Great Wolf debuts in Canada
The Business Journal of Milwaukee - by James Fink Business First of Buffalo
The opening of the first phase of the Great Wolf Lodge project in Niagara Falls, Ontario, was both a smash and a splash. Literally.
The $135 million project - touted as the largest tourism destination project currently underway in Canada - made its official debut Thursday afternoon. The first phase includes a 406-suite Great Wolf Lodge, managed by Madison-based Great Wolf Resorts Inc. (NASDAQ: WOLF), and the region's largest indoor splash park - a 103,000-square-foot facility that includes a 90-foot slide. Other features include a miniature golf range and five restaurants.
The second phase, a 120,000-square-foot aquarium is slated to open either by late 2007 or early 2008, said Robert Masterson, Ripley Entertainment president. Ripley, operator and franchiser of Ripley's Believe It or Not! museums worldwide, is the developer of the resort.
The entire project carries a $210 million price tag and will employ nearly 900 people when it is completed. The complex, located just off Victoria Avenue in Niagara Falls is expected to welcome an estimated 500,000 visitors annually and have a projected $32 million economic impact in the city and Niagara region.
That aside, it was the building that was the true star Thursday afternoon as the crowd of more than 700 invited guests gazed at everything from the hunting lodge motif to the animated moose and bear that greeted visitors.
"It is the 'wow' factor to the umpth degree," said Robert Jones from nearby St. Catharines.
The splash came from the opening of the indoor waterpark early Thursday evening. The smash came from a concert by recording artists Smash Mouth, who entertained the guests with their vast array of Top 40 hits including arena rock favorite "All Star."
For Niagara Falls Mayor Ted Salci, the opening was yet another economic development victory for his city and still a further example of how it has cemented its position as the tourism hub and mecca for both Southern Ontario and upstate New York.
"This re-affirms our position in the tourism industry as a true family destination," Salci said.
The hotel, the first Great Wolf Lodge in Canada, is the latest investment in Niagara Falls by Ripley Entertainment. The Orlando, Fla.-based company operates three museums along Clifton Hill, something it has done since 1959.
"We have a special affinity for Niagara Falls," Masterson said. "Niagara Falls has the unique ability to weather all storms. We all know the falls are going to be here for a long, long time. I think every few centuries, it might move a few inches closer to Buffalo, but that's really about it."
Business First of Buffalo, N.Y., is a sister publication of The Business Journal Serving Greater Milwaukee.
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