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Centreville Amusement Park

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Operated by
  
Beasley Amusements

Opened
  
1967

Phone
  
+1 416-203-0405

Website
  
centreisland.ca

Province
  
Ontario

Operating season
  
May through September

Centreville Amusement Park

Slogan
  
It's always sunny at Centreville

Location
  
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Address
  
Toronto, ON M5J 2H3, Canada

Similar
  
Toronto Islands, Ontario Science Centre, Cinesphere, Canada's Wonderland, Fort York

Centreville amusement park tour canada day


The Centreville Amusement Park is a children's amusement park located on Centre Island, part of the Toronto Islands, offshore of the city of Toronto in the Canadian province of Ontario. The park was built in 1967 with a 1900 turn-of-the-century theme, and includes a miniature railway. An 1870s cast iron planter to commemorate Queen Victoria's birthday was originally located in front of St. Lawrence Market and is now featured in the centre of the park, Centreville is also home to a carousel built in 1907.

Contents

The park is operated by Etobicoke-based William Beasley Enterprises Limited on land leased from the City of Toronto, and is open daily in summer. It is connected to downtown Toronto by one of the Toronto Island ferry services, which links a dock adjacent to the amusement park with another at the foot of Bay Street on the central Toronto waterfront.

Kid rides and farm animals at centreville amusement park adventure


History

Centreville was built as part of a master plan to convert the Toronto Islands land usage from cottage residences to recreational uses. The park opened in 1967, with several rides on the same site and has expanded over the years, adding one or two rides a year. The park replaced the old Sunnyside Amusement Park, which closed in 1955, as well as Hanlan's Point Amusement Park, which closed in the 1930s to make way for the island airport.

Amusements

The Park is home to a 1907-vintage carousel, a log flume, a Ferris wheel, a 'haunted barrel works', an enclosed "Scrambler", a miniature roller coaster, pleasure swan boats, bumper boats, antique-style motor cars and several kiddie rides, such as the tea cups, a swing boat, drop ride and miniature fire engines. There are several food concessions, some games and a gift shop. There is also a wading pool, pony rides and miniature golf. The Ferris wheel was moved from Crystal Beach Amusement Park in Fort Erie, Ontario.

One of three miniature train rides in Toronto operates at the park (the others being at John Street Roundhouse and Woodbine Centre). It consists of a single train with five passenger cars (cars about 14 to 21 passengers) on a narrow gauge track which circles the park grounds and farm and travels through a tunnel.

An aerial ride, the "Sky Ride," used to operate at the park. Installed in 1968, it was a chairlift type and carried passengers from a point near the entrance to near St. Andrew's Church and back. A patron was injured in 2010 while being loaded onto a chair and Beasley lost a court judgment of over CA$250,000 for the accident in 2015. The ride has not re-opened since.

Far Enough Farm

Also maintained by William Beasley Enterprises Limited, the Far Enough Farm exists on the eastern outskirts of the Amusement Park, just past the Toronto Island Mine Roller Coaster Ride. The hobby farm opened in 1959 and is home to several domesticated animal species including rabbits, goats, pigs, chickens, cows and ponies as well as emus and peafowl which often freely roam around the farm. The farm is staffed by a manager with farmers and farm hands by Beasley and is open 365 days a year.

References

Centreville Amusement Park Wikipedia