Still-shuttered Marineland puts its amusement park rides up for sale

Saira Peesker · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 20, 2025 11:58 AM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

Marineland, the still-shuttered Niagara Falls aquarium and taxable parkland wherever 18 beluga whales person died since 2019, has enactment its rides up for sale. 

News of the rides being connected the marketplace was published Tuesday successful Amusement Today, an manufacture publication. It comes arsenic carnal advocates proceed to explicit concerns astir surviving conditions for the galore h2o and onshore mammals inactive astatine Marineland, which has not indicated plans to unfastened this summer.

"For decades, Marineland has been location to a postulation of beloved rides that person brought joyousness to millions of guests," stated a quality merchandise posted on Amusement Today. "As the parkland evolves, it is present offering buyers the accidental to ain a portion of amusement parkland history. The merchantability includes a scope of classical attractions, from thrill rides to family-friendly [favourites]."

It states the rides volition beryllium sold to amusement operators, amusement companies and "qualified buyers."

CBC Hamilton reached retired to Marineland but did not perceive backmost earlier publication. Bill Ossim, of the institution Rides Plus, LLC, confirmed to Radio-Canada helium had been contracted by Marineland to merchantability its rides. 

'Still animals there'

Phil Demers, a erstwhile Marineland walrus trainer who has been campaigning against the installation since 2012, says it's looking little and little similar the parkland volition ever unfastened again. 

CBC has previously reported that according to a section employment office, Marineland was not hiring any seasonal employees this year. The parkland besides has a registered lobbyist to assistance the institution get permits to export animals from the national government. It besides precocious sold an bureau building.

The institution has not publically confirmed whether it plans to adjacent permanently. It told CBC earlier this period "no last determination has been made" connected whether it volition unfastened this season. On Friday, its telephone fig listed connected its website remained retired of service. 

Demers said helium wouldn't beryllium amazed if the institution tried to softly slice away.

"There mightiness not adjacent beryllium an announcement," said Demers, who was sued by his erstwhile leader successful 2013.

The institution alleged Demers trespassed and plotted to bargain the 800-pound walrus helium utilized to train, Smooshi. Demers filed a counterclaim, besides successful 2013, for defamation and maltreatment of process, helium told CBC Hamilton. 

"It does look a spot surreal," helium said connected Thursday. "Every once successful a portion you person to punctual yourself there's inactive animals there."

He said the remaining aquatic animals that unrecorded determination see 31 beluga whales, 4 dolphins, 2 oversea lions and 3 seals – including 1 named Larry. There are besides galore reddish deer, fallow deer, elk and bears, helium said, noting helium plans to support monitoring and speaking retired connected behalf of the facility's animals "until that spot is particulate ... I'm joined to that spot successful a weird sense."

New ailment filed against park

Advocacy radical Animal Justice filed a ailment with Ontario's Animal Welfare Services (AWS) connected June 11. It said successful a quality merchandise astir the ailment that it has seen drone footage, posted connected Instagram, that shows about four dolphins "circling a cramped tank" adjacent to wherever a signifier is being demolished. 

"Marine mammal payment experts who reviewed the video accidental the noise, vibrations, and disruption from the demolition enactment would apt origin the animals' intelligence suffering, adding to the harm caused by years of confinement, deficiency of enrichment, and inconsistent care," Animal Justice's statement. 

In effect to the complaint, arsenic seen by CBC Hamilton, AWS told Animal Justice it has inspected Marineland much than 220 times since January 2020. 

The state declared successful 2021 that each marine mammals astatine the parkland were successful distress owed to mediocre water, but told The Canadian Press past twelvemonth the h2o contented had been brought up to standard.

AWS has not shared details publically astir its enforcement and nary charges look to person been laid against Marineland related to its aquatic mammals. 

Last year, Marineland was found guilty nether Ontario's carnal cruelty laws implicit its attraction of 3 young achromatic bears.

AWS also said successful its effect that it is not progressive successful immoderate rumoured plans to relocate Marineland's animals, but that it continues to show the site.

"The ministry besides has experts who supply america with proposal connected marine mammals, their surviving conditions and their wellness and welfare," it said. "Please beryllium assured that the authorities continues to look astatine ways to marque definite that the animals astatine Marineland proceed to person the attraction they need."

CBC Hamilton reached retired to AWS for remark but did not perceive backmost earlier publication.