To celebrate their 75th anniversary, Queen Elizabeth Park is considering the installation of a zipline from the highest point in the city.
The idea currently sits at the top of the list for ideas to discuss at the park board meeting next week. If the discussion goes well, staff will recommend installing the zipline attraction from May to September as a pilot project.
To make it work, officials will create a launch pad with a temporary tower on the west side of Bloedel Conservatory at the top of Little Mountain in the park. The zipline will be just under 200 metres and allow guests to soar over the park’s manicured gardens and land southwest of the garden.
“If it’s approved, I can’t wait to take a ride on it.” says Vancouver Park Board Chair John Coupar
The zipline will be provided local Vancouver company, Greenheart, who will also help market the attraction. In previous years, Greenheart has built a zipline in Whistler, as well as a canopy walk at the UBC Botanical Gardens.
According to a report, the Queen Elizabeth Park will likely charge guests between $15 to $20 for the joy ride with some of the revenue going towards the park board – something the public isn’t to happy about. Many will recall that during the 2010 Olympic Games, the city offered a zipline in downtown Vancouver free of charge.
Regardless of the fee, the experience of soaring 190-metres over one of the world’s most beautiful parks will without doubt be a hot attraction this summer, and equally exciting as the giant 1,000 foot waterslide coming to North Vancouver in August.
While the project is currently proposed as a 5-month pilot, there is a possibility of the zipline becoming a permanent attraction in Queen Elizabeth Park. Thrill seekers can also look forward to Whistler debuting the longest zipline in Canada this July.