One is an animal adventure park. The other is one of the town's most robust manufacturing companies.
But when NWP Industries Inc. and Discovery Wildlife Park came up with a unique barter-donation together they helped highlight just how Innisfail is a place that's anything but mundane.
“It may not be the sleepy town people think it is,” said Debi DeBelser, president of NWP. “What Discovery Wildlife Park does is unique for a town.”
As part of its 50th anniversary NWP will donate about $4,000 in 2 and 3/8ths in. red band tubing so the zoo can make more animal cages. In exchange, all of Innisfail is invited to visit the wildlife centre.
“They wanted to rent the park for the day,” said Discovery Wildlife owner Doug Bos, adding such a request might normally run upwards of $3,000. “Instead of charging them money we asked, could we have used pipe instead.”
The park is currently in negotiations with the Calgary Zoo to house some of its animals, but is in need of new habitat.
“The actual getting of the animals is the easy part,” Bos said. “What's gonna go in there is to be determined.”
The pipe will come from oil wells in southern Alberta, said DeBelser.
Zoo doors will be open to the public from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sept. 15.
