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http://www.obj.ca/Local/Sports-and-...wner-says/1?newsletterid=3&date=2012-04-03-09
Alottawata eyes 2014 opening as Calypso keeps growing
A local waterslide company isn't letting its plans for a new water park in Ottawa dry up, despite slipping years behind schedule while Calypso continues to expand and draw large crowds.
Topics :
ProSlide Technologies , Six Flags , Great Wolf Resorts , Ottawa , Alottawata Water Park , Mont Cascades
Despite undertaking preliminary site work as early as 2008, the opening date of Alottawata Water Park is being pushed back to 2014, five years later than originally envisioned, company officials say.
The park will be constructed at a site off Highway 416 south of Barrhaven by Ottawa-based ProSlide Technologies, which also owns Mont Cascades just north of Gatineau.
But due to huge growth at ProSlide and dozens of new international contracts in its core waterslide business, Alottawata will stay dry for another couple of years.
"We're just incredibly busy," said ProSlide president and CEO Rick Hunter. "We're right in the middle of all the innovation of the industry."
Ongoing high-profile projects include water slides for Six Flags and Great Wolf Resorts at locations across the U.S. as well as slides and "watercoasters" in Australia, Switzerland and Kuala Lumpur. The company is currently installing what it claims will be the largest watercoaster in the world in Santa Claus, Indiana.
"We've really got to take care of our clients," he said. "Alottawata is important, but this is really important. We're really in growth mode."
ProSlide increased its employee headcount by 60 per cent in the last 18 months, he added, and is currently working to accommodate for upcoming projected growth.
In the meantime, Calypso - near Limoges, half an hour east of the city - has been able to attract huge crowds and build more slides each year since opening in 2010.
Approximately 400,000 visitors escaped the heat at Calypso last summer, roughly the same number that turned up during its first season, and the park expects much of the same this year with plans to unveil a brand new attraction.
The Jungle Challenge is an interactive water obstacle course manoeuvred through on floating tubes. The $1-million ride will be ready for opening day on June 7, said Ginette Robert, vice-president of sales and marketing at Calypso's owner, Groupe Village Vacances Valcartier. She hinted that an even larger attraction will be built for the summer of 2013.
Last summer, the park spent $5 million on its 90-foot tall Summit Tower, which Calypso says is the highest free-standing water slide tower in North America, featuring 10 new waterslides.
"People were absolutely thrilled about all these new attractions," said Ms. Robert, adding the hype around the Summit Tower helped to offset a very rainy June.
Calypso guests hail from Montreal, Ottawa and all over Canada as tourists visiting the nation's capital venture over for a cool-down. The company has so far spent upwards of $50 million developing more than 100 acres of its 545-acre site.
The established water park isn't too concerned about Alottawata, Ms. Robert said.
"He's done nothing at all (on Alottawata in the last two years)," she said of Mr. Hunter. "We're going ahead, investing more millions each year."
But Mr. Hunter said he's "not a bit" worried about competing against Calypso either.
"Our location is really central Ottawa," Mr. Hunter said. "The fact is that we will be different. Calypso is always going to be there, but we'll have exclusive ProSlide waterslides ... there's going to be a lot of innovation there."
ProSlide's HydroMagnetic Rocket ride uses the company's patented technology with water lubrication and gravity to pull riders upwards at top speed then down again to create a rollercoaster-like experience.
When Alottawata gets underway, all ProSlide's water slide technology will be present at the park, but for now the company has to focus on its 55 ongoing projects, Mr. Hunter said.
Alottawata's site plan has been approved by the city, but ProSlide is in the midst of working on a revised plan to increase the park's overall capacity.
"We're making some revisions to the ride mix and the attractions mix," Mr. Hunter said.
Alottawata eyes 2014 opening as Calypso keeps growing
A local waterslide company isn't letting its plans for a new water park in Ottawa dry up, despite slipping years behind schedule while Calypso continues to expand and draw large crowds.
Topics :
ProSlide Technologies , Six Flags , Great Wolf Resorts , Ottawa , Alottawata Water Park , Mont Cascades
Despite undertaking preliminary site work as early as 2008, the opening date of Alottawata Water Park is being pushed back to 2014, five years later than originally envisioned, company officials say.
The park will be constructed at a site off Highway 416 south of Barrhaven by Ottawa-based ProSlide Technologies, which also owns Mont Cascades just north of Gatineau.
But due to huge growth at ProSlide and dozens of new international contracts in its core waterslide business, Alottawata will stay dry for another couple of years.
"We're just incredibly busy," said ProSlide president and CEO Rick Hunter. "We're right in the middle of all the innovation of the industry."
Ongoing high-profile projects include water slides for Six Flags and Great Wolf Resorts at locations across the U.S. as well as slides and "watercoasters" in Australia, Switzerland and Kuala Lumpur. The company is currently installing what it claims will be the largest watercoaster in the world in Santa Claus, Indiana.
"We've really got to take care of our clients," he said. "Alottawata is important, but this is really important. We're really in growth mode."
ProSlide increased its employee headcount by 60 per cent in the last 18 months, he added, and is currently working to accommodate for upcoming projected growth.
In the meantime, Calypso - near Limoges, half an hour east of the city - has been able to attract huge crowds and build more slides each year since opening in 2010.
Approximately 400,000 visitors escaped the heat at Calypso last summer, roughly the same number that turned up during its first season, and the park expects much of the same this year with plans to unveil a brand new attraction.
The Jungle Challenge is an interactive water obstacle course manoeuvred through on floating tubes. The $1-million ride will be ready for opening day on June 7, said Ginette Robert, vice-president of sales and marketing at Calypso's owner, Groupe Village Vacances Valcartier. She hinted that an even larger attraction will be built for the summer of 2013.
Last summer, the park spent $5 million on its 90-foot tall Summit Tower, which Calypso says is the highest free-standing water slide tower in North America, featuring 10 new waterslides.
"People were absolutely thrilled about all these new attractions," said Ms. Robert, adding the hype around the Summit Tower helped to offset a very rainy June.
Calypso guests hail from Montreal, Ottawa and all over Canada as tourists visiting the nation's capital venture over for a cool-down. The company has so far spent upwards of $50 million developing more than 100 acres of its 545-acre site.
The established water park isn't too concerned about Alottawata, Ms. Robert said.
"He's done nothing at all (on Alottawata in the last two years)," she said of Mr. Hunter. "We're going ahead, investing more millions each year."
But Mr. Hunter said he's "not a bit" worried about competing against Calypso either.
"Our location is really central Ottawa," Mr. Hunter said. "The fact is that we will be different. Calypso is always going to be there, but we'll have exclusive ProSlide waterslides ... there's going to be a lot of innovation there."
ProSlide's HydroMagnetic Rocket ride uses the company's patented technology with water lubrication and gravity to pull riders upwards at top speed then down again to create a rollercoaster-like experience.
When Alottawata gets underway, all ProSlide's water slide technology will be present at the park, but for now the company has to focus on its 55 ongoing projects, Mr. Hunter said.
Alottawata's site plan has been approved by the city, but ProSlide is in the midst of working on a revised plan to increase the park's overall capacity.
"We're making some revisions to the ride mix and the attractions mix," Mr. Hunter said.
