Playland’s wooden rollercoaster celebrates 65th birthday

It may look rickety, but the iconic wooden rollercoaster at Playland is still going strong and is celebrating its 65th birthday Wednesday.

Despite its aged appearance, Shelly Frost, the president and CEO of the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE), says a lot of work goes into keeping the old coaster spry.

“It looks like it’s just a wooden roller coaster, but there is so much care, attention, maintenance, and refurbishment that goes into it. Parts of it get rebuilt every year, but we use very weathered Douglas Fir to make sure that it always looks like it’s its old crickety 65-year-old self,” Frost told OMNI News.

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The beloved coaster first opened back in 1958 and has remained a steadfast favourite for many riders over the decades — including Frost.

“It is one of my very favourite rides here at Playland,” she said.

“It’s that undeniable sound of climbing up the first hill, the clickety-clack, the apprehension that you get when you’re just sitting on the crest of going down that first hill, and then it doesn’t stop after that. It’s like hill after hill, after spinning around the corner. It’s just 90 seconds of pure thrill.”

It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for! The Wooden Roller Coaster is up and running at Playland Come on down for the coaster’s 65th anniversary thrill-seekers! Get ready for one of the most extreme rides Playland has to offerhttps://t.co/njMXiI6Pz0 pic.twitter.com/sz54oXCJTB

— PNE Fair / Playland (@PNE_Playland) July 10, 2023

The coaster boasts a 16-passenger train and a “skeletal frame set against the Vancouver skyline.”

Last year, a $2 million restoration was finished on the coaster.

The project added more than 1,200 lengths of structural grade Douglas Fir, which was the original material used back when it was built in 1957. The engineering team has worked to modernize the skeleton of the ride while keeping the look and ambience the same.

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Frost encourages people to give the rollercoaster a try, and adds that it’s a “fantastic ride.” She notes that there is also a VIP experience related to the ride that visitors can check out.

“We’re really excited about the VIP experience that we have available right now. Where coaster enthusiasts can come and get their special ride on the roller coaster, but they also get that behind-the-scenes tour and get to go underneath the coaster and see its original motor and see…all the aspects of it working and see it from a totally different perspective. It’s thrilling,” she said.

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With files from OMNI News, Cole Schisler, and CityNews Staff