(Rossland, BC CANADA) Look out RED Mountain, Rossland’s going to have a new alpine pastime. Beginning in the late summer of 2019, construction will commence on the longest alpine water slide in the world. This water attraction boasts two waterslide tracks that will be designed to look like they were cut into the mountain itself and will send sliders 3.8km down Mount Roberts into a splash pool on the grounds of the Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre. Want more thrills in one place? The bike friendly gondola will take passengers to the top to dine in a unique cantilevered mountain restaurant and then it’s up to you if you want to ride or slide back down the mountain. Sliders should be warned, this water attraction is not for the faint of heart. The alpine track has an elevation of 984 meters and is expected to send riders down at a top speed of 73km per hour.
“We are so excited that we are able to bring a new tourism product to Rossland”, says Andras Lukacs of Tourism Rossland. “Thanks to the Resort Municipality Initiative fund, we should be able to pay for the entire project and not have to dig into tax payers pockets to make this happen…we hope”.
For years, the city of Rossland has been best known for RED Mountain ski resort and an impressive portfolio of winter experiences, festivals and events. However, aside from being the mountain biking capital of Canada and having a world class golf course (Redstone Resort) there really isn’t anything to do during the summer months in Rossland.
City councillor, Janice Nightingale is also excited to get this project started. “Too often we let safety concerns, environmental groups and and red tape get in the way of innovation! Four out of six city councilors voted in favour of this project, and I look forward to all of the jobs this project will create in both the construction and operational phases.”
Marking a major investment in Rossland’s tourism industry, the project is estimated to create 1,184 new full-time job opportunities with forecasts placing projected visitation numbers at over one million annually. The price tag for this alpine water feature? It will cost 53.7M to construct over the next 2 years.
And… if you read to the end of this story, APRIL FOOLS!