Preparing for Day One
1981
“Canada’s Wonderland only needs a few finishing touches before its grand opening May 23. Officials are already predicting a dawn line-up at the 370-acre theme park in Maple, northwest of Toronto, but plan to limit admission to 40,000 each day on a first come, first served basis to avoid crowding. The playground boasts a 150-foot mountain with a footpath leading to an observation deck and a roller coaster. Canada’s Wonderland is a U.S.-owned marketing triumph, say James Cameron and Ronald Bordessa in a critical examination of the theme park industry and the behaviour of its operators and patrons. Cameron, who lives in the village of Maple, is associate professor of geography at York University. He was a dissenting member of Vaughan council, which approved Wonderland.“