Ontario vision of Niagara as northern Las Vegas may not include Marineland: minister
CTV
A major amusement park is part of Ontario's grand vision to turn the Niagara region into Las Vegas north, but Marineland may not fit the bill, the provincial tourism minister says.
A major amusement park is part of Ontario's grand vision to turn the Niagara region into Las Vegas north, but Marineland may not fit the bill, the provincial tourism minister says.
Stan Cho says his ministry has not spoken to the sprawling attraction, which is currently for sale and sits on 1,000 acres a short distance from Horseshoe Falls.
"I'll acknowledge that the site is well situated to the core," Cho said of the park's location, speaking with reporters recently at Queen's Park.
"There's no doubt about that, but it is privately held land and we are not currently in discussions with any of the private matters going around the sale of the land. But we know that there are other options."
The province would like to see an amusement park somewhere in the region to act as a marquee attraction as part of its "Niagara strategy," Cho said.
"There's a lot of land there that is available for things like amusement parks, increased shopping and all of that, five-star dining options," he said.
"Our goal isn't to pick exactly where and who, our goal is to create the conditions and provide the necessary sort of background with the foundation for those who want to invest capital to do it because there's going to be a return."
