile wooden sledges they built.
Snowshoeing and sledding were essential for Canadians to survive the harsh winters before the railroad was built. After the railroad made transportation easier, these activities slowly became more recreational and enjoyable. The first winter carnival in Canada was held in Montreal in 1883, but it did not attract much attention or participation. However, it did pave the way for future winter festivals in Canada.
Hamilton itself has an award-winning Winterfest (February 2-19, 2024) put on by the City of Hamilton and Cobalt Connections Creativity. You can check it out on the city’s web page https://www.hamilton.ca/things-do/festivals-events/hamilton-winterfest for further information on planned activities and concerts.
Finally, the city of Hamilton maintains a website listing of currently approved toboggan hills in and around the city. It may be found under Parks & Trails, along with guidelines and safety instructions for a safe trip. Tobogganing is presently permitted in Waterdown Memorial Park, Dundas Driving Park, the Chedoke Golf Course’s (Beddoe Course), the Garth and Stonechurch Reservoir, and King’s Forest Golf Course in Stoney Creek. Check their website for the latest information. https://www.hamilton.ca/things-do/parks-green-space/parks-trails/permitted-tobogganing-hills
Have a safe and enjoyable winter.
