A floating water park that was recently rejected by a neighbouring community is now possibly coming to the beach in Erieau.
In a video posted to social media on Wednesday, Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff and Ward 2 Councillor Ryan Doyle touted the inflatable park that would be installed at the beach a few hundred feet from the shoreline.
The company behind the water park, Aqua City, said it will consist of a series of obstacle courses, slides, trampolines and other activities that can be enjoyed by people of all age groups.
“It’s very exciting for Chatham-Kent as a whole. We’ve heard for years and years about the void in Chatham-Kent of things to do for kids and adults,” said Mayor Canniff.
The company recently proposed installing the same inflatable water park at Colchester Beach in Essex. However, the town’s council voted against entering into a lease agreement with Aqua City, citing vocal opposition from residents, safety concerns, and parking shortages.
Canniff said while some parts of Erieau Beach are owned by the municipality, other parts are owned by the Province of Ontario. Aqua City will require permission from the provincial government to install the inflatable park on the waters of Lake Erie, however, it is unknown if Chatham-Kent Council will have a say in the matter.
“This project came to us less than a week ago, so there are a lot of questions to be answered yet,” said Canniff. “As we go through this, we’re determining whether it will require any sort of approval at the municipal level or not.”
Aqua City Director Michael Fife said company representatives attended an Erieau Community Association (ECA) meeting Wednesday evening to field questions and address concerns from local residents about the water park project.
“We’re trying to shape it into a positive effect with their input. We’re excited because a lot of the ECA members that joined us were pretty excited about it,” said Fife.
While details are still being ironed out, the municipality could see a financial kickback from Aqua City while it is operating in Erieau.
“We’re working on a deal that would see that money go back to initiatives within Erieau itself,” said Fife.
Had the project moved forward at Colchester Beach, the Town of Essex was set to receive a 10 per cent cut of the water park’s profits.
Fife said residents and visitors could see Aqua City up and running at Erieau as early as next month. He added that further updates on the project are expected in the coming weeks.
