VIDEO: The city’s newest attraction claims to be offering something different from the rest. Mark McAllister reports.
TORONTO – After weeks of delays, the city’s newest and highly anticipated underwater attraction finally opened its doors to wide-eyed visitors.
Touted as Canada’s largest indoor aquarium, the 135,000 square foot underwater attraction features over 16,000 marine animals and 450 species.
Mayor Rob Ford, along with Sport and Tourism Minister Michael Chan, and Ripley’s CEO Jim Pattison officially opened the aquarium during the ceremony Wednesday.
“This is a beautiful aquarium, and it stimulates our economy,” Ford said during the ceremony. “What more could we ask for?”
The attraction cost $130 million, split between Ripley’s, Crown corporation Canada Lands company and the Ontario government. Ripley’s estimates it could draw up to 2 million people each year.
Tickets are $29.98 for adults, $9.98 for children aged two to six and free for children under two.
One of the highlights of the aquarium is the so-called “Dangerous Lagoon” tank which holds 2.9 million litres of water and is filled with sharks, green sea turtles and sawfish.
The aquarium also features a 97 metre-long underwater tunnel with a moving sidewalk.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Now that the Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada has opened at the base of the CN Tower we want to know: What world class attraction do you want to see brought to Toronto?
– With files from The Canadian Press
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