CCP PRELIMINARY
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The series of articles in Closed Canadian Parks discusses over 100 parks or amusement areas that used to exist in Canada; most in detail. Not all former parks are given, only those which had amusement rides or other attractions that would interest the typical reader of this website. There are however, some listed that may or may not have had amusements, but are shown here until more information is located. Note that some parks still exist (whether renamed, relocated, or not), but the attractions for the most part have been removed, and thus are considered closed for the purpose of this series of articles.
Many of the articles mention facilities which are currently located on the former sites of now-defunct parks. Names that may be found on modern, detailed maps of the area being discussed have tried to be given, so those of you who are interested in geographically placing an old park in relation to present-day structures or landmarks, may do so with relative ease.
Text that has been submitted by readers is quoted. It may have been edited, altered, rearranged, or broken up within a given article for clarity and narrative purposes. The final version has been approved by each submitter. Other information from submitters has been digested and then written into each article. This too, has been authorised by the submitters.
There are several brief overviews included among the individual park articles that discuss areas which contained multiple parks. Many of these were nature reserves and gardens that fall outside the scope of this webpage which was outlined in the first paragraph above. They are here so that the reader may receive a background on a specific area and have a better idea of where and why some of the amusement parks originated. Current overviews include "The Beaches", "Halifax", "London Parks", "McNab's Island", and The "Sandwich Mineral Springs".
This website is hand coded (no page maker) for an 800 X 600 resolution, checked at both 640 X 480 and 1024 X 768, and then re-coded to resolve display problems or differences. This middle resolution was chosen as the best after considering the less-capable systems used by lower-income people and some seniors, those with handicaps, and those simply using older computers as second or third systems either as hobbyists or because their kids are monopolising their main systems.
Also considered were those using laptops, personal digital assistants, Internet-capable cell phones, and other small-screen devices such as Play Station Portable and iPod Touch or iPad, that have screen diagonal sizes of 300mm down to 100mm or less. All CEC pages will expand or contract to fit most screens, but side-scrolling may be required on small-screen devices when viewing pages with photographs and postcard scans. Conversely, those with ultra-high desktop system resolutions, such as 1600 horizontal pixels, may see page layouts presented in a sideways stretched manner.
As well, the html coding has kept in mind those using text-only browsers and/or translation software for the visually impaired. All CEC webpages are completely text friendly.
The 800 X 600 resolution is not a problem except for those that have giant monitors using unusually high system-wide resolution settings. To them I suggest setting the browser to 800 X 600 or enlarging the screen text and/or photos so the narrative is not so stretched out and the pictures not too small. This may be done with browsers that can alter page size with a simple + or - keystroke, or the same coupled with the "Control" key.
Finally, a word to those using some versions of Internet Explorer, Mozilla (Firefox) or Safari browsers: There is a problem with the way some render tables. Internet Explorer, Mozilla and Safari do not always follow w3c standard html code interpretations for individual table data cells. Empty cells are encroached upon with the result as sometimes seen on this website that some photo captions are misplaced or skewed, or most often, there is misplaced or stretched accompanying text. Another problem is that some text and/or photos will not properly align with one another, or align with page boundaries and other objects on the page.
These are Internet Explorer, Mozilla and Safari problems. They were not occuring with previous versions, nor with versions of other graphic browsers tested: Arachne, Opera, and Netscape. However, rumour has it that many of these too, no longer adhere to the w3c guidelines. )-: As pages here are updated, recoding is being done to eliminate or reduce this problem, but the developers of these browsers should follow html standards!
It is not recommended that you view at any higher
than a 1024-pixel horizontal resolution because the
text can appear stretched and there may be excessive
space between individual page elements.
Originally and for some years afterward, all CCP articles were presented on The Internet in one large html document. This made it easy to search all CCP information because one could use one's built-in browser search function. So if one had wanted to locate within Canada's past all Fred Church rides or for any instances of say, "swimming pools" or "Swooper" rides, it could have easily been done within a single document.
However, as time went on reader submissions and more research yielded a greater quantity of information for existing write-ups; plus new articles were added as more defunct amusement parks and areas became known. The document became so large with so many images and tables, that it took unacceptably long to load. Thus the decision to split it up into separate links was reluctantly made. Eventually though, even separate webpages for each article presented problems as their numbers ballooned to dozens, all the while existing articles were growing ever greater in size -- some to be almost book length. There was so much, and some of it was intertwined with other articles, that the need for an all-encompassing, internal search engine became apparent.
One was implemented in the spring of 2006 and improved upon in the fall of the same year. Since then it has become greatly simplified as the html coding became more efficient and more user oriented. There is now a complete, separate CCP Search page that can present results in a familiar, easy-to-comprehend format. Each result gives a link and shows short excerpts that relate to the search terms entered. Even quotation marks and Boolean operators are supported.
In addition, you will find that statistics for roller coasters of the past, as given in the CCP articles, have been gathered into a summary table in Canadian Roller Coasters of the Past, and the most outstanding past coasters are listed in Canadian Roller Coaster Record Holders.
Years shown under the park's name in the title may include some before the park became official and/or some after it closed. Dates before the park's time-span usually mean the area was frequented by visitors as a picnic area or beach, and was eventually deemed popular enough to attract amusements and become a full-fledged park. Dates shown after closure most likely mean the area continued to be used as a recreational retreat, but that most, or all, the attractions were removed or destroyed.
I would like to warn readers that some information may not be accurate but has been included until further data is received. Notes have been inserted to alert readers to this fact only in the most suspect cases. If you have additions, corrections, or more information, please e-mail so the page will improve. cec@chebucto.org (Realise that for those browsers that support it, users may hit a designated key such as the letter `c' (contact) anywhere at this website to access the mail link immediately. Check your browser's manual to see if it has that capability.)
Note that the CEC website is not being regularly maintained, so some time may go by before e-mails are answered.
In addition to references in the text, most photos will have explanatory notes accompanying them. To be sure viewers will be directed to the intended part of an image, a Photo Reference Chart is presented at the right. These direction conventions will be used throughout Closed Canadian Parks. (Handicapped or text browser users may go here for a suitable text chart.)
While the designations will seem logical and probably unnecessary, the boundaries shown will serve to better pinpoint the area being discussed. If you are having trouble locating an object being identified within a photo, mentally lay this chart over that photo. All, or part, of that object should fall within the indicated section. Notice that the center section is larger than the others. Feel free to e-mail if you have any questions regarding the photos presented on this webpage.
A cautionary word is to be heeded regarding photos shown in the articles. Most were from postcards, some of which are over a century old. Many of these were not in good shape. Some had tears, creases, handwriting, post marks on them, etc. Some photographs were faded, grainy or damaged. All have been cropped, retouched and/or modified to repair imperfections, and in some cases, to eliminate extraneous items. Because of these alterations, they should not be used as references for serious photo research. These pictures are presented strictly as enhancements to the text. Serious researchers may send an e-mail regarding any photos in which they are interested so as to learn of the alterations to them.
Photo sizes are generally less than 640 X 480. Most are considerably smaller, especially those which are from postcards that are typically 320 X 200 pixels in size. These image sizes were used so they could easily accompany the text and so their file sizes would not be so large that downloading would take excessively long. Thumbnails could have been used with links to much larger pictures, but I personally find that a nuisance when viewing a narative-style webpage. It would be as if reading a magazine article where one must constantly turn to page `n' to see the big picture. Given the fact that the text often directly discusses things in an accompanying photo, it was decided to present all images in the manner currently seen.
Another detriment to presenting larger photos is that some have come from archives that placed a limit on the quality of image scans. Enlarging such scans would make for a pixelated image, resulting in a poorer presentation.
No image in any Closed Canadian Parks article
may be copied without permission.
They are not public domain and may not be used or
reproduced unless the copyright holder gives a specific
release to do so. Please send an E-Mail if you wish to use
a photo. Your request will be forwarded to the copyright holder.
Now read an Introductory Essay:
Canada's Amusement Park Beginnings
or...
Peruse the
Closed Canadian Parks Index
In Alphabetical and Provincial Orders.
Return to the
Closed Canadian Parks Introduction
