A Protest To Reopen Wonderland Is Taking Place After Clifton Hill Was Packed This Weekend

Videos show crowded streets at Clifton Hill.

Narcity.com
Sept. 9, 2020
Patrick John Gilson

It looks like people are trying to enjoy the last bit of summer. Clifton Hill crowds were spotted taking up streets this long weekend. However, the mass amounts of people gathering in Niagara have led to protests being planned to reopen Canada's Wonderland.

This summer, Canada’s Wonderland wasn’t open to Ontarians. The theme park was forced to remain closed this year due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

However, the theme park did come out with a detailed list of health and safety protocols for reopening earlier this summer.

It seems not all outdoor attractions have faced the same level of restrictions.

Niagara’s Clifton Hill appeared to be as crowded as ever during the province’s pandemic summer this year.

The large gatherings of tourists, some of them non-mask wearers, at the attraction have rubbed plenty the wrong way over the course of the season and now some are taking action.

Amusement Insiders, a group of theme park enthusiasts, told Narcity that they will be organizing a protest outside of Canada’s Wonderland on September 12.

The demonstration will aim at offering protection to the province’s amusement and water parks in the hopes of opening a few of them before seasonal changes make it impossible.

“A mid sized group of us gathering to show support and ask the Ontario government to support places like Calypso, Wet N Wild, the CNE due to a loss of revenue but most importantly to allow Canada’s Wonderland to open for fall weekends and winter fest,” a spokesperson told Narcity.

The group posted footage on YouTube to highlight the swarms of people gathering at Clifton Hill this month.

In the video, a narrator claims that the government has neglected other amusement parks and attractions while allowing others to operate with little to no restrictions in place.

“It doesn’t make sense cause Clifton Hill has been allowed to operate their rides and attraction under unsafe guidelines and it's been crazy over there,” they added.

Back in July, the region announced that they would be hiring ambassadors to help with the crowds.*

Narcity reached out to the Ontario government for their response but has yet to hear back.

A petition has also been created for the protest to open Wonderland. As of Tuesday afternoon, it had gained over 400 signatures.

The CNE announced last week that it could be forced to shut down permanently after 141 years in business due to the financial impact of this year's closure.