![]() The provincial government wanted to increase residential and commercial development to the east of Toronto in the Regional Municipality of Durham, which includes Pickering and Oshawa, while keeping the lands to the north of Toronto agricultural, as a Greenbelt. Taft Broadcasting was concerned about opposition and flew a group of opponents and regional councillors to Mason, Ohio (near Cincinnati) to show them the positive impact of one of its theme parks on the local community.Ĭanada's Wonderland was also responsible for changing the master development plan for the province of Ontario. Some of the concessions the company made included a landscaped berm around the park to reduce noise and modifying the appearance of the large parking lot. People in the region were concerned that the new park would be similar in aesthetics to a carnival or midway. Other groups that fought the building of Wonderland included a Vaughan residential association called SAVE, which thought the increased traffic would reduce property values. Many cultural institutions in Toronto – such as Ontario Place, the Royal Ontario Museum, and the operators of the Canadian National Exhibition – felt that the Toronto market was not large enough to support more competition. Ĭonstruction of the park was opposed on multiple fronts. Walt Disney also considered the idea before choosing Florida for the Walt Disney World Resort, rejecting Toronto mainly because of the city's seasonal climate, which would make the operating season too short to be profitable. Others had seriously considered the Greater Toronto Area as a spot to build a theme park, among them the Conklin family (whose Conklin Shows ran various midways around North America, including Toronto's Canadian National Exhibition midway in Exhibition Place). ![]() Several other possible locations in Ontario were considered, including Niagara Falls, Cambridge, and Milton, but Maple was finally selected because of its proximity to the City of Toronto and the 400-series of highways. In 1972, the Taft Broadcasting Company, headed by Kelly Robinson, first proposed building a 134-hectare (330-acre) theme park in the then small village of Maple, part of Vaughan, Ontario, located directly north of Toronto. The Scarboro Beach and Hanlan's Point amusement parks both closed in the 1920s. Sunnyside Amusement Park closed in the 1950s to make room for the Gardiner Expressway. The city of Toronto had previously hosted three amusement parks that had roller coasters. When Canada's Wonderland was planned, the Greater Toronto Area lacked a seasonal amusement park. Since the closure of Crystal Beach Park in Fort Erie in 1989, Canada's Wonderland is the only amusement park in Ontario with wooden roller coasters in operation. Eight hectares (20 acres) of the park houses a water park named Splash Works. With eighteen roller coasters, Canada's Wonderland has the second most of any theme park, behind Six Flags Magic Mountain in California, which has twenty. Beginning in 2019, the park also hosts WinterFest, a holiday-themed event that extends the park's operating season to late December or early January. Special events are held throughout the season, including Halloween Haunt and various festivals such as Celebration Canada, a month-long Canada Day festival. Ĭanada's Wonderland normally operates from late April or early May to Labour Day, and then on weekends until late October or early November. The park still retains this record, with an estimated 3.8 million guests in 2022 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. ![]() In 2019, it was the most-visited seasonal amusement park in North America with an estimated 3.9 million guests. Cedar Fair purchased the park from Paramount Parks in 2006, and they have owned and operated the park since then. Opened in 1981 by the Taft Broadcasting Company and the Great-West Life Assurance Company, it was the first major theme park in Canada and remains the country's largest. Kings Entertainment Company (1981–1993)Ĭanada's Wonderland, formerly known as Paramount Canada's Wonderland, is a 134-hectare (330-acre) amusement park located in Vaughan, Ontario, a municipality within the Greater Toronto Area.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |