7 Shocking Theme Park Incidents In Canada That Will Make Your Stomach Churn
These might add a whole other level of fear to your next ride. 😬
The wooden roller coaster at the PNE in Vancouver. Right: The roller coaster in the West Edmonton Mall.
Amusement parks in Canada are known to be all about the fun and thrills, right? Well, apparently, not all of the time.
Matter of fact, there have been some pretty brutal amusement park accidents in Canada in the past that have left riders injured or, in some extremely tragic cases, dead.
It's not often that such accidents happen, and when they do, they usually don't seriously injure anyone.
But these one-off incidents can add a level of fear and anxiety to that next theme park trip.
From getting stuck high up on rides, to being drenched by oil, here are some shocking things that have happened at Canadian theme parks over the years.
Calaway Park
In 2014, a mother at Calaway Park in Calgary said that her child's feet were burned to the point of blistering by an incredibly hot mat that had heated up in the sun.
As reported by CBC, the incident occurred in a children's play area called Theodore Tugboat, where kids are instructed to take off their shoes.
The area has since been shut down.
PNE Playland
While wooden roller coasters might look like they're about to fall apart, they're typically very safe.
However, in 1992, a young girl fell off a wooden roller coaster ride in Playland, after she got loose from the safety bar.
According to The Vancouver Sun, she fell about a metre and was taken to the hospital for minor cuts and a sore ankle.
The ride is still in use at the park, however, it is currently closed for maintenance.
Canada's Wonderland
@happyvibesca Reply to @rascalbunny #canadaswonderland #scary #ohnononono
In one of the more recent incidents on this list, a bunch of patrons riding the lumberjack ride got stuck and hung upside down for about five minutes at Canada's Wonderland in 2021.
The whole thing was caught on video and posted to TikTok, and the Toronto Star reports that no one was hurt during the ride. It's still not fun to be hanging upside not knowing for how long or what else might happen.
PNE Playland
Have you ever been standing in line for your favourite ride and then suddenly been absolutely drenched in oil? If so, you were probably at Vancouver's PNE Playland on August 12, 2019.
According to Global News, a malfunction by The Beast ride caused a whole bunch of non-toxic oil to fall off the ride, hitting riders and people waiting in line.
While no one got hurt, it sounds like a few folks likely had higher dry cleaning bills than usual.
Canada's Wonderland
@chubbychicken84 That storm came in QUICK 😳😳😳 #canadaswonderland #torontostorm2022 #crazystorm
One of the biggest storms in a long time rolled through Ontario in May this year, and some folks who were on the Behemoth roller coaster got stuck right in the middle of it.
While no one was reportedly hurt, a video showed the riders stuck as the intense storm rolled past — a storm that later killed several people.
There's never a good time to get stuck, but that might be one of the worst.
Galaxyland
On June 14, 1986, the last car on the Mindbender roller coaster at Galaxyland in the West Edmonton Mall derailed. The car, going 100 km/hour, struck a pillar and then fell to the ground, killing three of the four passengers on it.
According to Global News, the fourth person on the ride at the time was critically injured but recovered, and has since called for a memorial for the three others.
The Mindbender underwent extensive repairs and modifications but thrill-seekers still ride on it today.
Canada's Wonderland
In 1988, in the Victoria Falls water show area of Canada's Wonderland, an 18-year-old diver was reportedly sucked underwater trying to retrieve a frisbee near the artificial falls. Despite several attempts to save him, he ultimately drowned.
It was later reported by the Toronto Star that the waterfall had created a whirlpool effect that took him under.
The Victoria Falls High Dive show is still going on at the theme park.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.