After ten days of isolation from COVID-19, the Hawley family decided to enjoy some outdoor activity with a wintry pastime many Niagara-on-the-Lakers are familiar with: tobogganing in Simcoe Park.

“We are out of COVID lockdown. This is our first outing,” Brianne Hawley said at Simcoe Park.

“It’s nice to see people,” Brianne said with a laugh.

Brianne, her husband Adam and children Malcolm, 2, and Merritt, 4, spent the better part of their Saturday at Simcoe Park embracing the chilly day.

“The kids are loving it. We beat COVID, we’re out and nobody cares about the cold,” Brianne said.

Adam was busy performing a familiar dad task: he was the designated sled puller when the kids had to get back to the top of the hill. 

And, yes, the kids were sure to be seated on the sled before Adam had to drag it back to the top.

“It’s so great to be able to do this with all the lockdowns and this is the perfect park to do it in,” Brianne said.

She said the family handled COVID well.

“We were fairly asymptomatic. We tested on rapid tests and we all got it, across the board,” she said.

“Good thing we live in a place that we can just be at home. We all hung out together, didn’t we, Merritt?” she asked her son.

“Ya,” came the shy reply.