The Town of Altona has installed something new at the Buffalo Creek Nature Park.
A sled borrowing bin in now in place right beside the hill to encourage residents to go for a slide on a whim.
Recreation services manager Eric Hildebrand shares the idea was inspired by similar sled libraries in place at the hills in Winkler and Selkirk.
“I think a large percentage of people kind of assume everyone must have a sled, but that’s not always the case,” he said, noting the free-to-use sleds remove all barriers to enjoying this quintessentially Canadian winter pastime.
“Sometimes people come to skate on the pond, visit with friends or family, or stop by on a whim and wish they had a sled with them. This program is really about convenience and making winter activities more accessible, so everyone has the opportunity to fully enjoy the park while they’re here.”
The sleds were purchased locally from Altona Home Hardware, and Town of Altona staff built the custom bin to store them in.
Right now, the sled bin is only at Buffalo Creek, though if demand is high a second bin could be a possibility at Ash Park in the future.
“We’ll monitor the season over at Buffalo Creek Nature Park and see how well it’s received first,” Hildebrand said.
There’s no charge to borrow a sled—residents are simple asked to return them to the bin after use and to report any damaged sleds to the recreation department.
And if you’ve got an old toboggan or whatnot in good condition but collecting dust in your garage, Hildebrand said they would welcome it as a donation to build up the Town’s sled fleet. You can reach him at the recreation department office.
