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World's Finest Shows

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World's Finest Shows
Company typePrivately held company
IndustryAmusement - Midway
Founded1986
HeadquartersNanticoke, Ontario
Key people
Barry Jamieson
Pat Jamieson
Stacey Jamieson
Barry Ford
ProductsAmusement ride operation and traveling carnival management
Number of employees
unit
DivisionsRoad Show and Home Show (Also known as Trillium and Talbot, Red and Blue, or Big and Small)
Websitewww.worldsfinestshows.com

World's Finest Shows is the largest traveling carnival in Ontario, Canada[citation needed]. They are best known for providing a majority of the rides at the Central Canada Exhibition before its cancellation. They generally provide rides and equipment for fairs between 2 and 5 days long. Some events last over a week long. Their typical season runs from late-April to mid-October.

History

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World's Finest Shows began in 1986 as a division of Conklin Shows, along with Supershows and the Bicycle Unit. In 1992, the division split off into its own company with Barry Jamieson becoming the president. The newly formed company bought out the assets and contracts of the Conklin eastern road show. The show remained based in Simcoe, Ontario with the barns at the fairgrounds used for storage and a workshop in the winter months. Needing a workshop for the company, they purchased a vacant workshop in Nanticoke, Ontario, which has been home to the show ever since. In 1997, World's Finest Shows won the contract for the Central Canada Exhibition in Ottawa (Commonly known as the Ottawa SuperEx).[1]

When World's Finest Shows began, it had three units. It had the Trillium Unit, Talbot Unit, and the Supershow. The Supershow was a 10-ride rental service that lasted until mid-2002, when it was purchased by Dave and Jimmy Kong and turned into a full-time show. The Trillium Unit acts as the show's main unit, hosting the show's best equipment. The Talbot Unit is a smaller unit, that mostly consists of small, easy to set up rides for smaller events.

Throughout 2006 and 2007, World's Finest Shows sold many of their older rides to help pay off Canada's first Venetian Swing Carousel manufactured by Bertazzon, as well as to purchase three other rides: Fireball, Haunted Mansion, and Monkey Maze. The Venetian Swing Carousel, renamed "Wave Swinger," was first seen at the 2007 Central Canada Exhibition in Ottawa.

In August 2010, World's Finest Shows had qualified as a certified member of the OABA Circle of Excellence, the only midway provider in Canada to be awarded this designation.[2]

After the cancellation of the Central Canada Exhibition in 2011, the company began to downsize to save money. In 2011, they sold their iconic Mack "Polar Express" for a smaller "Musik Express" model manufactured by Majestic Manufacturing. 2011 also saw the selling of their smaller ferris wheel, and Zamperla "Circus Train". They continued to downsize throughout the next few years, selling off their "Monkey Maze" funhouse, Chance "Zipper", their Bertazzon "Wave Swinger" Swing Carousel, and their old Sellner "Tilt-A-Whirl".

Rides

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Any ride that has been renamed since purchase has its former name(s) listed below its current name.

Current

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Total: 45

Name Type Manufacturer Season Purchased
Alien Abduction Major Wisdom 2012
Beach Party
Mardi Gras
Alpine House
Fun House Show Me Unknown
Bikes
Hampton Bikes
Kiddie Dalton Unknown
Boats
Hampton Boats
Kiddie Dalton Unknown
Bulgy The Whales Kiddie Wisdom 2016
Bumble Bees Kiddie Sellner 2004
Cannonball Major A.R.M. 2005
Carousel Kiddie Allan Herschell Unknown
Cars
Hampton Combination
Kiddie Dalton Unknown
Century Wheel Ferris wheel Chance 1991
Cobra Coaster Roller Coaster / Kiddie Wisdom 2004
Dizzy Dragons Kiddie Sellner 2001
Farm Tractors Kiddie Dalton 2014
Fireball Major Larson 2008
Frog Hopper Kiddie S&S 2015
Fun Slide Slide Frederiksen 2010
Groovy Bus Kiddie SBF/Visa 2014
Hang Glider Major Dartron 2002
Haunted Mansion Dark Ride Owen Trailers 2008
Jumpin' Jumbos Kiddie Sellner 2005
Kite Flyer Major Zamperla 2016
Magic Carpet Fun House Owen Trailers 2012
Merry Go Round Kiddie San Antonio 2006
Merry Go Round 2 Kiddie Chance 2021
Monkey Mayhem Kiddie Sellner 2007
Monster Truck Kiddie Wisdom 2012
Musik Express Major Majestic 2011
Nemo Ride Kiddie Eyerly 2011
Pharaoh's Fury Major Chance 1999
Puppies Kiddie SBF/Visa 2014
Raiders Fun House Wisdom Unknown
Route 66 Kiddie Majestic 2017
Scooter 1800 Bumper Cars Majestic Unknown
Scrambler Major Eli Bridge 2002
Scrambler 2 Major Eli Bridge 2018
Silver Streak Major Wisdom 2016
Sky Slide
Fun Slide
Slide Frederiksen 2007
Tilt-A-Whirl Major Sellner Unknown
Tornado Major Wisdom 2008
Trackless Train Kiddie Unknown 2019
Volkswagens
Hampton Volkswagens
Kiddie Dalton 2006
Volkswagens Covered Kiddie Dalton 2014
Wacky Shack Fun House Funni Frite 2000
Wacky Worm Roller Coaster / Kiddie Fajume 2011
Zero Gravity
Time Machine
Round Up
Major Hrubetz/Kilinski Unknown

References

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  1. ^ "World's Finest Shows History".
  2. ^ "World's Finest Shows Qualifies as a Certified Member of the OABA Circle of Excellence".