Major Toronto attraction getting aerial tramway gondola ride

One of Toronto's top attractions is moving forward with a plan to build an aerial gondola offering riders sweeping views.

A report addressed to the Toronto Zoo Board of Management, recommending that the attraction move forward with an aerial gondola spanning the zoo grounds. The report recommends the board enter into an agreement with Coldwater, Ont.-based EcoTrek Adventure Group to install and operate aerial tramway systems for a period of up to 20 years.

Known as the "SkyPod," the aerial tramway system is expected to enter operation as early as 2027.

Artists' rendering of the proposed aerial gondola system at the Toronto Zoo. Image via City of Toronto.

The move, which would include a revenue-sharing agreement between the operator and Zoo, is poised for approval by the Zoo board. However, it would still be subject to the required City licenses to permit the necessary tramway infrastructure, including support towers and stations.

Proposed route of the aerial gondola system at the Toronto Zoo. Image via City of Toronto.

It's a win-win plan for the Toronto Zoo, which would benefit from a profit-sharing agreement without the need for capital investment, placing all the financial risk on EcoTrek while offering both the zoo and the tramway operator a potential new revenue stream.

EcoTrek's SkyPod system is cited in the report as having "a proven track record for outstanding performance in venues requiring high-capacity guest movement while providing a thrilling experience and great views of the surrounding areas."

Documents state that the SkyPod would be "the highest guest through-put ride
onsite due to its ability to move 800 guests per hour."

The ability to move guests through the zoo grounds would be a much-needed boost for the site due to the forthcoming openings of the Community Conservation
Centre in 2026 and the Indoor Savanna Building in 2028.

The technology is already employed at similar venues, such as the San Diego Zoo and Oakland Zoo. However, locals will likely be more familiar with the SkyPod system's use at the annual Canadian National Exhibition, where it is known as the Sky Ride.

Its use at the CNE is evidence of the system's ease of installation and removal, one of the reasons cited in the report recommending approval. 

This would not be the first aerial transportation system to move zoo patrons. The Toronto Zoo used to be home to an automated guideway system (though many still refer to the lost system as a monorail). Known as the Toronto Zoo Domain Ride, trains ran from 1976 until the system was mothballed in 1994, and later largely demolished.

The gondola plan is expected to gain approval of the Zoo Board during its upcoming Oct. 15 meeting.