This isn’t directly Niagara Falls related, but in the tourism industry we definitely know what the article is talking about. We just don’t get the US visitors we used to. From the Toronto Star: Ottawa no longer wants to waste time and money trying to lure American tourists to the land of moose, mountains and…
From the Toronto Star: The chair of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says Marineland complied with four OSPCA orders to fix problems and is working on three other orders, including improving its water system. “The water is a big issue because we concern ourselves with any animals’ environment,” Rob Godfrey…
From the Toronto Star: Marineland has sued former trainer Phil Demers for trespassing on the park’s property, claiming he also schemed to steal Smooshi the walrus. The $1.5 million suit against Demers, who worked as a senior marine mammal trainer, says he unlawfully stormed the park during a live stadium show on closing day last…
From the Toronto Star: The Ontario government has ordered Marineland to stop burying dead animals on its grounds immediately. The Ministry of the Environment gave the Niagara Falls tourist attraction a strict timetable to carry out a series of orders, which includes a comprehensive assessment by an environment firm of the entire park and interviews…
The Toronto Star has an interesting article where they share details of emails that Mayor Jim Diodati and his assistant sent back and forth and how they tried to craft their message about the Marineland crisis. It’s a case study in political spinning — the good and the bad. Last August, Niagara Falls, Ont., Mayor…
The Marineland story keeps going on and on. Over the holidays, the Ministry of the Environment investigated the mass animal graves that Marineland has on their property. I’ve heard about these before, but this is the first time I’ve seen mention of them in mainstream media. From the Toronto Star: The provincial Environment Ministry is…
From the Toronto Star: Marineland served a $1.25 million lawsuit against former trainer Christine Santos on Thursday for telling the Star a killer whale was sporadically bleeding from its tail. The suit says whale’s cuts were minor and that Santos knew that. “Ms. Santos’ communication of the (allegations) to the Star was calculated to disparage…
From the Toronto Star: Marineland owner John Holer is trying to acquire another killer whale for his tourist park, according to the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Association director Bill Peters told the Star he believes Marineland had a another killer whale lined up to join lone Kiska, but it fell through. Now “they…
From the Toronto Star (Wheels.ca): Another hurdle has been cleared by the developers of the proposed Canadian Motor Speedway in Fort Erie. On Monday, the Ontario Municipal Board rejected all appeals against the planned speedway, which will include a one-mile paved oval track with seating for 65,000 spectators plus a road course. Good luck to…
From the Toronto Star: Marineland has threatened to sue former senior trainer Christine Santos for “well in excess of $1 million” for telling the Star its lone killer whale Kiska was bleeding sporadically from her tail. In a five-page letter to Santos, lawyer Andrew Burns accuses her of having made statements “in complete carelessness, reckless and/or…