Ontario’s party leaders pledge to help whales at Marineland

The leaders of Ontario’s main political parties pledged Monday to help the remaining animals at Marineland should they win the election.

The Niagara Falls, Ont., tourist attraction euthanized a seven-year-old beluga whale last week after a lengthy battle with numerous medical issues. It is the 18th beluga whale to die at the park since late 2019.

Marineland has long defended its treatment of animals at the park, saying the deaths are part of the cycle of life.

Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford said Monday the whale deaths were “terrible.”

“It’d be great just to let them free, but what I understand, if you let them free in the ocean, they’re done, they’re dead,” Ford said at a campaign stop in Oakville, Ont.

“So we’re going to make sure that they still take care of these whales.”

Opposition parties criticized the Ford government’s handling of the animal deaths at Marineland, with NDP Leader Marit Stiles reiterating her call to shut down the park.

The provincial Animal Welfare Services launched an investigation at Marineland in 2020 that continues five years later. Inspectors have visited the park more than 200 times and issued more than three dozen orders to Marineland in that time.

Animal Welfare Services declared all marine mammals at the park in distress in 2021 due to poor water quality and ordered Marineland to fix the issue. The park briefly appealed that order before dropping the appeal.

Late last year, the province’s chief animal welfare inspector gave an interview about the probe for the first time and said Marineland’s water was finally considered acceptable after years of struggles. The chief said she did not believe any of the whale deaths were due to poor water quality.

Ford, a self-described animal lover, said he has had discussions about the situation at Marineland.

“What I’m told by, whatever, the whale experts – I said, ‘Hey, let’s be able to transfer them, is that an idea? No, they won’t survive,'” Ford said.

“So we’re going to have to make the best of it, but we’ll do everything we can to support them. What can I say, it’s unfortunate.”

Stiles said many Ontarians are worried about the animals at Marineland.

“This has been going on far too long, it’s outrageous, it’s an embarrassment, I think, for Ontario,” she said at a campaign stop in Toronto.

“We need to get these mammals out of that, or at least make sure that they’re treated, at this point in their lives, humanely,” she added. “We cannot just continue to wait it out till they all die, it’s really inhumane.”

Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie said Ford’s government failed the animals at the park.

“This is a heartbreaking situation and one that could be resolved with better inspections and better regulation,” she said at a stop in Toronto.

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner also weighed in.

“Ontario Greens would ensure that the remaining animals at Marineland are humanely relocated to appropriate accommodations that meet the health and well-being of the animals,” he said.

The recently euthanized young beluga named Eos had medical issues since 2021, Marineland said last week.

The whale struggled with renal disease and received intensive treatment from veterinarians but its condition proved to irreversible, the park said.

In the summer of 2023, a Canadian Press reporter and photographer visited Marineland. Staff said there were 37 belugas in the park at the time. Shortly after the visit, Marineland banned the reporter from its property.

The provincial government has confirmed that six belugas have died since that visit, and 18 since late 2019. It is believed 31 belugas remain at Marineland.

“That’s ridiculous,” Ford said after learning Monday how many belugas may still be there.

Marineland only opened for two months last year after saying it was transitioning to new ownership, though a sale has yet to be announced.

The snap election Ford called will be held Feb. 27.

—with files from Jordan Omstead in Toronto.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 10, 2025.

Liam Casey, The Canadian Press