Winnipeg Zoo a Far Bigger Draw Than That White Elephant of a "Human Rights" Mausoleum

The behemoth that resembles an old German army helmet and that hoovers up tons o' taxpayer cash isn't doing as well as expected, to say the least:

Despite all the hype around the human rights museum, including claims by its supporters that it would be a big draw not only for tourists but for local patrons as well, the CMHR’s attendance records have been at best soft and at worst a bust when compared to other publicly funded facilities in Winnipeg... 

The Assiniboine Park Zoo has drawn an average of 33,307 people per month in paid attendance since it got a major facelift last year, including the opening of the Journey to Churchill exhibit in July 2014. And that includes the snow months where monthly attendance tends to dip to 6,000 or 7,000. Even with the winter months added to the overall attendance figures, paid admissions at the zoo still far exceed those of the CMHR. 

In the calendar year 2014, which includes a period before the zoo’s upgrade, average paid attendance was 28,221 a month. 

By contrast, the CMHR has only drawn an average of 13,854 paid visitors per month since it opened its doors in September 2014.

When you factor in $21.7 taxpayers are dinged each year to operate this floperoo, it seems clear that mothballing the thing may be the cost-effective thing to do.