Attendance at Kinsmen Water Park plummets with slides’ closure

Community services director Jody Boulet is also factoring in the poor June weather into the lower attendance.

“On the general admission side of the park, certainly the biggest impact that we’ve experienced in comparison to previous years is not having the water slides in operation,” he said.

“All of our swimming lessons and our other programming are seeing … the regular success that it sees in every year. So, we haven’t seen any impact on that end. But most of that programming is related to other areas of the park, outside of the water slides. So, certainly on the general admissions side, we are seeing an impact.”

The impact is also being felt among the park’s lifeguards.

The City maintains a ratio of one lifeguard for every 25 patrons at all times, but with a lower number of people crossing through the gates, less lifeguards are needed.

Boulet said they have a long list of people that they do call in as needed.

But this year, there has been less of those on the list needed to come to the park to work.

Boulet didn’t have a hard number for the staffing decreases. But he said the park’s expenses have gone down as less staffing and supplies are needed for the end of the park where the slides are.

“But certainly, based on our attendance, we are seeing and expecting a decrease in our revenue projections.”

The water park is part of a field of 10 competing for $100,000 in the Kraft Celebration Tour. For being one of the finalists, the park has already received $25,000.

In total, $260,000 is needed to rebuild the slides, which have been closed to the public all season. City officials made the decision after a report prepared by Prakash Engineering identified two significant safety issues – exposed fibres on the fibreglass slides and a compromised steel structure holding it up.

While the City works on lining up the funding for the park, they continue to work on having contractors in place. Boulet said they are keeping in contact with contractors that are available to do the work.

The work on the water slides could potentially begin as early as this year.

“Knowing that we’re probably not going to have an answer to some of the funding challenges that they are facing until later in August, so, that will really determine when we can move ahead with some of the work.

“Whether some of it could be completed this fall and maybe the remainder of it completed in the spring before the season or are we going to have to do the bulk of the work in the spring in preparation for next season.”

Boulet said their goal at this point is to have the water slides open on the Kinsmen Water Park’s opening day in 2015.

The City is also looking to have the tenders prepared and ready to go once the funding is in place.

If the Kinsmen Water Park wins the Kraft Celebration Tour contest, that $100,000, along with the $60,000 the City has committed to the project, there still remains $100,000 that is still needed to make up the difference.

Boulet said his department is speaking with community groups described as “long-term community supporters” to help with funding.

And it’s the case that the City is approaching community groups and community groups are also approaching the City about the water slides. Boulet said they will be wrapping up some of these discussions and preparing a report for council.

For now, Boulet said the City is going to continue to push for support, with Tuesday being the final day for voting. Online voting ends at 9:59 p.m. local time, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

“We’re hoping that that continues to go positively and it would go a long way to reaching that funding target.”

tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames

by Thia James

Attendance at Kinsmen Water Park plummets with slides’ closure

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