THUNDER BAY – The rides at Chippewa Park will not operate this summer, but the Muskeg Express at Centennial Park should be good to go by the end of July.
Cory Halvorsen, manager of parks and open spaces for the City of Thunder Bay, said staff usually spends time in April and May getting the Chippewa Rides ready to go. But with no indication at the time that amusement parks would be operational in summer, the work was shelved.
“It’s unfortunate. People value the rides,” Halvorsen said. “That’s why we have them. But we had to be realistic about what we could do back in April and May.”
The set-up time required would mean the rides at Chippewa Park would only be up and running for a few short weeks before being shut down again after the Labour Day weekend.
Halvorsen said the plan is to have the rides, which include a tilt-a-whirl and bumper cars, open to the public once again in 2022.
The Muskeg Express doesn’t require nearly as much set up to get running.
“Now that we know rides can operate, we can actively plan to get it ready and will probably have it ready by the third or fourth week in July,” Halvorsen said.
“We’re going to push it as fast as we can to get it up and running.”
Halvorsen said work on the carousel at Chippewa Park was delayed because of the pandemic, which pushed back its ability to operate this summer.
