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Jr K-8th | Special Needs
Ottawa | Mississauga | Scarborough
Newmarket | Thornhill | Vaughan | Whitby | Barrie
Big Al’s in-store experts guide the students on a colourful underwater science adventure through the world of tropical fish, coral, and aquatic plants, and more! Learn about characteristics, habitats, ecosystems, responsible pet care and more during this exciting and interactive trip. Experience science lessons related to photosynthesis and the nitrogen cycle in a fun, educational setting that gets students excited about the world beneath them.
Reptiles and sharks are also featured at Ottawa East, Scarborough, and Mississauga
➊ All non-school youth organizations are eligible including camps, daycares, community, and sports
➋ Recommended group size is 5-30 students; Big Al’s may contact you if your booking group size is too large to accommodate at one visit
➌ Reptiles and sharks are featured at the Ottawa East, Scarborough, and Mississauga locations
Since 1976, or for over 40 years, Big Al’s has provided its patrons with the largest selection of aquariums, aquarium furniture, and aquarium supplies on the market, as well as an extensive variety of marine fish, live corals, goldfish, and tropical fish. We are fervently committed to meeting and exceeding the expectations of our esteemed clientele, and are dedicated to providing our guaranteed lowest prices at all times. Our superstores are designed to provide technical services as well as a vast array of equipment to both the first time hobbyist and ultimate aquatic specialist. 
Renowned as “The Aquarium and Pond Hobby Specialists,” Big Al’s is currently comprised of 13 operational superstores across North America. Option 1 – Break into smaller groups of 5-32 students and book each group separately.
These multiple groups can either come on the same day (using staggered arrival/departure times) or on separate dates depending on your transportation options. However, no more than 1 group can be at/inside the facility at any given time with the exception of exchanging students on/off buses.
If your transportation budget is limited and your organization is within a reasonable distance to/from the ComEd facility, consider staggering your groups with start times at least 2 hours apart to utilize the same bus.
Example: [9am] Group 1 is dropped off at ComEd and the same bus then returns to school/org to pick up Group 2. [10:30-11am] Group 2 is dropped off at ComEd and the same bus reloads with Group 1 to return to school/org. [12:30-1pm] The same empty bus arrives back at ComEd again to pick up Group 2 to return to school/org.
Option 2 – Consider the ComEd Powering Lives Community Center as an alternative.
The experience is comparable to the Smart Energy Hub’s content and is recommended for Grades 6+. Howevever, groups as young as 4th grade have had good experiences at the PLCC. The interactive content does require reading that may be challenging (in general) for groups younger than 6th grade. For more information to see if this experience may be an alternative for your group, please visit:
https://FieldTripFactory.Org/ComEd-PLCC
If neither of those first two options fit your group(s), you likely need to think about an alternative experience.
If your large group size is very close to 32 students (and we mean close, like 33, 34-ish) – then go ahead and select the Field Trip Type = Large Group > 32 Students during the booking process. We’ll contact you and let you know if the request can be met. However, this means some students will have to wait and rotate with other students at various experiences at the Smart Energy Hub.
Option 1 – Break into smaller groups of 7-50 students and book each group separately.
These multiple groups can either come on the same day (using staggered arrival/departure times) or on separate dates depending on your transportation options.
The PLCC is a large facility. However, large groups are asked to divide into sub groups stagger their walking entrance to prevent bottlenecks (e.g. If the total group is 50 students, then Group A of 25 students enters while Group B of 25 students waits 5 minutes on the bus and then enters).
If your transportation budget is limited and your organization is within a reasonable distance to/from the ComEd facility, consider staggering your groups with start times at least 2 hours apart to utilize the same bus.
Example: [9am] Group 1 is dropped off at ComEd and the same bus then returns to school/org to pick up Group 2. [10:30-11am] Group 2 is dropped off at ComEd and the same bus reloads with Group 1 to return to school/org. [12:30-1pm] The same empty bus arrives back at ComEd again to pick up Group 2 to return to school/org.
If these scenarios do not fit your group(s), you likely need to think about an alternative experience.
If your large group size is very close to 50 students (and we mean close, like 51, 52, 53-ish) – then go ahead and select the Field Trip Type = Large Group > 50 Students during the booking process. We’ll contact you and let you know if the request can be met.
What can you do?
FieldTripFactory.Org is constantly working to add new programming and restart old favorites!
