Lost Ontario amusement park was once an essential stop en route to Niagara
Decades before the Burlington Bay Skyway carried drivers over the waterfront, those heading from Toronto to Niagara Falls had to follow a much different route, one that passed directly by a now-forgotten Ontario amusement park.
For 75 years, the Canal Amusement Park was a local fixture on a narrow stretch of waterfront separating the Hamilton Harbour from Lake Ontario, referred to as the Burlington Beach Strip.
The waterfront attraction opened in 1903 on the Hamilton side of the shipping canal, and over the years, grew from a quaint park to a massive entertainment centre, complete with a Ferris wheel, carousel, roller coaster, bumper cars, and other classic carnival rides.
As vehicular traffic increased in the area, so too did the park's popularity. At the time, Highway 2 was the main route between Toronto and Niagara Falls, and ran directly along the Beach Strip past the amusement park.
As a result, the amusement park was perfectly positioned to lure travellers passing through the area, making it an easy place to stop for a snack, or — if traffic was backed up at the nearby lift bridge as ships made their way in and out of Hamilton Harbour — a quick ride.
The Burlington Beach Strip stretches for roughly four miles between Spencer Smith Park in Burlington and Confederation Park in Hamilton. As the region developed, H. Knapman saw an opportunity to develop the area into an entertainment destination.
Soon after, Knapman formed the Canada Amusement Company and opened up the Canal Amusement Park in 1903, initially offering boat and bath houses, slides, swings, snack bars, as well as a funhouse called the "Crazy House."
Over the next few years, the park continued to expand, with the additions of a Ferris wheel in 1912 and a carousel in 1914. Just a few years later, local resident Joseph Allen, who owned a restaurant next to the park, took over the attraction and expanded it with an open-air dance floor that doubled as a roller rink.
The amusement park sometime in the 1950s. Photo: Burlington Public Library.
The park's name appears to have changed to Burlington Beach Amusement Park after Allen's acquisition, after which more rides were added, including a Tilt-a-Whirl, an Octopus, and a Roll-o-Plane.
By the early 1950s, the Knapp Brothers took over the attraction and added even more rides, including a Wild Mouse, Scrambler, and bumper cars, as well as a wooden dance floor in the Pier Ballroom, which hosted talent contests and performances.
Not long after, the Burlington Beach Commission was disbanded, and the City of Hamilton stepped in to take over the area. After the Skyway opened up in 1958, traffic around the strip decreased dramatically, ultimately leading to the park's demise.
In 1974, the City of Hamilton decided not to renew the Knapp Brothers' long-term lease, and the operators continued on a year-to-year basis. By 1978, the lease had expired, and the amusement park closed for good.
While most of its rides were auctioned off, the park's 1914 Herschell carousel was eventually purchased in 1982 after spending several years in storage. Today, it can still be seen operating at the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum in North Tonawanda, New York.
Hamilton Public Library, Local History & Archives.
