Canada's Wonderland water park to remain closed for the season
Canada’s Wonderland is “disappointed” that the government has not allowed amusement parks to reopen in Ontario, and has announced that its water park will remain closed for the rest of the season.
A spokesperson for the GTA theme park said they have submitted to the Ontario government, on several occasions, a “comprehensive reopening plan” which includes “physical distancing, capacity controls and stringent health, safety and hygiene protocols that meet or exceed all requirements set forth by the Ontario government for businesses to open.”
“Due to this recent delay from the government, we will be unable to open our water park for this season due to the timeline restraints with our summer calendar,” Communication Director Grace Peacock said in a statement on Thursday.
“We’re disappointed to hear that we still haven’t received approval to open.”
She also noted that the theme park is not necessarily closed for the entire season as it now operates into December.
Peacock added that Canada’s Wonderland will continue to work with the Ontario government and hopes to welcome guests back soon.
On Wednesday, Minister of Heritage, Tourism and Sport Lisa MacLeod said that health officials do not believe now is the time to reopen theme parks or water parks, and will only do so when all of Ontario is in Stage 3 of reopening — Windsor-Essex is the only region not in the final stage.
“The chief medical officer of health has advised our government, and we have accepted his science, that theme parks and water parks of those nature still pose a significant threat as a result of COVID-19 and therefore will not be able to open at this time,” she said during a press conference.
“We are not confident, given the circulation of people coming from different parts of Ontario and different parts of Canada at this point in time to open those theme parks until all of Ontario is in Stage 3.”
Canada’s Wonderland has provided customers with a plan for when they do reopen, which includes scheduling the visit, required health screenings, mandatory face coverings, and at least one member of the group having the mobile park app.