Toronto Ripley's Aquarium of Canada | 13.11m | 2s | Ripley Entertainment | B+H

Again, I think you are defining 'tourist' a little too narrowly... and as has already been said there are about 15 to 20 million people annually who are visiting the Niagara Region, either via Toronto or directly from the USA so the idea that Toronto is the lone tourist magnet in the area is completely erroneous
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The discussion here makes it seem like only tourists will visit the aquarium which is nuts. Odds are more people will visit if it is located in heavily populated area that's easily accessible by many means. That puts the CN Tower site ahead of Burlington, Niagara and virtually anywhere else in Ontario.
 
Actually, the Olympic Spirit Centre could have been awesome, but it was just too small and didn't offer anything that would grab people. It had an opportunity to be a really cool and interactive place, along the same lines as the Science Centre, but they just didn't do enough with it to entice people. With modern technology that is becoming widely available (such as the release of Kinect for Xbox360) they could have done so much with it. Oh and also, the location was horrible...
 
I think an aquarium on the lake in Burlington would do very well, especially if marketed as part of the whole Niagara experience along with the nearby RBG which shares an ecological theme. A site on a major body of water would make a lot more sense for an aquarium as well. Sometimes I think that Torontonians view the Hamilton area as more of a rival than as a regional partner.

How are sizes for these aquariums measured.. is it by total volume of tanks ? I know the Shedd has a sizable dolphin tank for instance, which I would be opposed to in Toronto anyway.
 
Tewder said:
What kind of evidence would you like if not potential visitors, ease of access and a potentially more spectacular site/attraction? It is not a given that a location in Toronto will make it a success. Remember the Olympic Spirit Centre? And, in a list of the top travel sites in Ontario there are many outside of Toronto.
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I would like evidence that it would garner more tourists if it was located in Burlington as opposed to Toronto. All you have provided is a population figure which is lower than Toronto, no evidence that Burlington has a larger transportation infrastructure and proximity to Niagara (with no evidence that more people are going to go to Burlington from Niagara, than lets say, Toronto).
 
How much infrastucture does it need, I mean it's on a mass transidt route- both car and rail. What would it require beyond shuttle buses from the station and a large parking lot for tour buses, and drivers. The Toronto zoo does well enough in its rather 'remote' location and there's not even a GO station nearby.
 
I bet you the zoo would do much better if it was located at the base of the CN Tower. Most people have to drive to the zoo. Imagine if they could drive, take the Go Train, subway, streetcar or walk?
 
Ed, you have grasped the point perfectly. Yes, Burlington has roads and oxygen. This does not mean its a BETTER site for attracting people to an aquarium.
 
Well sure a hotdog cart is more likely to sell more dawgs at the base of the tower than on a curb in the suburbs, its as simple as that..i guess. I guess it depends what kind of vision one has for such a facility.
 
Ed007Toronto said:
I bet you the zoo would do much better if it was located at the base of the CN Tower. Most people have to drive to the zoo. Imagine if they could drive, take the Go Train, subway, streetcar or walk?
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... well you could drive or take the Go Train to a Burlington aquarium too, for that matter.

Also, in terms of visiting 'locals' it is probably just as quick for anybody who lives west of High Park to reach the lakeshore in Burlington as it is the Toronto rail lands.

alklay said:
I would like evidence that it would garner more tourists if it was located in Burlington as opposed to Toronto. All you have provided is a population figure which is lower than Toronto, no evidence that Burlington has a larger transportation infrastructure and proximity to Niagara (with no evidence that more people are going to go to Burlington from Niagara, than lets say, Toronto).
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There are millions of people from Toronto and area going to the Niagara region each year, whether for the day or to stay, and they all have to cross the skyway bridge to do so. I'm not suggesting that those people wouldn't visit an aquarium in Toronto, only that they would also likely visit one in Burlington... particularly if it was a substantial landmark-type attraction.

alklay said:
Ed, you have grasped the point perfectly. Yes, Burlington has roads and oxygen. This does not mean its a BETTER site for attracting people to an aquarium.
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... not to mention a spectacular waterside location. You know, for an 'aquarium'. The rail lands work too, I suppose...
 
This is all absolutely irrelevant - nobody is going to invest in an aquarium if it is not in a major metropolitan city.
 
The zoo wouldn't fit at the foot of the CN tower ;) The zoos appeal is its park setting in the Rouge Valley- what it needs is to be on a mass transit route. I think the CN tower location is the much safer bet as a business venture- sure, but best location for an aquarium specifically- not at all. Burlington could work very well and has all the ingredients for such a facility, with room for expansion on the waterfront to boot.
 
Agreed. I understand why Ripley's would invest in the Toronto scheme but then again, I also question the Ripley's scheme... so there you have it.
 
what about it do you question? I don't think we've really been exposed to their plans yet apart from the footprint of the building (I could be wrong but I haven't seen anything or heard about the aquarium's content)
 
Big Daddy said:
This is all absolutely irrelevant - nobody is going to invest in an aquarium if it is not in a major metropolitan city.
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Thanks......flipping through pages of Toronto v Burlington debates on where this private company should invest I was hoping that I got the post that stated this rather obvious point.
 
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