Cultus Lake Waterpark suspends all ticket sales, issues refunds, as it targets a possible opening date

CULTUS LAKE – Cultus Lake Waterpark could be closed at least another two weeks, possibly more, as it awaits regulatory approval following an incident in mid-June that injured 12 and shuttered the water park indefinitely.

According to the most recent update on its website, the water park said it is targeting a reopening in the second half of July, but is not currently selling any tickets.

As for its safety review, Cultus Lake Waterpark management wrote in a notice dated Saturday, June 27 that it is continuing to work through the inspection and approval process with Technical Safety BC, and understands that this process will take time.

“Once a reopening date, operating hours and ticket options have been finalized, new tickets will be released for purchase,” the company wrote online. “In the meantime, we have temporarily suspended all ticket sales and are issuing refunds to all ticket holders. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we complete the remaining inspections, repairs, and receive regulatory approvals.”

Shortly after the incident on June 15, a safety regulator found “electrical non-compliances” at Cultus Lake Waterpark where a group of 12 schoolchildren suffered burns.

Technical Safety BC, which is leading the investigation into what went wrong at Cultus Lake Waterpark on June 15, said earlier in June that the finding meant the park would be shut until the problems are fixed. The regulator that oversees amusement parks said its safety officers are “conducting a thorough assessment” at the park where the group suffered electrical burns.

Technical Safety BC said the park’s owner would need to fix “all hazards” before reopening, and while the closure may be disappointing for families, public safety remained the top priority.

Police in Chilliwack have previously said that the incident didn’t appear to involve any criminal acts, and WorkSafeBC issued a stop-work order at the park after the incident.

Chilliwack RCMP said the children from Minnekhada Middle School in the Coquitlam School District made contact with a railing beneath a ride in the area where people line-up.

The incident occurred at the bottom of the park’s Zero to 60 waterslide attraction, past the end of the slide. Located there is a steel frame tent structure with handrails. This structure is understood to be the object which victims came in contact with.

“This incident was tragic and we are deeply upset by what these children experienced at our park,” the company said.