Scrapes, dirty water and dead frogs: Kenosee Superslides set for demolition
CBC
A once popular outdoor waterpark in Saskatchewan is set to be torn down following decades of memories ranging from joyful and thrilling to downright ugly.
The province recently signed an executive order to pay a contractor $227,000 to demolish the Kenosee Superslides in Moose Mountain Provincial Park, southeast of Regina.
The attraction at Kenosee Lake, which began operating in 1985, saw families spend their summers zooming down the slides, floating through a moat and picnicking during breaks.
The infrastructure aged over the years, with some patrons later complaining of bruises and scrapes, dirty water and dead frogs. The site closed in 2020 because it no longer met health and safety standards.
The province said in a recent statement that the operator was unable to obtain a licence from the Saskatchewan Health Authority.
"Since operations stopped, the facility has deteriorated and is a significant public safety risk," it said. "The ministry is removing the abandoned building and other assets with demolition set to begin in February 2026. The work is expected to be complete by spring."
The province hired Silverado Demolition Operations of Saskatoon to take it down.
Company manager Adam Sarich said that after a recent inspection, he found the slides to be brittle and cracked. The attraction's main building was also vandalized, with windows smashed and plumbing torn out.
"It looks like it'd be a lot of fun to go down on a crazy carpet, but the structures are very unstable," he said.
Most of the infrastructure is to be recycled, he said, with some parts going to a landfill.
"It's too bad that Saskatchewan just doesn't have maybe the population or our weather doesn't really suit outdoor activities for a long enough period," Sarich said.
"It's one less thing for the public to do and to take our kids to."
Doug Bourgon, who co-owns a campground near the slides, said he's sorry to see them go.
He said they brought lots of businesses to the village, as visitors from Manitoba and the United States would also travel there for the slides.
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