Playland’s Wooden Coaster closed in 2021 for upgrades

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – If you were hoping to take a ride on the popular Wooden Coaster at Playland this year, you’re out of luck.

The PNE says the roller-coaster — which is arguably the biggest attraction at the park — will remain closed for the remainder of 2021, including through the PNE Fair, due to a major refurbishment project.

According to the amusement park, the Pacific National Exhibition made the decision “in order to ensure the beloved ride is ready” for next season — which is expected to be one of the busiest ever.

“The coaster is a living coaster in the sense that it’s made from wood, so we’re continually doing maintenance on that so that it has the ride safety record that it actually does — it’s a very, very highly maintained ride,” explained PNE spokesperson Laura Ballance.

“As we approached the spring, summer of 2021, it appeared and it was a very modified year than a normal Playland year, it seemed to be a good idea to start looking at a larger refurbishment project that we were contemplating.”

One of Canada’s most iconic amusement park rides, the Wooden Roller Coaster, will remain closed for the remainder of 2021, including throughout the annual PNE Fair. A major refurbishment project is underway. pic.twitter.com/ALgtAfj34y

— PNE Fair / Playland (@PNE_Playland) August 20, 2021

She assures the refurbishment isn’t related to any specific safety issues.

“As we have moved through the process, we were hopeful that we would be able to open it for the Fair. As we now are on the eve of the Fair, looked at it, it’s not realistic to think it will open during the Fair, so we wanted to let people know well in advance,” Ballance added.

It’s unclear why the refurbishment wasn’t done, or at least started, during the earlier pandemic closure.

The project is expected to be completed before the 2022 spring season. It has an initial estimated cost of $500,000 to $750,000.

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Ballance says anyone who bought a ticket to Playland with a ride on the Wooden Coaster as their reason for doing so can contact customer service to have a discussion. A refund is not guaranteed, however.

“There is a number of other rides in the park, so we wanted to let people know before they arrived because this is obviously one of our flagship rides,” she explained.

“We know guests will be disappointed — we’re disappointed as well — but the PNE and Playland have always put what’s right for the safety of our guests and the maintenance that needs to be done at the front of every decision.”

Ballance says because 2021 has been a slower year and there was the uncertainty that the park would remain closed, it seemed to be a good year to do the refurbishment.

To many, the Wooden Coaster is the most iconic attractions at Playland. It was built in 1958 and has been a go-to for many for more than six decades.

According to the PNE, it is the number one wooden roller coaster in Canada, and 12th best in the world.

Playland is currently open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday and Saturday nights from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. People are required to buy tickets in advance for select dates.

The PNE Fair opens on Saturday, Aug. 21. Once again, people are required to buy date-specific tickets ahead of time.

-With files from Sonia Aslam