Adventure Bay: Under repair and underused some days

Adventure Bay is under repair and underused at least on some days of the week a manager there says.

Assistant manager of Adventure Bay, Michael Chantler, tells CBC News two water slides are being repaired and a new plan for changed perhaps even reduced hours is in the works.

Chantler said staff noticed the fibreglass was bubbling on the surface of two slides, the Wizard and the Python.

He said the surfaces of the slides have the texture of an orange. They are supposed to be smooth.

Staff took photos of the surface and sent them to the manufacturer.

Chantler said the cost of the repair is covered by the manufacturer. However, the city had to drain the pools because there had to be little humidity present during repairs. So, the city will lose attendance revenue when the park is closed Thursday and Friday.

Chantler said he's "not an expert on fibreglass and resin," so he wouldn't comment on whether the repairs on a pair of two-year-old slides is common.

"Any type of equipment you buy in any type of business you have to do preventative maintenance and stay on top of stuff," Chantler said.

The slide problem is just the latest in a list of repairs already made to the $80-million, two-year-old facility:

• Not long after it opened the floors needed a sand-based coating because people had been slipping and falling.
• In 2014, an air handling unit that moves air was malfunctioning and lifeguards complained of "minor irritation."
• Also in 2014, ripples and bubbles formed on the siding outside the building.
• The FlowRider was closed for weeks late last year as some of it had to be shipped away for repair.

All the problems were fixed.

Change in hours?

Chantler said the park is not as busy now as it was when it opened and users can "totally expect" the park to be open less often during the week.

"When something's brand new everybody wants a piece of the action," he said. "It is a little less busy than when it first opened."

Chantler said park officials are coming up with a new plan for the park's hours of operation. The changes will likely be implemented after March break.

"We're trying to come up with creative ideas to use it during the off hours," he said.

Chantler did say the park is sometimes booked by large school groups during the week.