A water park for Winnipeg?

This just in: City ready to pour $7M into water park

Wednesday morning the mayor will ask members of his cabinet to approve a plan to ask the private sector for proposals to build an indoor water park somewhere in Winnipeg using up to $7 million of city cash.
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The water park would be run privately but “remain accessible” to ordinary Winnipeggers, said Katz. “I would be shocked if we did not get a good response”.

Not that I would ever question Sammy's judgment or anything, but what kind of a water park would $7m get ya? Hot off the presses in Ottawa:

SunnyLand Amusement Resort, the new $50-million Limoges water park planned for the capital region's eastern edge, will open in June 2009 regardless of whether a competing park opens not far away to the southwest ... He said the park will boast a wave pool capable of holding 2,000 people and more than 20 other water rides, theme rivers, interactive youth entertainment and attractions aimed at a wide age group. <link>

The competing park by the way is a little more modest (10 rides), but is being planned without any government assistance.

So how much money will the private sector kick-in in Winnipeg? $43m? $20m? Will CanadInns take the 7 mil and build a waterpark on to one of their hotels that they were planning on building anyway? Before I get too excited about this proposal, I have a whole lot of questions that need to get answered. Here's an idea though: how about the soon-to-be-abandoned Canada Post building in downtown Winnipeg? Will the near-by Radisson step up to the plate?

We may have a longer skating rink that Ottawa, but I suspect that we'll get our asses kicked in the water park department.