Ontario Place

[nobbie48]

The Flyer was the first roller coaster I ever went on.

The worst ride for my gut was “The Zipper”. “Enterprise” was another.

The best times at the Ex were the years you used to get all sorts of free samples in the Food Building, and the food you paid for was dirt cheap. Back bacon on a bun was a favourite, as was a plate of chinese food.

Blue Jays tickets got you free admission.

Grandstand concerts drew some incredible bands.

My dad used to save all his quarters for the year and then hand over rolls of coins for us to spend on the rides and games. I can still hear the guy running the Edelweiss? ride “do you wanna go faster???” And the guy on one of the games “Doggie doggieeee”

Loads of families headed over to Ontario Place to get the best spots to watch the airshow.


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They used to have waterskiing and powerboat races at the waterfront. It looked like a millpond before the races started and then it made offshore look tame as waves bounced between the shore wall and break wall. I pitted for a friend and saw him dump when the water under the boat just disappeared and came back up. Watched the air show from off shore and regretted it, too far away.

 

[crankcall]

School kids in Toronto got free CNE tickets and a 10 pack of ride tickets (knowing your mom had to bring you and they made LOTS more money), the wooden flyer was awesome, less scary than the big Crystal Beach coaster, but waiting for the wood to collapse was part of the thrill. I saw The Three Stooges do a live show at the grandstand, the Hell Drivers stunt car show, and the Guess Who.
Gal I was dating made me buy scalper tickets to see Styx, it was like $100 pair in '83. That's what now $17,892 dollars? Show sucked, she did not.

 

[Priller]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned the Polar Express in all this reminiscing about the Ex. The heavy metal soundtrack, the airbrushed '70s van art of warrior women with fur lined bikinis standing next to polar bears and wolves, the sketchiest of carnies with mullets and a Player's blue dangling from their lips, "Scream if you want to go faster!", and positioning yourself on the outside with a girl so the g-forces would cause an inevitable crush...

See number 17 on this list:
30 signs you grew up in Toronto in the 1980s

That list also led me to this for pure Ontario Place nostalgia:
That time when Ontario Place was first rate amusement

 

[Trials]

Ontario Place will make a dandy sewage treatment plant for the high density housing on the Leslie street spit
they won't have to pump it up hill very far.

 

[nobbie48]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned the Polar Express in all this reminiscing about the Ex. The heavy metal soundtrack, the airbrushed '70s van art of warrior women with fur lined bikinis standing next to polar bears and wolves, the sketchiest of carnies with mullets and a Player's blue dangling from their lips, "Scream if you want to go faster!", and positioning yourself on the outside with a girl so the g-forces would cause an inevitable crush...

See number 17 on this list:
30 signs you grew up in Toronto in the 1980s

That list also led me to this for pure Ontario Place nostalgia:
That time when Ontario Place was first rate amusement

IMHO the best Scrambler ride not on two wheels is at the island. It's enclosed without windows and once it gets going they shut off the main lights and on come the strobes along with good old fashioned rock and roll.

The young lady I was with was my daughter so nothing happening there. Trump might have gotten a kick out of it.

 

[Priller]

IMHO the best Scrambler ride not on two wheels is at the island. It's enclosed without windows and once it gets going they shut off the main lights and on come the strobes along with good old fashioned rock and roll.

The young lady I was with was my daughter so nothing happening there. Trump might have gotten a kick out of it.

Oh, man, the Scrambler! It was the only ride at Centreville that was any good for a kid over the age of about 8, when the novelty of steering a jalopy about a foot either side of a track wore off. My memory is that the g forces were almost too intense for pubescent thrills, as you were as likely to get elbows in your ribs (or a back of a head right in the chops!) every time the smaller circle traversed the outside of the larger circle...

 

[Zoodles95]

Oh, man, the Scrambler! It was the only ride at Centreville that was any good for a kid over the age of about 8, when the novelty of steering a jalopy about a foot either side of a track wore off. My memory is that the g forces were almost too intense for pubescent thrills, as you were as likely to get elbows in your ribs (or a back of a head right in the chops!) every time the smaller circle traversed the outside of the larger circle...

Ah... The Scrambler... Was always one of my favs at a country fair or one of the Ex (SuperEx in Ottawa or the C.N.E.).

I also used to get a kick out of the Gravitron and also the Snowbobs or one of the knockoffs. Tons of great memories.

I spent a lot of paper route money at a stand called Yinnie's Egg Rolls at the SuperEx in Ottawa. I think it was $1.75 for the "Ex Special" that got you 2 of the eggrolls and a Coke. Thing was these were open end egg rolls at a time when this was really unusual. The closest I have ever gotten to how these tasted is at The Red Papaya in Guelph. Their Spring Rolls are fantastic and are on the heels of how good those "egg rolls" were back in the 1980s. Funny how some things stick with you.

Sad to see that pretty much every building and pavilion at Landsdowne Park has been demolished. They used to use one building as a beer hall before football games when the Rough Riders used to play. Part of the fall of the SuperEx was that by the mid 1990s there were so few buildings left. Part of the fun was walking through the buildings and seeing the exhibits and stalls. I bought a case of blank cassettes pretty much every year to make mixed tapes and would sometimes buy an Atari 2600 game or something.

The SuperEx was killed just as much by the lack of love for the grounds and facilities as much as it was by the residents of the Glebe that lobbied year after year to get the Ex put of there.

Technically the SuperEx died in 2015 but it really was dead by 1995. If they resurrect it at some point and we are pandemic free I will put my money where my mouth is and drive go to it.

I so missed the C.N.E. this year and the Rocton Fair. Those are 2 of our annual pilgrimages and sometimes we will throw in the Paris or Simcoe Fairs to round out the roster.

Even a homebody and seasoned social distancer like me misses those cherished days of snacks and people watching.

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[nobbie48]

Ah... The Scrambler... Was always one of my favs at a country fair or one of the Ex (SuperEx in Ottawa or the C.N.E.).

I also used to get a kick out of the Gravitron and also the Snowbobs or one of the knockoffs. Tons of great memories.

I spent a lot of paper route money at a stand called Yinnie's Egg Rolls at the SuperEx in Ottawa. I think it was $1.75 for the "Ex Special" that got you 2 of the eggrolls and a Coke. Thing was these were open end egg rolls at a time when this was really unusual. The closest I have ever gotten to how these tasted is at The Red Papaya in Guelph. Their Spring Rolls are fantastic and are on the heels of how good those "egg rolls" were back in the 1980s. Funny how some things stick with you.

Sad to see that pretty much every building and pavilion at Landsdowne Park has been demolished. They used to use one building as a beer hall before football games when the Rough Riders used to play. Part of the fall of the SuperEx was that by the mid 1990s there were so few buildings left. Part of the fun was walking through the buildings and seeing the exhibits and stalls. I bought a case of blank cassettes pretty much every year to make mixed tapes and would sometimes buy an Atari 2600 game or something.

The SuperEx was killed just as much by the lack of love for the grounds and facilities as much as it was by the residents of the Glebe that lobbied year after year to get the Ex put of there.

Technically the SuperEx died in 2015 but it really was dead by 1995. If they resurrect it at some point and we are pandemic free I will put my money where my mouth is and drive go to it.

I so missed the C.N.E. this year and the Rocton Fair. Those are 2 of our annual pilgrimages and sometimes we will throw in the Paris or Simcoe Fairs to round out the roster.

Even a homebody and seasoned social distancer like me misses those cherished days of snacks and people watching.

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Rockton is like the RAWF but more humble, in the good way. Missed it this year.

I can't remember the name of the horse but it was modest in stature but not in guts as it competed with the bigger ones in an event. Got more cheers than all the other combined. Didn't win but gave 110%.