Sorry Tulse, but aquariums do not have "a vague association with water".
Not to be too pedantic, but that quote is a bit out of context, as I said that "
lakeside locations are only about a vague association with water", and not aquariums themselves.
Maybe they don't have straight-from-the-lake (or ocean) untreated water in their tanks,
Right, which is the main issue I was responding to (see all the earlier posts implying that the benefit of a lake location was that the aquarium would actually use lake water, and that using such water was why other aquariums are by lakes).
but the siting of an aquarium on a body of water is all about suggesting that you are going to learn something about what lives in that environment.
But my point is that sharks, rays, octopuses, orcas, etc. etc. etc. most definitely
don't live in the environment of Lake Ontario, or
any lake. Those animals live in what is actually a radically different environment. At best they have a "vague association" with lakes. And siting an aquarium with primarily salt-water exhibits on a fresh-water lake could be said to promote
mis-information, via that "vague association".
It's like having a seafood restaurant on the Toronto waterfront, when none of the seafood served actually
comes from Lake Ontario. It would be like putting penguins and polar bears next to each other at the zoo, since they both live in cold environments. I think it promotes de-contextualization and misunderstanding.
This is, of course, just my opinion, and I have indeed been to large aquariums next to bodies of water and enjoyed them. I'd be happy for T.O. to have a nice aquarium anywhere, even at the lake.