Plans in the works to open an amusement park in a Kanata mall

Move over, West Ed! There are plans to open an indoor amusement park at Hazeldean Mall in Kanata. CTV’s Austin Lee has the details.

Families could soon have something new to do for fun in Ottawa’s west end, as plans are in the works to open an indoor amusement park in Kanata.

The City of Ottawa has received a zoning bylaw amendment application to open an indoor amusement park at the Hazeldean Mall on Eagleson Road. According to the plan submitted to the city, Funhaven is the operator of the new facility.

The Hazeldean Mall would not confirm who will operate the new amusement park, telling CTV News Ottawa negotiations on a lease are continuing.

“The applicant is proposing to develop an indoor amusement park type facility in this space for families,” Kanata South Coun. Allan Hubley said on Facebook, adding more details about the company and a timeline for opening will be released in the future.

“I want to thank the Hazeldean Mall for investing in our community, creating local jobs and for bringing new popular businesses to serve residents.”

A Zoning Bylaw Amendment was filed with the City of Ottawa on Monday to allow an amusement park to open within an existing space at the Hazeldean Mall, where the old Target store was located.

Novatech submitted the application to the City of Ottawa, saying it has been retained by Hazeldean Mall Regional to prepare a planning rationale and public consultation strategy to support the application. The application says there will be no changes to the mall with the arrival of the new amusement park.

“The addition of the amusement park land use will enable a new tenant to occupy an existing vacant commercial space within the shopping centre in the northeast corner of the ground floor,” the report says.

“All activities associated with the amusement park will occur internally to the shopping centre and is not anticipated to occupy any existing outdoor areas including vehicular parking spaces.”

Funhaven owner Yury Putnin told CTV Morning Live in March 2024 that Funhaven was expanding in the west end, but didn’t provide a location.

“We decided to go west end…because there’s nothing else to do,” Putnin said.

Funhaven operates an amusement centre on Baxter Road, and it includes bumper cars, laser tag, escape rooms, a jungle gym, arcade and VR games and rides.

The Hazeldean Mall was built in the 1970s and has approximately 29,000 square metres of gross floor area. Last year, a T&T Supermarket opened in the mall in Kanata.