Coaster Enthusiasts of Canada

Closed Canadian Parks

British Columbia


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White City
(Turn of the 20th Century ? - 1930's ?)



    The World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 was referred to as "The White City". Its amusement area was the Midway de Plaisance. It was popular to the level that it influenced amusement areas all over the world, as did the world's fair itself. After that, many "White City" parks opened with the hopes of having people associate these amusement parks with that grand exhibition. This was the only one in Canada to name itself so, with the possible exception that Scarboro Beach Park in Ontario may have been known as such, although apparently never officially named so. (For information on world's and other fairs, see the CEC's World's Fair sections under Books and at The Exhibition Grounds on The CEC Midway.)


    Few details have surfaced on the park except that it had a "Figure 8" roller coaster installed in 1916. The likely designers were Fred Ingersoll and John Miller. They built many around that time. This ride may have been bought from Vancouver's Happyland because the year before, that park installed a new coaster and there is a possibility it previously owned a "Figure 8". (Evidence is now against this. See the "Figure 8" discussion in the Happyland article.)

    This coaster likely lasted at least until 1926 when another coaster was installed called The "Dips". Once again, Happyland had installed a new coaster (The "Giant Dipper" in 1925) and had a "Dip the Dips", so I am again surmising that this "new" coaster may also have been a Happyland hand-me-down. if so, it too, may have been designed by Fred Ingersoll and/or John Miller.

    There is no further research which has come to light as to how long the park lasted, nor about any other amusements. It is believed the park failed during The Depression of the 1930s.




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