Major Amusement Park in Halifax?

[MonctonRad]

I read this interesting article in Spacing Atlantic about the history and potential of McNab's Island. I had difficulty in finding an appropriate thread to place this in, but decided on here, partly because xanaxanax made some mention of McNab's as a site for an amusement park.

While I don't agree with an amusement park for McNab's, I do agree that there is a lot of lost potential at McNab's (and Georges's) Island for HRM. A reinstituted ferry service to the islands should really be a priority for HRM, especially in the summertime.

When I was a kid growing up in Charlottetown, we used to have a free ferry service (in a lobster boat) from the waterfront to Rocky Point, across the harbour and close to Fort Amherst. I would take this ferry several times a summer with my mother to go to the beach over there and have very fond memories of this. A similar service linking the downtown Halifax waterfront to the harbour isles I think would be similarly popular.

In any event, here is the link to the article.
http://spacing.ca/atlantic/2014/08/2...mcnabs-island/

[Wishblade]

Boat rides to McNabs and Georges already exist. I have friends who take it to camp on McNabs every summer, although it is independantly run. It would be nice it the city came on board for a real ferry service.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Wishblade

Boat rides to McNabs and Georges already exist. I have friends who take it to camp on McNabs every summer, although it is independantly run. It would be nice it the city came on board for a real ferry service.

The private sector is more than capable of operating a ferry service if there is sufficient demand. If there is not any demand then there is no reason for any service, either private or municipal. A municipal service would simply be another money-loser for the taxpayer with multi-million dollar ferries running with maximum-cost public-sector unionized crews.

[ILoveHalifax]

Let somebody build a dance bar/club and have the province/city agree to no contradiction of drugs, booze, and open sex.

[mcmcclassic]

Originally Posted by ILoveHalifax

Let somebody build a dance bar/club and have the province/city agree to no contradiction of drugs, booze, and open sex.

This kind of thinking would differentiate us from other Canadian cities and thus be a bad plan.... WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN???

In all due honesty this would be a sweet idea and something "fun" should be buillt on the island.

[OUIR@random]

In no way, shape or form should the government pay or help build amusement parks in Canada, or in the US. I love rollercoasters and theme parks in general, but let's leave this to the pros; Cedar Fair, Six Flags, Disney and such... They are privately run and funded & doing quite well. Secondly, Canada is too spread out and seasonal, we will never be an amusement park country such as the US. If you're in Canada and want to experience a Canadian amusement park head to Toronto at Canada's Wonderland (Cedar Fair) which is a great park or La Ronde (Six Flags) in Montreal.

[halifaxboyns]

I've always believed that Exhibition Park would be an ideal spot for a giant six flags sort of park. It would be Halifax's version of stampede park; except not in the downtown core like Calgary's Stampede Park.

Plenty of space and opportunity to provide parking and if it was built as a partial indoor/outdoor facility (have an indoor waterpark and some attractions indoor) then it could operate year round.

[portapetey]

Originally Posted by OUIR@random

In no way, shape or form should the government pay or help build amusement parks in Canada, or in the US. I love rollercoasters and theme parks in general, but let's leave this to the pros; Cedar Fair, Six Flags, Disney and such... They are privately run and funded & doing quite well. Secondly, Canada is too spread out and seasonal, we will never be an amusement park country such as the US. If you're in Canada and want to experience a Canadian amusement park head to Toronto at Canada's Wonderland (Cedar Fair) which is a great park or La Ronde (Six Flags) in Montreal.

Agreed. Most places in Canada are far too sparsely populated to provide the critical mass to keep a lot of this type of business operating, and it would be too cold 6 months of the year anyway.

[q12]

Playtime a hop, skip, jump away: Largest indoor playground in N.S. opens in Bayers Lake

By Haley Ryan
Metro
November 6, 2014 Updated : November 6, 2014 | 6:07 pm

A new indoor playground in Bayers Lake has thousands of square feet of slides, ball pits and three levels of activities that Ashraf Adas hopes will be a hit with the kids – especially since his own children gave the thumbs-up.

Touted as Nova Scotia’s largest indoor playground, hop! skip! jump! Indoor Play Space opened Wednesday and officially launches Saturday in the 10,400 square-foot building two local families own and run together.

Read more here: http://metronews.ca/news/halifax/120...n-bayers-lake/

[q12]

Atlantic Playland Major Expansion

http://www.halifax.ca/boardscom/NWPA.../17361Memo.pdf

The proposal, illustrated in Attachment A, is to amend the existing development agreement to allow for an expansion of commercial recreation uses.
The applicant wishes to add new attractions including: new amusement rides (approximately 10 in total); an expansion to the existing wax museum building; new waterslides (approximately 7); an addition to the existing canteen and new buildings to house new attractions.

[TheNovaScotian]

Thats great new. I was there this year and it was looking very tired.
We need a decent water park around here.

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by TheNovaScotian

Thats great new. I was there this year and it was looking very tired.
We need a decent water park around here.

Considering the one in Moncton is now gone; I wouldn't be surprised if this park sees more traffic from out of Province too. At least, I would hope so - I know if I ran it I'd be marketing it in NB and all over.

For me - I always thought that the Exhibition grounds would be an awesome place for a combined indoor/outdoor amusement facility. Indoor would be stuff like a waterpark (along the lines of WEM and maybe an indoor roller coaster) and then outside would be all the other rides. Plus it has lots of parking - access could be better though. Ah to dream...

[Jstaleness]

I would really like to believe Halifax could support something like this in Bayers Lake or Dartmouth Crossing. Cleveland's city population is about 400,000 as well. Cleveland has the advantage of having about 10 million people in the state. NS and NB and PEI would be around 2 million. With private and corporate sponsors allowed to advertise inside this could work. TV screens could roll commercials and signage could be placed in high visibility locations. Add to that ticket costs and I think we have a park. Thoughts?


• Video Link

[Keith P.]

Cleveland has two large stadiums also while we have a few bleachers by a field.

[Haligonian88]

I'd like to see something a little more professional than that! That's basically your run of the mill fair just moved indoors. Surprised it hasn't been done already with all the fair equipment that must sit unused all winter/spring.

[ILoveHalifax]

Originally Posted by Jstaleness

I would really like to believe Halifax could support something like this in Bayers Lake or Dartmouth Crossing. Cleveland's city population is about 400,000 as well. Cleveland has the advantage of having about 10 million people in the state. NS and NB and PEI would be around 2 million. With private and corporate sponsors allowed to advertise inside this could work. TV screens could roll commercials and signage could be placed in high visibility locations. Add to that ticket costs and I think we have a park. Thoughts?


• Video Link

Metro Cleveland has a population of over 2,000,000
Metro Halifax has a population of over 400,000

[ILoveHalifax]

Originally Posted by Jstaleness

I would really like to believe Halifax could support something like this in Bayers Lake or Dartmouth Crossing. Cleveland's city population is about 400,000 as well. Cleveland has the advantage of having about 10 million people in the state. NS and NB and PEI would be around 2 million. With private and corporate sponsors allowed to advertise inside this could work. TV screens could roll commercials and signage could be placed in high visibility locations. Add to that ticket costs and I think we have a park. Thoughts?


• Video Link

To compare the Maritimes population is less than 2 million
The population of Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky is over 23 million and the distance from Cleveland to anywhere in the 3 states is less than the distance from northern NB

[MonctonRad]

Basically you're talking about a big Crystal Palace in Moncton.

I don't know if Crystal Palace was profitable or not. I think it was at most marginally profitable. The rides were only really busy in the summertime and at March break (which, thankfully, in the Maritimes is staggered between the three provinces leading to a three week busy season). The majority of the revenue at Crystal Palace probably came from the arcade which was right next to the (former) inside entrance to the movie theatre.

Crystal Palace will be missed, but I think the proper decision was made to close it down and replace it with Bass Pro Shop. It was underutilized most of the time, while BPS will be a perpetual tourism magnet.

In many ways, it's a win-win situation. Most of the old Crystal Palace rides are being relocated to a new (outdoor) amusement park located next to (and comanaged) by Magic Mountain Water Park. Sure the season will be shorter, but an amusement park really belongs outside anyway, and there will be a synergy between the two adjacent amusement parks.

[q12]

https://www.thestar.com/halifax/2018...terslides.html

[q12]

The new Atlantic Splash Adventure:



https://splashadventure.ca/