Making the long run down ‘Ten Hill’

Murray Skinkle has created a display in front of his Wellington Street West home to share his childhood memory of sledding down Ten Hill (on Fairgrounds Road South), so named for being located on Lot 10, in the 1950s with his friends George Shepherd, Ralph Shepherd, Eldon Barber, Ben Broderick, John Lemmon, Norm Barber, Wayne Barber, Bobby Ransier, Donnie Gillis and others.

He said on a good night they would get three or four runs in because it took so long to get back up the hill.

Once underway, they could slide all the way down to Wellington. Skinkle said the road has since been upgraded and is less “violent” but what ended their sledding days was when the municipality began applying salt to the road.

The Second World War era sled, made by Otoco – or most likely Otaco (The Tudhope Anderson Company) – has wooden runners in metal casings. The driver braced their feet on a front rail and held on to ropes. As many as three passengers could fit on the back,holding on to each other for dear life.