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

Bogtrotter said:
Not the best review: http://www.thestar.com/news/article...-aquarium-looks-like-a-grey-suede-loafer?bn=1

Well it does seem to be a little second rate, being tacked onto the base of the CN tower and ignoring the fact that there is a massive inland lake and underused waterfront a few hundred meters away.
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I read that review ... in all honesty I agreed with little to nothing in it. Most importantly, the city of Toronto if financing nothing - they're providing a little in the way of tax breaks ... this sort of thing is done by every single city across the world for these sort of venus.

There was no cohesive argument against - also, it might just be me, but regarding the picture, is that an example of a 'nice' aquarium ? As I think I'd take our design over that. It's way to early to tell it'll come down to the details - how's it's clad most notably. I've seen other ripley's aquariums and from the outside it looks nothing like them.
 
Hi there, first time replying to this site. Have to say I love all the comments.
Great to see it has taken Toronto so many years to make up it mind about getting an aquarium, but come on. The site? are they just trying to max out the touristsand the infrastructure oin the city.
There are sites along the lakefront both east and west that are easily accessible that could house this project properly, create areas of expansion and create less traffic jam in the core. Maybe if we ever improved the TTC so people could actually travel to the city without the reliance of a car then we could layer the attractions one on top of the other.
Seems like the standard lack of vision the city has shown over the past decades.
 
WiddleBittyKitty said:
Even I find the connection between a major aquarium and good seafood restaurants a little creepy.
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Even though the Seattle aquarium gives out cards saying which are the best fish to eat?

Isn't it kind of like wandering through a fields of sheep and lambs in the spring, and craving a good roast with mint sauce?
 
nfitz said:
Even though the Seattle aquarium gives out cards saying which are the best fish to eat?

Isn't it kind of like wandering through a fields of sheep and lambs in the spring, and craving a good roast with mint sauce?
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Does it honestly! that's hilarious I love it.
 
nfitz said:
I was surprised. Looking on the web, it looks like they've now added a Sushi guide and a list of nearby restaurants - many seafood near the Aquarium. Somehow I expect Torontonians will not be as pragmatic.
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I was at an aquarium in Japan (can't remember if it was the Osaka aquarium (disappointing) or the one in Enoshima (looks like a wharehouse from the outside but a really amazing main tank) and was looking at a tank with a very large octopus making its way along the glass.

A three or four year old boy saw the octopus and ran over pointing at it and shouting to his mom "TABETAI! TABETAI!" which means "I want to eat it! I want to eat it!"

Only in Japan.
 
Kippendavie said:
..., but come on. The site? are they just trying to max out the touristsand the infrastructure oin the city.
There are sites along the lakefront both east and west that are easily accessible that could house this project properly, create areas of expansion and create less traffic jam in the core.
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Yes, it does seem painfully obvious to just about anybody but Ripley's and the government levels funding this that an aquarium belongs on the waterfront. Duh! It's one of those things that fifty years from now, when all the 'politics' are long forgotten, will be incomprehensible to people in a 'what were they thinking??!!' kind of way. Chalk it up to another instance of a lack of planning and vision, and impotent leadership that is so insecure and myopic in its thinking that it feels compelled to jump at this 'offer' or any offer without thinking it through logically and demanding something that works better, long term, for the city.
 
Tewder said:
Yes, it does seem painfully obvious to just about anybody but Ripley's and the government levels funding this that an aquarium belongs on the waterfront. Duh! It's one of those things that fifty years from now, when all the 'politics' are long forgotten, will be incomprehensible to people in a 'what were they thinking??!!' kind of way. Chalk it up to another instance of a lack of planning and vision, and impotent leadership that is so insecure and myopic in its thinking that it feels compelled to jump at this 'offer' or any offer without thinking it through logically and demanding something that works better, long term, for the city.
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Yes I would have to agree with much of what you're saying as well. However as someone who has been looking forward to an aquarium in this city for years and several decades of failed proposals I'm at the point where I'd just aout rubber stamp approval on any half decent proposal. But yes I agree whole heartedly that there are better and more logical locations for this. I just hope thee is a significant educational component to this and will have some features that make it truly unique over other aquariums. Will it be one a respected institution among zoos and aquaria, or will it be a Ripley's entertainment centre with hyped up tacky superlatives and second rate architecture? I fear it will be more the latter.
 
Tewder said:
Yes, it does seem painfully obvious to just about anybody but Ripley's and the government levels funding this that an aquarium belongs on the waterfront. Duh! It's one of those things that fifty years from now, when all the 'politics' are long forgotten, will be incomprehensible to people in a 'what were they thinking??!!' kind of way. Chalk it up to another instance of a lack of planning and vision, and impotent leadership that is so insecure and myopic in its thinking that it feels compelled to jump at this 'offer' or any offer without thinking it through logically and demanding something that works better, long term, for the city.
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Tewder, you are so right. This development, in fact, is just shite. Lost opportunities abound, but this one takes the cake.

I said it before and I'll say it again, who the poopoo thinks that an aquarium will enhance Toronto? This is garbage.

Pardon my french.

PS--I wonder if there is a chance we can get this project moved to North Etobicoke?
 
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Is Ontario Place not the perfect location for the aquarium? And is now, at a time when O.P.'s purpose is being redefined for the future, not the perfect time to make it happen?
 
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