By Dominic Abassi

City looks to bring back hugely popular zipline over Maffeo Sutton Park

Mar 27, 2018 | 5:52 PM

NANAIMO — The City hopes a one-hit wonder from Hometown Hockey will turn into a classic attraction in Nanaimo’s most high-profile park.

The City issued a call for operators to reinstall and run the zipline over Swy-A-Lana Lagoon from May through September this summer.

“We’re piggybacking on the feature’s success during Hometown Hockey and looking forward to re-installing the zipline…to create an extra draw for that park,” the City’s purchasing manager Jane Rushton said.

The infrastructure for the zipline remains in the park, however the cable was removed after last February’s event. The line starts at the top of the stairs where Comox Rd. meets Front St. and runs more than 400 feet over the lagoon to a landing area near the playground.

The City’s request for proposal offered two options: An operator can pay to re-install the feature, leading to a no-charge deal with the City where the operator keeps all of the profit or the City would set it up and enter into a lease agreement.

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Rushton said the plan is to negotiate with the successful operator to ensure the price of a ride is reasonable.

“We didn’t put in there any parameters that would restrict or limit what they’re going to charge, but we’re looking for an affordable event that families could participate in.”

The RFP said it’s expected the zipline would run during holidays, weekends and special events in the park and the City would consider proposals to expand the feature.

The zipline was included in the Hometown Hockey budget at a cost of $10,000 and was used by more than 2,330 riders over five days.

The call for operators closes on April 16.

dom@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @domabassi