The city's community and protective services committee is asking the city to make helmets mandatory in skate parks and recreational facilities. (CBC)

The City of Ottawa could soon make helmets mandatory in skate parks and other recreational facilities, says the city's community and protective services committee.

Brain injuries are the leading cause of death among children under 14 in Canada, according to the Brain Injury Association of Canada. To help protect youngsters, the committee has asked staff to look into changing the city's helmet rules.

"Our emergency rooms are receiving about 6,000 children and youth with head injuries every year," said Coun. Diane Deans, who chairs the committee.

"I'm certainly prepared to hear the opinion of the public to determine whether or not this is something we should do," said Deans.

"I know that there will be some pushback from the public," she said, but hopes Ottawa's skateboarders will embrace the idea.

Pros wear helmets

Joshua Stewart-Boyd was one of only two people wearing a helmet at the Ben Franklin Place skate park Thursday. He said he had already discovered the benefits of wearing a helmet when he rollerblades.

"For the first time today I actually hit my head on that rail, hilariously enough ... and I just started wearing it a month ago," he said.

Professional rollerbladers wear helmets, he said, so they also make sense for amateurs.

"In rollerblading, actually, it's a growing trend for the upcoming guys," he said. "And all the younger kids are starting to wear helmets, too."

Not everyone in the park wants to foot the bill for new gear.

Lucas Switzer, who skateboards at the Ben Franklin Place skate park, said he'll wear a helmet if the city tells him he has to, but he doesn't want to pay for it.

"Give me money to buy a helmet, because I can't afford one," said Switzer as he watched his fellow skateboarders fly off the half-pipe at the park.

Deans said that helmets wouldn't become mandatory before the end of the summer, but that doesn't mean Ottawa's skateboarders and rollerbladers have to wait to wear them.