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Amusement parks of Canada from the past two centuries

Alex A

In the last two centuries, amusement parks were much more than just a place to catch a thrill ride. Filled with dance halls and picnic grounds, they were fun places for any family.

Here are some of the biggest and most famous amusement parks in Canada:

Belmont Park

Children in front of Belmont Park’s entrance
Children in front of Belmont Park’s entrance

 

Distorting mirror, 1944
Distorting mirror, 1944
The Cyclone, 1937
The Cyclone, 1937

Belmont Park was active and hosted people from 1923 until 1983. Situated close to Montreal in Quebec, Canada, it was a great family weekend escape. It was filled with rides for little children: small cars, a roller skating rink, swimming pools, a Ferris wheel and more.

There were numerous rides suitable for adults, too. Its main attraction was the brand new invention at the time: a massive roller coaster called The Cyclone.

Boblo Island Amusement Park

Detroit Judge Ira W. Jayne piloting a Scootaboat on Boblo Island in 1958  Photo Credit
Detroit Judge Ira W. Jayne piloting a Scootaboat on Boblo Island in 1958  Photo Credit
Display inside The Dossin Great Lakes Museum  Photo Credit
Display inside The Dossin Great Lakes Museum  Photo Credit

 

The dance hall in its heyday, 1914
The dance hall in its heyday, 1914

This park was idyllically situated on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario, just above the mouth of Detroit River. Boblo Park opened in 1898 and was active until the 30th September 1993. The following year, all the rides were sold, and the park vanished.

Its trademarks were the two steamers called Bob-Lo Boats which carried passengers from Detroit to the island and back. Some of its rides were remarkable just for their names: The Nightmare, Falling Star, Wild Mouse, Sky Streak and Screamer Ride.

Crystal Beach Amusement Park

Postcard image of the Cyclone, next to the Crystal Ball Room, 1930s
Postcard image of the Cyclone, next to the Crystal Ball Room, 1930s

This amusement park stood adjacent to crystal-clear waters on the beach which originally gave its name to the small local community even before the park was built. The property and its buildings first belonged to a spa center that was modified to open more space for the amusement park.

It opened in 1888 and closed 101 years later. Visitors reached the island by steamboat; in the park’s heyday between 1940 and 1950, it had about 20,000 visitors per day.Each steamboat could carry up to 3,000 passengers per trip.

Here is another story from us: Inside Berlin’s ruined water park Blub: a long gone attractive recreational center in Germany

Canadian amusement parks of the past were a combination of high-speed thrill rides and relaxing areas filled with music and the sounds of nature. Almost always on the shore of a lake or river, they were the perfect getaway from the city on a hot day.