You’ll see them propped up next to doorways, in bustling outdoor schoolyards and in fenced-off daycare courtyards. Brightly coloured pieces of plastic in all shapes and sizes, usually adorned with a thick braid of rope at the helm.
Weekend playthings they are not.
These sleds become veritable modes of transportation during Quebec City’s long winter months. Instead of barrelling down rural hills for weekend thrill-seekers, they are dragged down busy sidewalks by parents and caregivers bringing their little ones to daycare or school.
For passengers as young as two, to as old as five or six, these sleds become a part of daily life during the long winter months.
They go by many names: traineaux, toboggans, sleds, crazy carpets, flying saucers. However you call them, they are a key part of urban life this time of year.
Pierre Normand works at the local hardware store, just steps away from École Saint-Jean-Baptiste. He often advises parents of little ones on which brands to buy.
“Parents usually just want to know why one model costs $7 and the other costs $32.… That is a good model because it's so sturdy. If you slide it over the snow and hit some spots of asphalt in between, you're going to be alright. It's not going break.”
That’s a reality Lisa-Marie Martinet, a mother of two, understands all too well.
All winter long, as long as there is snow on the ground, she uses the sled to get
around the city with her two boys.
“We go through sometimes three, four, over the course of the winter because of the salt — it makes holes in it — but it’s still by far the best mode of transportation.”
Her sons, ages 7 and 3, will sometimes share the sled to go down one of the city’s many steep inclines.
“We take advantage of the fact that the streets and sidewalks are poorly cleared after big snowfalls. There’s no other way.”
The sled strategy
Parents in the neighbourhood are selective about which days they bring out the sleds.
The sidewalk plow — along with any warm, sunny conditions — are the biggest enemy of the plastic sled. Still, sometimes it’s worth the risk, they say. They know that the more often they use sleds, the more fun it makes the longer winter months for their children.
Francis Simard, father of five-year-old Zacharie, carts his son around on a turquoise model while also walking his dog, Enzo. "It helps my little guy get to school a little less tired, that’s the goal.”
Amandine Tardy, mother of three-year-old Sören, agrees. “When he sees the snow, he begs for it. It’s really convenient for kids because it’s difficult for them to walk in the snow, and it’s faster for parents. It’s a win-win situation.”
Aside from the practical element, it also makes the winter more tolerable for the little ones.
“Walking in the snow, even for an adult, when the snow hasn’t been cleared, it’s tiring. So you know for a child, he has his big snowsuit on, he gets tired real quick. So a lot of parents haul their kids around in toboggans.”
The alternatives to sleds — using strollers, walking, public transportation, or driving - aren’t the most winter-friendly options, parents say.
City sidewalks can become downright treacherous when coated in ice and snow, making it difficult for everyone, from able-bodied adult pedestrians to tiny tots. Putting wheels on top of those uneven, slippery surfaces, especially with precious cargo aboard, can be a recipe for disaster.
Sébastien Trépanier, father of two-year-old Paul and one-year-old Gabrielle, has been using a bike trailer this winter but acknowledges it’s physically demanding and somewhat cumbersome.
“It’s not that easy, because you never know when the snow will be cleared.”
He uses a bike trailer because it’s the only method that works for two kids of that size and age.
“As soon as we’ll be able to get rid of it, we’ll get rid of it.”
Tradition and nostalgia
Sledding around makes a lot of sense for people and has been a tradition in the neighbourhood for decades now, Pierre Normand, the hardware store employee says.
“Some people will have two kids and the groceries and people think [it's] like a team of horses! When my daughter was growing up, we’d use one too. It was practical,” Normand says.
“There’s definitely a bit of nostalgia too, for the parents. Often they want to buy the same one they had growing up.”
Many adults look down at the smiling faces of bundled-up tots being carted around town on sleds with a mix of appreciation and envy.
“Who wouldn’t want to be carried around in the comfort of a cosy toboggan on cold snowy days?”
For one father, Francis Simard, it all comes down to the best of urban life in this wintry part of the world.
“We’re taking advantage of the quality of life this neighbourhood has to offer.”