10. Cobra - La Ronde (Québec)
Enjoying the prestigious position of having the most coasters on our list, La Ronde is a Six Flags Park in Montreal. The site is laden with the kind of thrill attractions that make you turn green just looking at them. And Cobra is definitely a standout, with its coiling 360-degree vertical loop.
9. The Tree Topper - Upper Clements Park (Nova Scotia)
A classic wooden coaster, The Tree Topper covers a large terrain that includes the trees of the Annapolis Valley. It's a favorite of Canadian Easterners, who are short on amusement parks in this part of the country. You just can't beat the mix of country scenery and the wooden coaster rough-and-tumble experience.
8. Dragon Fire (Ontario)
Paramount Canada's Wonderland has sat on the outskirts of Toronto for years, even as housing developments and mega-malls have moved in. And it continues to attract crowds who wait for the year's new coaster and the chance to visit some old favourites. One of the latter is Dragon Fire, the kind that is over too quickly, but has you sprinting right back into line for another go. It's all the better for having no gimmicks, just a modern steel construction with a full corkscrew, two 360's, and a side-winding helix that will leave you gasping.
7. Le Monstre - (Québec)
Le Monstre is as fun to look at as it is to ride. Built in 1985 and '86, its massive post and beam wood construction is a site to behold. Although not the scariest of tracks, this double wooden coaster provides classic loops and a gorgeous view of the Montreal landscape.
6. Tie: Top Gun (Ontario) & Le Vampire (Québec)
When Top Gun arrived on the scene some years ago at Canada's Wonderland, its steely industrial look, which boasts inversions, loops and speeds of 90km/h, had coaster fans and Tom Cruise fans alike desperate to give it a fly-by.
La Ronde's Le Vampire is also a suspended coaster, although it holds the track a little differently than Top Gun. Riders experience five loops at over 80 kilometres per hour, meaning that they are upside down much of the time. The bright yellow coaster stands out, and begs park entrants to hop on.
5. The Mindbender - (Alberta)
The West Edmonton Mall enjoyed the eyes of the world in the 1980s when the idea of a shopping outlet just smaller than a city seemed to turn the crank of the collective masses. It gets a little chilly for a good portion of the year in Alberta, so the indoor Galaxyland has been sheltering coaster-hungry fans for years. The Mindbender sports three loops and is the largest indoor high-speed coaster in the world. And Galaxyland promises something even better when it introduces its latest coaster this summer.
4. Dragon Mountain - (Ontario)
Dragon Mountain resides at Marineland in scenic Niagara Falls - and offers a little bit of everything to coaster lovers. For starters, it is the world's largest steel roller coaster with a climb that ends quite close to the clouds, after covering 30 acres of beautiful countryside. Then comes the contrasting high-speed descent through pitch-black tunnels peppering the track. This is one of Canada's true thrill-ride gems.
3. Goliath - (Québec)
Everything about La Ronde's Goliath is big. The seats are big, the track is big, the loops are big, the building cost was big (nearly $20 million), and the speed is ridiculous (110 km/h). Running alongside the St. Lawrence River, this giant of amusement park engineering is literally a scream. In true Six Flags contemporary fashion, it aims to simply blow your mind. And it does.
2. The Coaster - (Vancouver)
Playland's historical 1958-built wooden roller coaster is not the fastest, longest, tallest or most intense but it lives up to its solid, simple and effective name. The Coaster simply asks you not to take your hands off the meagre padded metal bar that secures you to the car you are riding in, and for good reason. While you never go upside down, there is a strange sensation of being unsafe, as if you might fly out of your seat at any given moment. It is a rare thrill in the roller coaster world, to have a feeling of actual danger on a rickety old track.
1. The Mighty Canadian Minebuster - (Ontario)
Similar to Vancouver's Coaster, the Minebuster is a wooden masterpiece. It is the largest and longest in Canada and reaches the incredible speed of 90km/h. It's a hilly little jaunt, and there's a fun helix at the end just to leave the rider with the taste of exhilaration. The combination of its legendary status and classic riding experience make it incredibly popular. According to Canada's Wonderland officials, it is a favourite of the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) when they visit the park. And who are we to disagree? |
