Plug pulled on Ford government's giant ferris wheel planned for Niagara Falls, Ont.

Plug pulled on Ford government's giant ferris wheel planned for Niagara Falls, Ont.

Niagara Parks Commission cancels call for proposals for controversial attraction

The controversial plan for a giant observation wheel in historic Queen Victoria Park in Niagara Falls, Ont., is now dead and buried, with the Niagara Parks Commission announcing it's cancelled a request for public sector proposals to build the attraction.

The commission said on Monday that it's cancelled the call for proposals after HOCO Entertainment president and CEO Harry Oakes – whose company has operated the $10-million, 17-storey Niagara SkyWheel a short distance away, atop Clifton Hill, for the last 20 years – contacted the agency on July 2 with a plan for a major redevelopment of the SkyWheel.

The plan for the observation wheel at the manicured Queen Victoria Park, overlooking the Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls, was part of the Destination Niagara plan unveiled by the province last December with the goal of doubling the estimated 13 million visitors a year that Niagara Falls gets, and to extend how long people stay when they visit.

The observation wheel ran into a wall of opposition: at a town hall organized by Niagara Falls riding MPP Wayne Gates at Club Italia in early July, about 1,200 people packed the hall to oppose the idea.

The parks commission said adding a second observation wheel would be redundant, with HOCO planning to replace the SkyWheel with a 250-foot observation wheel – making it the tallest of its kind in Canada – along with improvements to the surrounding Clifton Hill plaza.

Canada's largest observation wheel

"The Niagara SkyWheel attraction is a cherished part of the Niagara Falls experience and we commend Harry Oakes and HOCO Entertainment for investing in its future as a truly world-class attraction," Niagara Parks chief executive officer David Adames said in a news release.

Oakes said the major expansion of the SkyWheel is an investment in the future of Niagara Falls and Clifton Hill as part of realizing the full tourism potential of Niagara.

"As the future largest observation wheel in Canada, it will create a landmark attraction that draws new visitors, supports local businesses and strengthens Niagara's position as a world-class tourism destination," he said.

In a separate news release on Monday, HOCO Entertainment said the new SkyWheel will become an even more prominent feature of the Niagara Falls skyline, "further strengthening Niagara Falls' reputation as one of Canada's premier tourism destinations and enhancing its appeal to visitors from around the world."

The economic impact will benefit the entire city, HOCO said.

"Hotels, restaurants, retailers, attractions, transportation providers and countless local businesses will all benefit from the increased activity," the company said.

Gates, who posted a series of videos on social media decrying plans for the observation wheel at the park, said in a social media post on Monday that the thousands of people who signed a petition he organized helped to kill it.

"Together, we made our voices impossible to ignore and together, we got this bad idea stopped," he said. "We support and welcome smart private investment, but we can do that while protecting our public green spaces for residents that live here."

But Gates also posted a new social media video on Saturday saying the parks commission may be planning a gondola in Queen Victoria Park.

"I'm trying to get how many stations and all the details," he said. "I should have that next week."

CBC News has reached out to the parks commission to ask about Gates' assertion, and to Ford's office to seek comment on the ferris wheel's cancellation.

The Destination Niagara plan included plans for an all-season, 3.8-kilometre electric tram through Queen Victoria Park.

Paul Forsyth is a St. Catharines-based CBC reporter covering communities in the Niagara Region. He has decades of reporting experience in Niagara, having worked for Niagara This Week, the St. Catharines Standard and the Welland Tribune before joining CBC. You can reach him at paul.forsyth@cbc.ca.