Controversial Ontario theme park Marineland will soon get rid of all marine mammals housed on the property, a bittersweet victory years in the making for animal rights activists, and coming on the heels of yet another beluga whale death at the park.
The forthcoming liberation of Marineland’s marine mammals comes after years of impending closure rumours, protests, petitions, animal welfare investigations and even actual criminal convictions for animal cruelty.
An application to sever the Marineland property will be discussed at an upcoming February 18 public meeting held by the City of Niagara Falls. It may seem like a minor planning decision, but it’s one which will dictate the future of the marine mammals that currently call the park home.
As part of a yet-to-close deal to sell the property, the current owners have applied to sever the aging theme park from surrounding undeveloped lands that were destined for unrealized park expansions.
According to a planning justification report, consent to sever the property would divide the theme park infrastructure from the remaining lands to secure necessary operational credit financing.
Marineland’s current owners have secured a bridge loan from a third party with the stipulation that marine animals are removed from the property “expeditiously.”
And expeditiously might not be fast enough for some park inhabitants. Marineland just euthanized another of its beluga whales, marking the 18th beluga to die at the park since 2019.
The planning report goes on to explain that financing is being released in two tranches. The second tranche of funds, which will pay for operational expenses prior to the animals’ removal, can only be secured once the property is severed.
Marineland is proposing the lands be divided into four parcels, with all attractions and rides, along with ancillary structures for theme park operations, located on lots 1 and 3. The application specifies that these portions of the Marineland site will remain in operation as a theme park.
Despite a reduction in land area, Marineland is planned to actually increase in scope as part of these plans. Documents refer to plans for “the progressive development of Marineland into a full-day, and ultimately a year-round attraction.”
While little is known about this future Marineland development plan, or if this revitalized park would even retain this branding, documents suggest that owners are looking to turn the park into an all-day attraction, noting plans to expand the product offering and lengthen the stay of visitors.
Marineland’s future has even become a topic of political debate in the last few days, with provincial party leaders weighing in on the latest animal death at the park as they campaign to be the next leader of Ontario.
“It would be great just to let them free, but what I understand, if you let them free in the ocean, they’re done, they’re dead,” Ontario PC leader Doug Ford said during a campaign stop on Monday, adding, “we’re just going make sure that they still take care of these whales.”
