Finally, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, the country’s biggest, opens its doors to the public. It was opened on Wednesday, 16 October 2020, after numerous weeks of delay and a total construction cost amounting to $130 million. The inaugural ceremony was led by Ripley’s CEO Jim Pattison and Mayor Rob Ford.
The town is optimistic that this new attraction that has taken two years will allure in more tourists and consequently offer a significant boost to the local economy. The aquarium is anticipated to draw in at least two million visitors every year. It came at a pretty cost of $130 million, which was fragmented among Ripley’s Aquarium, the Ontario government, and Canada Lands Company. While this might be a pretty costly project, the aquarium is expected to be a hit, especially with schools, parents, and children.
Ripley’s, a 12500 square meter facility, is not your average aquarium and is actually, it is billed as the largest in the nation. It currently shelters well over 15000 aquatic 450 of which are numerous species of marine and habitat animals from across the globe. The aquatic species, including sharks, stingrays, and turtles, are held in approximately 6000 liters of water and over 50 tanks. It has also created job opportunities for over twenty aquarists and marine biologists to care for the animals.
If you aim to make a trip to this new attraction, you are in for some exciting adventures with a large variety of aquatic animals. You will enjoy the up-close view of the water creatures, and with a little pocket power, you can explore the facility further in a behind the scenes tour. Even better, you have a chance f spending a night with the animals in an overnight reef adventure, which gives you the privilege to sleep under the aquarium’s shark tunnel.
While the aquarium’s maintenance cost is still a little unclear, this extensive aquarium is projected to a revenue well over $50 million. Moreover, it will create close to 600hundred jobs. These are pretty fantastic news considering the town’s present economic struggle. The entrance fee is $29.98 for adults, $19.98 for children under 13, and $9.98 for children under five years.
Although this might seem like a steep price tag, more than 10,000 tickets to the downtown facility have already been sold online. This is an indication that families are quite enthusiastic about valuable entertainment and are willing to pay a tidy sum for it.
