Waterpark Developments

[eternallyme]

If successful, they should build an indoor waterpark on their site to make it a year-round business...

As for transit, yes I agree that transit access should be provided, but it would be outside OC Transpo jurisdiction lying outside city limits. One more reason to support a regional transit authority.

[waterloowarrior]

Barrhaven will have to be patient in water park wait
Posted Aug 12, 2010
BY STEPH WILLEMS
http://www.emcbarrhaven.ca/20100812/...ater+park+wait

Steph Willems, Nepean
Barrhaven EMC

EMC News - In a cruel twist of fate, Barrhaven residents have last summer's dismal weather to blame for the lack of a nearby water park to help them escape this summer's torrid heat.

The Summer That Wasn't (2009), coupled with the economic meltdown that afflicted North America, put the brakes on ProSlide Technology's proposed Alottawata water park on Moodie Dr. near Bankfield Rd. in Ottawa's south end.

Originally planned to open in 2009, the 100-acre park is now scheduled to open in time for summer 2012. Residents have been eagerly awaiting the opening day, as the location of this park puts it within a short drive from Nepean, Barrhaven and Kanata. Until Alottawata opens, the nearest water park is Calypso in Limoges, 35 minutes southeast of Orléans.

Because of last year's weather and economic environment, ProSlide representatives said they aren't upset that their completion date was pushed back.

"It works out better for us to open in 2012," said Tara Casey, director of marketing at ProSlide.

The company plans to prep the site in the meantime so that the water park exudes a distinctly 'park-like' atmosphere for the families who will visit.

"We're planting over 3,000 trees on the site right now, building the lazy river and other stuff so that we're ready," said Ms. Casey.

The location of the site is something that ProSlide is proud of. President and CEO Rick Hunter looked for the appropriate land to locate the park for years before signing the deal for the 100 acres on Moodie Dr.

"We wanted something central, something close to the city so people don't have to drive too far," said Ms. Casey. "We have an amazing location - it's perfect."

The company plans to start off by developing about 40 acres of the site with their signature rides, and then expand continuously after that. ProSlide owns one other Ottawa-area water park located at Mont-Cascades, but shares its expertise with water parks around the globe, including Six Flags and Disneyland.

The park will feature restaurants and shaded picnic areas so that families can make a day of it, and the company also plans to keep pricing competitive, likely less than other parks.

[c_speed3108]

Well over expectations....

Calypso exceeds attendance expectations by 25%

Jim Donnelly
Ottawa Business Journal

Click here to find out more!

Calypso Waterpark has exceeded its own attendance expectations in its first season by more than 25 per cent, the company said in a release this week.

The park, which launched June 7, made headlines this summer for drawing around 100,000 visitors within its first month of operations.

Ontario Provincial Police officers were even stationed at times to direct traffic in the park's vicinity as it backed onto the highway.

“It’s been beyond our expectations,” said Ginette Robert, vice-president of marketing at Calypso owner Groupe Village Vacances Valcartier, in an OBJ interview in July.

When contacted, the company – which owns another water park near its corporate headquarters in Quebec City – refused to elaborate on its end-of-season results.

However during the same interview in July, Ms. Robert said plans to expand the footprint of the water park with more attractions, restaurants and another tubing river are in the works.

The company said it is currently selling season memberships for its 2011 season, which will also include a day pass to its Quebec-based operation.

Calypso is located near Limoges, Ont. and currently spans more than 100 acres, with more than 35 water slides. Its final day of operations is Labour Day, Sept. 6.

Its planned competitor, ProSlide Technologies-backed Alottawata, recently pushed back its opening date to 2012.

- With files from Peter Kovessy

and related:

Water wars: Calypso rival pushes back opening to 2012

Peter Kovessy
Ottawa Business Journal

As roughly 100,000 visitors cooled off at Calypso during the water park’s first month of operation, a prospective competitor says work continues at his Barrhaven site in preparation for a 2012 opening.

Like Calypso, Alottawata Water Park was originally slated to launch in 2009. Both facilities subsequently pushed back their opening dates to 2010.

But as Calypso officials work to solve the problem of cars backing up for kilometres on Highway 417 – each one eagerly awaiting entrance to the facility's parking lot – workers at the Alottawata site off Highway 416 are planting trees, digging ponds and raising the site’s grade.

“I didn’t think it was prudent to have the world economy (in its current state) and then have two parks opening (in the Ottawa area) at the same time. We didn’t think it was in our best interest,” says Rick Hunter, president and CEO of Ottawa-based ProSlide Technologies.

The company behind Alottawata also owns Mont Cascades just north of Gatineau and specializes in the design, engineering and manufacturing of fibreglass water rides.

When plans for the two parks were first announced, Mr. Hunter downplayed questions about the market’s ability to support two new water parks. He now says the staggered openings will be good for business.

“This is even better … we’re feeling very, very good about our timing,” he says.

“Let the parade go by.”

But as Ottawa shattered temperature records during last week’s heat wave, the large crowds descending on Calypso looked more like a stampede than a parade at times.

Ontario Provincial Police officers were even stationed at times to direct traffic as it backed onto the highway.

“It’s been beyond our expectations,” says Ginette Robert, the vice-president of marketing at Village Vacances Valcartier, which owns Calypso and another park near its corporate headquarters in the Quebec City area.

She says marketing campaigns targeting the areas in and around Montreal, Mont Tremblant, Cornwall and Ottawa-Gatineau helped draw roughly 100,000 visitors to the water park in its first month.

That likely contributed to the softening in the volume of walk-up visitors to Mont Cascades, says Mr. Hunter. However, he says the number of school and group bookings remain constant.

Mr. Hunter believes Calypso is vulnerable on admission pricing and says Mont Cascades will offer special deals targeted at families, coinciding with the park’s 20th anniversary.

An adult day pass is $30.97 at Calypso and $10 at Mont Cascades, according to their respective websites.

Mr. Hunter says Alottawata’s close proximity to Ottawa’s population centres, as well as the quality of rides, will make it a success when it launches.

However, Ms. Robert says future phases, including more attractions, restaurants and another tubing river, are in the works. So far, she says, the company has spent $45 million developing approximately 100 acres of the company’s 545-acre site.

A campground was planned to open in time for 2012 season, but Ms. Robert says the expansion schedule may be revisited at the end of this season.

“We were not expecting it to be a success so soon.”

[eternallyme]

Suggestion for Calypso: they should build a smaller indoor waterpark on or near the existing site, to allow for year-round operation as opposed to operation just 2-3 months a year and reliant on weather.

[reidjr]

On the ctv ottawa last night there was a story on a new retail complex beeing built next to the water park.I can't find any details online does anyone know anything about this.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by reidjr

On the ctv ottawa last night there was a story on a new retail complex beeing built next to the water park.I can't find any details online does anyone know anything about this.

Articles in French on this:

http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/o...-limoges.shtml

http://www.journallanouvelle.ca/Actu...t-commercial/1

[reidjr]

There was a story covering it in the citizen today for anyone who is interested.

Highlights
Part of the complex will feature factory outlets.
Hotel and resturants
Gas Station
Medical Clinc & Drug Store
5-7 Years to complete
High end driving range and mini put under way.

[eternallyme]

Factory outlets would be a first in the Ottawa area. That would be interesting for sure.

[Cre47]

Calypso Waterpark to offer tallest free-standing waterslide tower


The Ottawa Citizen November 4, 2010 12:38 PM Comments (4)


OTTAWA — The Calypso Theme Waterpark near Limoges will offer what it says will be North America’s tallest free-standing waterslide tower at 90 feet next summer as part of $5 million investment in additional attractions.

“The addition of this new aquatic complex stems from the tremendous success we’ve had this past year,’’ says Guy Drouin, president and general manager. “In fact, we’ve exceeded our objectives by over 25 per cent for the 2010 summer season.’’

He said the 10 waterslides will be in the single tower. At the top of the 28-metre tower will be four distinct high-speed waterslides: two will be accessible using toboggan boats, each seating four people single-file, while the two others will feature double tubes.

About halfway up the tower, at 17 metres), customers will be able to access two AquaLoop slides.

Bathers will start off in a closed-off section featuring a drop floor. At the signal, the floor will open, “launching them into a vertical drop”, before continuing on a roller coaster-like trajectory that includes a 2.5G centrifugal loop.

Lastly, four coiled slides designed for the family, featuring translucent and closed-off sections, will be accessible at nine metres.

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

[ServiceGuy]

Here's a vid of the new slide in another water park...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P6In...layer_embedded

[AuxTown]

Figured this one needs to be right on the thread....it looks ridiculous!

• Video Link

[ServiceGuy]

Originally Posted by O-Town Hockey

....it looks ridiculous!

The ride... our HIS Speedo?

[AuxTown]

Originally Posted by ServiceGuy

The ride... our HIS Speedo?

Both!

[waterloowarrior]

You can explore Calypso on Streetview!
http://goo.gl/maps/bJpsl

[Cre47]

I'm not sure there is a thread for the planned Barrhaven water park, but not sure that Allottawata will be a reality since it's planned opening date has kept been pushed and pushed back. Now sounds like 2014 only according to OBJ (but that was last April) and nothing new since.

http://www.obj.ca/Local/Sports-and-e...,-owner-says/1

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Cre47

I'm not sure there is a thread for the planned Barrhaven water park, but not sure that Allottawata will be a reality since it's planned opening date has kept been pushed and pushed back. Now sounds like 2014 only according to OBJ (but that was last April) and nothing new since.

http://www.obj.ca/Local/Sports-and-e...,-owner-says/1

We already have Mont-Cascade and Calypso, why do we need a third one. Bring on a full fleged amusement park like La Ronde and Wonderland.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

We already have Mont-Cascade and Calypso, why do we need a third one. Bring on a full fleged amusement park like La Ronde and Wonderland.

I agree, they would be asking for failure.

As for such an amusement park, could Calypso expand (perhaps across the 417 with a pedestrian overpass) and build one themselves?

[harls]

Isn't Calypso a madhouse every weekend, or has the initial waterslide euphoria worn off?

I remember when it opened - a friend of mine from Montreal said she spent more time waiting in lineups than on the slides. That doesn't sound like fun.

[Cre47]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

We already have Mont-Cascade and Calypso, why do we need a third one. Bring on a full fleged amusement park like La Ronde and Wonderland.

Exact this is probably what they should instead built IMO instead of a third waterpark in the region

[c_speed3108]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

I agree, they would be asking for failure.

As for such an amusement park, could Calypso expand (perhaps across the 417 with a pedestrian overpass) and build one themselves?

https://maps.google.com/?ll=45.31352...32701&t=h&z=15

There is tons of room around there to expand. No need for expensive bridges. This is not a high density area by any stretch!