Jumbo-sized play place hopes to breathe new life into New Horizon Mall

The opening of Sky Castle, an indoor playground and entertainment centre, is hoped to infuse new life into New Horizon Mall in time for Stage 3 of Alberta’s reopening plan on July 1.

The jumbo-sized play place for children 10 years old and younger opened its doors to guests for a sneak preview on June 19, with customers lining up to get a peek inside the fantasy fun park on the mall's second floor.

Bob Parsons, the general manager of New Horizon Mall, said he hopes the 34,000-square-foot children’s playground – the Balzac-based mall’s third anchor tenant – will invigorate a new buzz into the Asian-themed shopping centre after COVID-19 health restrictions rendered the corridors and stores mostly empty for the last year and a half.

Prior to the pandemic, the mall struggled to fill its store spaces, with an unorthodox business model and struggling economy. Approximately 80 per cent of the mall’s glass-front store spaces remained vacant at the start of last year, according to a Globe & Mail article.

But since Sky Castle’s soft opening on June 19, Parsons said there has been a notable increase in traffic to the mall.

Several performers at the Sky Castle soft launch stop to take a selfie for social media on June 19 at New Horizon Mall. Photo by Carmen Cundy/Rocky View Weekly

“We think they’ll be a great asset, a good anchor tenant for the shopping centre,” he said. “[Sky Castle] will provide more offerings to more people and that’s good for all of our retailers.”

Unlike traditional shopping centres like CrossIron Mills just across the street, New Horizon Mall operates as a condominium-style collective of entrepreneurs, artisans and fresh-market vendors.  Each store owner is responsible for their storefront, while a condo board operates on behalf of the collective marketplace.

While the unorthodox model has been successful in eastern Canada, it has yet to gain the same kind of traction in Alberta.

According to a previous New Horizon Mall press release, the children’s fantasy playground was dubbed a “game changer” for the mall when its opening was announced last spring, shortly prior to COVID-19-related lockdowns. The pandemic ultimately resulted in the delay of the amenity's anticipated opening date.

Han Liu, director of SkyCastle Family Entertainment, said the facility had to turn families away at the soft launch on June 19 due to constraints on the number of visitors allowed inside the play place at a time. Liu said Stage 3 will bring with it loosened restrictions and greater occupancy limits.

“So many families and parents came out to support us during this time,” he said. “We didn’t anticipate such a big crowd over the weekend. We were only operating at 30 per cent capacity.

“But that’s why we’re actually really looking forward to July 1.”

Two visitors of Sky Castle enjoy some arcade games at the soft launch on June 19 at New Horizon Mall. Photo by Carmen Cundy/Rocky View Weekly

Liu added that he has two boys of his own, three and six years old, and that Sky Castle was designed with this age group in mind.

“I think these kids will absolutely have a blast in there,” he said. “The second floor of New Horizon Mall is perfect for an indoor playground.

“If you come there at the right time of the day the lighting comes into the building... its absolutely gorgeous. We really hope that we can bring more people to the mall."

According to Parsons, as people become more comfortable venturing out to malls and entertainment centres this summer, he expects more traffic at the mall.   

“We’re excited about the opportunity and happy to have Sky Castle on board,” he said.

The entrance to Sky Castle at New Horizon Mall is pictured with prizes for visitors who play their hand at an arcade game or two on June 19. Photo by Carmen Cundy/Rocky View Weekly

Until July 1, visitors to Sky Castle are required to make an appointment by emailing [email protected] or texting 403-988-3980