Marineland redevelopment proposal includes sanctuary, hotels, indoor ski slope and more

A proposed redevelopment of Marineland Canada, which includes a sanctuary, could offer a solution for 30 whales facing euthanasia at the park.

The Niagara Falls, Ont., tourist attraction made a request Friday for emergency funding to support the care of the remaining captive whales on the property. A deadline of Tuesday was set after federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson denied Marineland permits to move the whales to an aquarium in China. Thompson said Marineland is accountable for the care of its remaining belugas.

Knapp Capital Management, a firm in New Jersey, released a statement on Monday through Urgent Seas, a non-profit marine life protection organization founded by Phil Demers.

KCM said a coalition of private developers, investors and advocates committed to the humane redevelopment of the Marineland property has been evaluating opportunities since early 2025.

“The presence of beluga whales, dolphins and other animals presently on site did not deter interest in advancing the project; rather, it strengthened the group’s resolve to pursue a humane solution,” the statement read.

The proposal included the creation of the world’s first global inland sanctuary called Oasis at the Falls. This 125-acre, fully naturalistic refuge was designed for the whales and dolphins currently on site. The sanctuary was designed to provide lifelong care in expansive, enriched habitats, free from performance, public spectacle or forced breeding, the statement read.

Hotels, a request for gaming, retail and dining districts, a winter arena with a ski slope and ice rink, an indoor water park, a performing arts venue and a data centre, representing an estimated $4 billion in private investment, were also part of the proposal.

The project would have generated more than 100,000 jobs, including over 40,000 union construction jobs, creating an economic stimulus for skilled trades across the region and country, KCM said in the statement.

“This plan could have been among the most significant private entertainment investments in Canadian history,” KCM said.

In an email to INsauga.com, KCM said they still want to move ahead with the plan, but this type of proposal is complex and requires collaboration across public and private sectors.

“KCM remains fully ready, willing and able to move forward with both the Oasis of the Falls sanctuary concept and the broader redevelopment vision for the Marineland property,” Leah Caruso, principal, CXO and CMO of Knapp Capital Management told INsauga.com in an email. “However, in order to do so, we need engagement and a defined pathway forward from the provincial government.”

Any major redevelopment like this needs a strong partnership with municipal and provincial leadership, Caruso said.

“Our goal has always been to deliver a plan that provides a humane, permanent refuge for the remaining marine mammals, while simultaneously creating a transformative destination that stimulates economic growth, job creation and community revitalization for Niagara and Ontario as a whole,” Caruso added. “We remain committed to that vision and stand ready to work collaboratively with all levels of government to make it a reality.”

The group maintains the ability to post a $300 million bond to initiate the project.

“The group remains deeply saddened to learn from recent press reports of the potential euthanasia of up to 30 beluga whales and other dependent animals still on site,” KCM said in the statement. “A viable, fully funded solution, already presented, is one that would safeguard the animals, strengthen the regional economy and transform Canada into a center of environmental leadership. The plan exists. The resources exist.”

Marineland didn’t reopen this summer, began to demolish parts of the park and sell off rides. Last summer, the park said it was preparing for redevelopment under new ownership.

In the meantime, animal rights organizations have raised concerns about the health and wellbeing of the remaining animals at the park. Twenty whales — 19 belugas and one killer whale —have died at the Niagara tourist attraction since 2019.

BREAKING: Here are details about the proposed inland sanctuary for Canada’s captive dolphins and whales. pic.twitter.com/abTvCDTspU

— @UrgentSeas (@urgentseas) October 6, 2025

With files from The Canadian Press