Andrew Mellor takes a closer look at one of Canada’s leading family attractions.

In 1956, John Holer arrived in Canada from his native Slovenia and for the next few years worked as a farm labourer, construction labourer and shipyard worker, saving his money during this time in order to finance his dream of one day owning his own theme park.

Five years later, in 1961, using the US$2,000 he had saved, he leased a small area of land and built two pools for three sea lions, opening up under the name of Marine Wonderland and Animal Farm. And it is from these humble beginnings that MarineLand Canada was born and today, MarineLand, in the City of Niagara Falls in Ontario, is one of the largest and most diverse theme parks in North America, featuring attractions such as dolphin, walrus and sea lion shows; Friendship Cove, the world’s largest killer whale habitat; Dragon Mountain, one of the world’s largest steel roller coasters; and a host of other amusement rides and animal displays.

Since 1961 there have been many important years in the park’s history, when key attractions and facilities have been added. By 1970, for example, the addition of a 4,500-seat outdoor stadium, gift shops, restaurants and wildlife displays made MarineLand a popular stopping off point for southern Ontario and western New York State visitors. With the subsequent introduction of several killer whales, the park became one of North America’s most successful tourist attractions.

In 1982, MarineLand added the Deer Park, complete with a European-style gate tower and town wall. The enclosed area is home to several hundred deer and provides an opportunity for guests to pet and feed these friendly animals.

And it was also in the 1980s that MarineLand began to complement its marine mammal presentations and wildlife displays with amusement rides. Among these was the Dragon Mountain roller coaster, built by Arrow and the park’s signature coaster, which Holer researched and designed the layout for himself.

Taking riders to speeds of up to 50mph, the 5,500ft steel coaster covers 30 acres and features a specially designed layout that hugs the contours of a man-made mountain. It incorporates tunnels that lead to the queuing area, has two consecutive vertical loops and the only ‘bowtie’ loop of its kind in the world.

The 1984 season saw further expansion with the addition of a fish feeding lake and a black bear observation area, while between 1989 and 1990, MarineLand became home to three more thrill rides – the motion filled Magic Experience, the interactive Space Avenger and the soaring Sky Hawk.

The park’s growth continued in 1995 with the opening of King Waldorf’s Palace. The massive indoor facility features 15,000sq.ft of video, arcade and gaming action designed to provide fun for all ages. 1998 saw the introduction of the aforementioned Friendship Cove, a five million gallon whale habitat that offers dramatic above water and underwater viewing of killer whales and represents an important step in the park’s evolution as a truly world-class theme park. The facility also features splash and jump session with the killer whales.

A tea cup style ride, Kandu’s Twister (named after one of the park’s killer whales), was added in 2003 to complement MarineLand’s existing selection of family-type rides, while the following year saw the unveiling of Sky Screamer from S&S Power, the world’s highest triple tower ride which takes riders over 450ft skywards and provides a spectacular view of the Falls and surrounding Niagara landscape.

Riders are launched up and down at speeds of up to 60mph. In the same year, Arctic Cove, a three million gallon interactive whale habitat opened.  Arctic Cove features the largest collection of beluga whales in the world and allows guests the unique opportunity to touch and feed these friendly white whales.

Three new family rides made their debut in the park in 2006. These included Orca Screamer, a ‘pint-sized’ version of the Sky Screamer, Viking Adventure and the Bumble Bee ride, while a couple of years later MarineLand introduced the Topple Tower ride from Huss. Ocean Odyssey, a new family thrill ride, opened in July 2010.

As well as the rides, of course, MarineLand provides guests with a variety of animal shows, such as dolphin, walrus and sea lion shows in the King Waldorf’s Stadium several times daily, along with other wildlife displays featuring bears, bison, elk and other species. Other entertainment includes a small polka band led by Canada’s polka king, Walter Ostanek, which plays at the park on weekends in the spring and fall and every day through the summer months of July and August.

Additionally, a range of other facilities is also available, including gift shops, family style restaurants, picnic facilities and wheelchair and stroller rentals. The park targets families and focuses its marketing in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, while there is also some marketing activity in the Western New York state area.

Admission to the venue is pay-one-price with some activities within the park being separately priced. Parking is free and the season runs from mid-May to early October.

In 2011, MarineLand celebrated its 50th anniversary and from its small beginnings now sits on a 1,000 acre site with 300 of those currently in use and the remaining 700 designated for future development. Holer’s future plans for the park include the addition of a 2.5 mile (4km) wilderness adventure ride and a 2.5 mile train ride where guests will be able to view a variety of animals in natural settings.