Mayor Andy Adams wants to bring a giant waterslide to Campbell River.
This summer, Utah-based Slide the City is bringing its 300-metre (1,000 foot) long vinyl slide to Nanaimo and Adams wants what Nanaimo is soon to have.
“It looks like way too much fun,” said Adams at last week’s Monday night council meeting.
Dubbed by the company as the ‘slide of your life,’ Slide the City is a family-friendly slip and slide water party that travels across the United States.
The company is coming to Canada for the first time this year and chose Nanaimo for its Vancouver Island stop.
Adams said he learned in February that three Island communities – the Comox Valley, Nanaimo and Victoria – were in the running.
“I immediately contacted Slide the City and said that Campbell River is the third largest city on Vancouver Island and we wanted to be in the game,” Adams said. “I received a reply from them on Sunday that Nanaimo has been selected as the city for Vancouver Island this year. We did say if they have any logistical issues or challenges that we are ready, able and willing to host.”
Adams said in all seriousness that Slide the City thanked the city for its interest and said it looks forward to Campbell River being in the running for 2016.
The slide, which is longer than three football fields, will be set up in Nanaimo in either July or August on Victoria Road, starting at Finlayson Street at the top of a steep slope.
Guests are encouraged to bring water buckets, water guns and inflatables to ride down the slide.
The cost to use the slide ranges from $28 to $45 and the event is expected to attract between 3,000 and 4,000 people.
According to the City of Nanaimo, roughly 80,000 gallons of water will be needed to operate the slide which is about equal to the same amount of water needed to operate one of Nanaimo’s city parks for four days.
Slide the City will also be coming to Kamloops on July 18 and North Vancouver on August 22.
Slide the City organizers had approached the City of Vancouver but its proposal was rejected there due to safety issues.
Other Canadian Slide the City stops this summer include Edmonton, Calgary, Fort McMurray, Halifax, Toronto, Hamilton, Saskatoon, and Regina.