Some postings on Marineland losing Ikaika
The rest of the posts today, and a couple tomorrow will be on the news that Marineland shipped Ikaika back to SeaWorld San Diego. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. If Marineland loses all of their Killer Whales (if Kiska dies), it will be a huge loss!
Whale leaves Marineland for San Diego
From Buffalo Business First:
It took a crane and a fleet of transport trucks to do it, but Ikaika the orca whale has returned home from Marineland to San Diego.
SeaWorld San Diego had loaned Ikaika to Marineland of Niagara Falls, Ont., in 2006 in exchange for four beluga whales. But SeaWorld’s parent company launched legal action last year to secure Ikaika’s return, according to the Niagara Falls Review.
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- Marineland ordered to return killer whale to SeaWorld Marineland has been out of the news for a few...
- Canadian park sues SeaWorld to keep killer whale From the Orlando Sentinel: The Canadian theme park Marineland has...
- Send killer whale back to Florida, court tells Marineland From the Toronto Star: Ontario’s Court of Appeal has upheld...
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Wallenda making pitch to Canada for tightrope walk
From the Niagara Gazette:
Nik Wallenda’s lifelong dream may be coming closer to reality.
The tightrope walker and his team met with Canadian officials Thursday in continuing efforts to convince that side of the border to allow a wire walk next year above Niagara Falls. Wallenda said he wasn’t expecting anything but a continuation of the dialogue his group has had with elected officials.
“I don’t perceive a 100 percent go-ahead,” he said during a press conference Thursday. “We’re just discussing the next step. But we’ve gotten great support from Mayor Jim Diodati and the other officials”
I saw several other articles about this:
- WKBW Channel 7 in Buffalo – Wallenda Visits Niagara Falls For Gorge Walk
- Buffalo News – Wallenda meets Canadian officials
- Niagara Falls Review – Wirewalker has ‘plan B’ ready if Canada says no
Related posts:
- Wallenda makes pitch to Canadians From the Tonawanda News: After his first meeting with officials...
- Daredevil Nik Wallenda discusses proposed Falls stunt From the Niagara Gazette: Nik Wallenda’s motto in life is...
- Governor OKs tightrope walk over falls From the Buffalo News: The Flying Wallenda who wants to...
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‘This is not a laughing matter’
Yesterday I posted about seeing Steve Santini, the escape artist, at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum on Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls. If you haven’t seen the video, you should check it out on YouTube
I mentioned in my posting that there were lots of people with cameras. John Law, the write for the Niagara Falls review, was right in front of me. You can read his article on the Niagara Falls Review site:
Steve Santini realizes he only has to be wrong once, and it’s game over.
Life over, more likely. That’s the deal when your business card reads ‘Escape Artist.’
At 13 he escaped from a pair of handcuffs while being held at a police station. The next year he didn’t need bail to get out of a jail cell. For the next 25 years, escaping things became his day job – torture racks, vaults, dungeons, even a coffin 30 feet underwater.
The Toronto-born Santini has been a fixture on college and university campuses, and now has his own show on the Outdoor Life Network, Deals from the Dark Side. It follows Santini as he indulges in his favourite pastime – buying and authenticating dark and creepy relics.
But he was up to his old tricks in Niagara Falls Tuesday.
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- Tuesday, Sept. 27: World’s most extreme escape artist to perform at Ripley’s Niagara Falls Last week I received this press release about an escape...
- Festival is a laughing matter From the Niagara Falls Review: Bigger festival = bigger laughs....
- Steve Santini escapes from the Dagger Trap at Ripley’s Niagara Falls Yesterday I posted a press release about escape artist Steve...
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Governor OKs tightrope walk over falls
From the Buffalo News:
The Flying Wallenda who wants to cheat death with a tightrope walk across Niagara Falls will get his wish, at least with the blessing of New York state.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation today permitting Nik Wallenda’s bid to walk 1,800 feet across the falls on a two-inch wide steel cable.
Officials on the Canadian side of the falls have yet to signal their final word on the matter.
In an interview this afternoon shortly after his team was told Cuomo signed the bill, Wallenda said, “For me, it’s as big as it gets. There’s tears in my eyes because it’s a dream come true.”
Wallenda said if all goes well he is looking at walking across the falls next June. He said he will wait until after upcoming elections in Canada to formally apply with Ontario parks officials. A backup plan, if Canada rejects the plan, is a walk just on the U.S. side of the falls.
The story was reported in other places as well:
- Niagara This Week – Governor OKs Wallenda’s tightrope bid
- Niagara Falls Review – Wallenda gets New York governor’s approval for wirewalk over falls
- WKBW Channel 7 in Buffalow – Daredevil In The Falls Good to Go in NYS
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- More on Nik Wallenda’s attempt to walk across the Falls The articles about Nik Wallenda’s proposal to walk over Niagara...
- Protecting the brand: Niagara Falls debates tightrope walk From CBC News: The pitch by international daredevil Nik Wallenda...
- Niagara Falls high-wire plans could go haywire From the Toronto Star: A daredevil’s plan to be the...
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Maid of the Mist Captain retires after 36 years
From the Niagara Falls Review:
His first time out, Malcolm Bunting kept thinking that it goes against all common sense and seamanship to go toward a waterfall of that size.
He did it anyway.
That was 36 years ago.
The giant waterfall was the Horseshoe Falls and his job was with the Maid of the Mist Steamboat Company.
“I had never carried passengers before and I kept thinking, ‘Oh my God, what am I doing here.’ Over the years you get used to it and it becomes routine,” said Cpt. Bunting.
The 63-year-old retired Wednesday night after making his final trip.
Related posts:
- Maid of the Mist’s future uncertain From Buffalo Business First: The 2011 season for the Maid...
- Keeping famed Maid of the Mist captain’s story alive From the Buffalo News: On this, the 150th anniversary of...
- HEADS ROLL AS ONTARIO PARKS ATTEMPTS CLEANUP OF MAID OF THE MIST MESS From the Niagara Falls Reporter: Chalk up a victory for...
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Marineland ordered to return killer whale to SeaWorld
Marineland has been out of the news for a few years now. I occasionally see a very small group of protestors outside the park, but other than that, it’s been quiet. That all changed this week when a lawsuit and court decision came to light about the male Orca whale they have on loan from SeaWorld. I was under the impression that Ikaika (Ike) was under permanent loan from SeaWorld in exchange for several Beluga whales. Apparently there is more to it than that. Late last year, SeaWorld terminated the agreement and asked for Ike back. Marineland has refused to give him back, and now a court has ordered them to give the whale back. Marineland says they will appeal.
This is a big deal for Marineland. For decades now, they have been known for their Orca (killer) whales. If they lose Ike, they will only have one aging female Orca whale (Kiska is 32 years old, the 5th oldest Orca in captivity). If she goes, they will have none. They were really hoping that Ike and Kiska would produce some offspring, but it hasn’t happened yet.
You can read the following articles for full details:
- Niagara Falls Review – Marineland appeals ruling ordering it to give whale back to SeaWorld
- Ottawa Citizen – Marineland refuses to free Ike the Orca
- Toronto Star – Marineland ordered to return killer whale to SeaWorld
- Guelph Mercury – SeaWorld fights to get killer whale back from Canada’s Marineland
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- Killer Whales: Tanks and Tensions This isn’t really Niagara Falls related, but it does involve...
- Marineland celebrates 50th anniversary From the Toronto Sun: No trip to Niagara Falls, Ont....
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Fledgling Niagara TV station off the air
From the Niagara Falls Review:
Niagara’s latest attempt at a local TV station has faded to black — at least for now.
Niagara News TV president Frank Thibault said the St. Catharines-based station suspended operations Monday, putting 17 people out of work.
“We’re trying to figure out a way to come back,” said Thibault, who added investors will meet Saturday to discuss a possible fall relaunch. “But we had to let the staff go … we don’t know for sure how this is going to play out.”
Bullet Media also had a story called Fade to black: Niagara television station can’t overcome shaky start; future to be determined at weekend meeting
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- Niagara TV station to launch Monday From the Niagara Falls Review: Executives behind a new Niagara-based...
- More Niagara Parks Commission news Wow! What is going on over there?! For the last...
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Local news covered of Scotiabank Convention Centre opening
Here are the main stories from Bullet Media, Niagara This Week, and the Niagara Falls Review regarding the opening of the new Scotiabank Convention Centre:
- Niagara Falls Review – ‘This is the beginning of a new era in Niagara’
- Niagara This Week – A ‘turning point’ for Niagara
- Bullet Media – A dream comes true; another remains unfulfilled
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- Convention Centre nearly done From Niagara This Week: Kerry Painter has a busy week...
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Boat tour evaluations being done in secret
From the Niagara Falls Review:
The Niagara Parks Commission is giving ‘top secret’ status to the proposals submitted for one of the most important business deals the agency will make. Bids to run boat tours on the Niagara River are under lock and key and being evaluated at a secret location by a team whose identities aren’t being released, said chairwoman Fay Booker.
“They are moving along as anticipated. They are on schedule. They have not encountered any specific problems,” Booker told The Niagara Falls Review.
Picking a company to run boat tours on the Niagara River — a move that could lead to a replacement for the famous Maid of the Mist — has been one of the most scrutinized decisions the government agency has ever faced.
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Family Day ‘spectacular’ for tourism
From the Niagara Falls Review:
It was designated as a day for family time.
Perhaps more importantly, Family Day was needed to bridge the long holiday gap between New Year’s Day and Easter.
No matter what the reason, a three-day weekend in February is a gift Niagara Falls will gladly accept. After all, according to the Ontario Ministry of Labour’s website, “there is good reason to believe a mid-winter holiday may spark an increase in industries such as tourism and entertainment, leisure.”
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