If you've been wondering whether you can still take the kids sledding at Arrowdale Park, the answer is yes.

It's open, it's in great shape, and it's worth checking out.

Last Sunday, we loaded up a bunch of kids, grabbed every sled we could find, and headed out. A couple of hours later, with rosy cheeks and tired legs (mostly the adults'), we were hooked. The kids needed to get outside and have fun, and that's exactly what happened.

Getting There and What You'll Find

Head in off Rawdon Street and you'll spot the sledding hill pretty easily – it's right there behind the new splash pad area. Gone are the days of navigating a full golf course; now there are three designated sledding runs set up and ready to go.

Three runs sounds small, but honestly it's perfect. The hills are long enough that you get a real ride down, but not so crazy steep that hauling yourself back up feels like a punishment (though your legs will definitely feel it if you're doing this with a bunch of kids).

Bring Whatever Sled You've Got

We saw GTs, crazy carpets, inner tubes, plastic sleds, snowboards, scooter-style sleds for the little ones … basically anything that can go down a hill. The only thing we didn't spot was an old-school wooden toboggan, but pretty much everything else made an appearance.

The Vibe

Here's what made it really nice: it felt relaxed and genuinely friendly. I counted about 37 people on the hill while we were there, mostly families and small groups taking turns and keeping an eye out for each other.

We stayed for two hours, and as we were packing up around 4:30, more families were still showing up. Perfect snow, lots of laughs, hot chocolate afterward; all-in-all, a solid winter day.

A Few Things to Know

Since this is an unsupervised hill, here's what the City of Brantford asks of everyone:

Safety stuff: You're sledding at your own risk, so it's on you and your family to decide if conditions are good. If something doesn't feel right or you spot an actual safety issue, call Customer Service at 519-759-4150 (or 911 for emergencies).

Hill rules: No building jumps or ramps…I know it's tempting, but it's a no-go. Keep things orderly, watch for people walking back up, and take turns. Oh, and skip the loud music and colourful language keep it family-friendly so everyone's comfortable.

What not to bring: No glass containers, no pets on the hill (even the friendly ones need to sit this one out), and no building ramps.

Pretty straightforward. Use some common sense, follow the rules, and everyone will have a good time.

So if you've been on the fence about whether Arrowdale is still a solid spot for sledding? It absolutely is.

Get out there and enjoy it.