Castle Fun Park stands tall after flooding

A beloved Abbotsford business says the measures it took since the major flooding event of 2021 have saved it from catastrophic damage in last week’s flood.

The lights are back on at Castle Fun Park this week, and the ‘fortress’ is still standing tall.

Touring CityNews through the building, co-owner Brian Wiebe says the business visibly fared better than it did four years ago.

“Water level’s already down,” said Wiebe. “If this was 2021, the water levels would still be at the ceiling.”

Ironically, the ‘Under the Sea’ mini golf course took on the most water.

Wiebe says the castle survived due to two lines of defence: a waterproof wall built around the building after 2021, and dedicated crews who stayed around the clock to pump out the floodwater.

“We took care of the surface with the lock block we had in place and filling up some vulnerable areas… That initial night we were here, all through the night, we took shifts sleeping around the clock. It’s only because of the crews that came down here and brought the pumps, manned the pumps.”

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Castle Fun Park has been operating at about 60 per cent capacity since 2021, as it rebuilds.

The most recent flooding event has been a significant setback in those recovery efforts, but Wiebe is confident the family entertainment centre will be fully reopened by December next year.

He says that wouldn’t be possible without the support and concern from the local community.

“Absolutely heartwarming to see that amount of support, and we can’t wait to get open for the public. There’s so many multigenerational memories in families now, we’ve been open that long. We’re not going anywhere, we’re here to stay, and we’re gonna make this bigger and better.”

Castle Fun Park anticipates its arcade area will open in the next few days — and the ‘Under the Sea’ course will be on dry land again in the coming weeks.