‘Confusingly inaccurate’: Marineland denies asking Ottawa for loan

A senior government source has confirmed to CHCH News that Marineland has asked the federal government for a “low 8-figure loan to transport the whales, repayable after the sale, if anything is left.”

The source reached out after CHCH published Marineland’s response, denying reports of the loan request.

“Marineland is unwilling to open its books,” says the source. “Canadians would expect a higher level of transparency for the loan of funds.”

Marineland tells CHCH News that reports of it asking the federal government for a $10 to $20 million dollar loan are “confusingly inaccurate.”

“Cooperative discussions are ongoing and progressing well with cooperating facilities in the United States and the Department of Fisheries regarding the safe rehousing of the whales,” writes Marineland in a statement. “Everything is on track for safe rehousing.”

CHCH News reached out to Marineland for confirmation on a report from CBC News which said that the former Niagara Falls attraction would be using a loan to move its roughly 30 beluga whales and four dolphins to various U.S. aquariums.

Marineland denies the report and says “no one in the federal government has confirmed to Marineland that a ‘loan’ has been ‘approved’ in any amount.”

“Unsubstantiated rumours from unnamed sources are not helpful as we try to cooperatively complete the complex process of rehousing the whales,” a spokesperson for Marineland of Canada says in a statement to CHCH News.

READ MORE: Marineland has solid plan to move whales and dolphins to U.S., minister says