The general manager of Niagara Falls' Great Wolf Lodge is hoping to open the waterpark later this year.
Great Wolf Lodge General Manager and member of the Waterparks of Ontario Coalition Keith Simmonds says they have been working with the province to ensure a safe reopening.
"We've got 850 pack members who we truly, truly miss and we love doing what we do, we love doing it together. There's so much uncertainty out there, I don't think, and we don't think, that opening a water park is the first priority but we definitely know people want to get working and people want to go on vacation, so let's find a really safe way to do it."
After being closed for more than a year, he says they will need three months to get the equipment ready, recruit and train staff, and implement safe re-opening guidelines.
"We want to have a rough target for the summer that we can have our employees and our guests focus on so we know what we can do so we can start building."
He says September 1st is tentatively circled on the calendar.
Although Ontario's waterparks have been closed for the last year, they were allowed to open in other jurisdictions including Quebec and Edmonton.
The World Waterpark Association - Canadian Committee offers statistics showing no reports of COVID-19 traced to a waterpark in Quebec or the West Edmonton Mall.
The stats also show no COVID-19 public health investigations at other Great Wolf Resorts across North America, despite the locations welcoming nearly 390,000 guests between 2020 and the early part of this year.
Although the water park is closed, some of the cottages are available at Great Wolf Lodge Niaara Falls.