Stay away from popular Saint John sliding hill, officials warn
It's one of the most popular tobogganing hills in the Saint John area.
But the action at the Saint John Airport is sliding to a halt this winter, according to airport officials.
On Thursday, "No Trespassing" signs were posted on the sliding hill, which occupies several hectares of rolling slope at the northern end of the airfield off Loch Lomond Road.
On snowy days, the area is usually criss-crossed with kids' footprints and tracks from Krazy Karpets, tubes and GT Racers.
But this winter, said director of facilities Brian Wiggins, "I think people have to understand that there are risks here that weren't there before."
Steering clear of area is probably "the best choice."
Active construction site
The move to discourage sliding is part of bigger changes happening at the Saint John Airport.
In April, YSJ announced a $20 million airfield modernization project that includes repaving the two runways, installing new lighting and other improvements.
The top of the slope is being converted into a runway safety area — intended to prevent damage to airplanes in the event they overshoot, or otherwise stray, from the runway.
An emergency access road that runs along the top of the hill will be moved "about 40 feet," Wiggins said.
"We're starting to do some excavation and move some fill over here, so [the sliding hill] is starting to be an active construction site already."
Since 1952
The Saint John Airport officially opened in January 1952.
The sliding hill's history goes back nearly that far.
"I've talked to people that live around here, and people [in their fifties] and older can remember being there when they were young," Wiggins said. "Decades for sure."
The airport has always allowed the public to use the hill for sliding and ATVing, provided those activities don't affect airport operations, safety or emergency access.
There have been some snags over the years. In 2013, for instance, the airport issued a parking ban on the access road.
"From time to time, we would have kids running back and forth across the road — and of course we are operating snowplows and heavy equipment," Wiggins said. "We had some close calls."
A fence was constructed, and parking was shut down
"That seems to have worked out pretty well and we've had no issues with it," Wiggins said.
Unclear future
But the major concern with the current construction, Wiggins said, is that the terrain on the hill could change rapidly.
If "it snows … you don't know what the hazards are," he said.
"When there's actual construction activity it might be quite obvious. But on days where there aren't, there could still be risks here."
The airport upgrades are expected to be complete by December 2019, but they could have a chilling effect on the future of the sliding hill.
"Hopefully, it won't be shut down," Wiggins said. "I think it's a bit of a wait and see."
