World's Finest Shows is the largest traveling carnival in Ontario, Canada. 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 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).
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.
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 Any ride that has been renamed since purchase has its former name(s) listed below its current name.
Current Total: 50
Name Type Manufacturer Season Purchased Alien Abduction Major Wisdom 2012 Beach PartyMardi GrasAlpine House Fun House Show Me Unknown BikesHampton Bikes Kiddie Dalton Unknown BoatsHampton 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 CarsHampton 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 Flying Elephants Kiddie Kolmax Plus 2025 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 Kahuna Major Kolmax Plus 2026 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 SlideFun Slide Slide Frederiksen 2007 Tea Cups Kiddie Kolmax Plus 2025 Tilt-A-Whirl Major Sellner Unknown Tornado Major Wisdom 2008 Trackless Train Kiddie Unknown 2019 Vertigo Major A.R.M. 2025 Viper Coaster Roller Coaster / Kiddie Wisdom 2025 VolkswagensHampton Volkswagens Kiddie Dalton 2006 Volkswagens Covered Kiddie Dalton 2014 Wacky Shack Fun House Funni Frite 2000 Wacky Worm Roller Coaster / Kiddie Fajume 2011 Zero GravityTime MachineRound Up Major Hrubetz/Kilinski Unknown
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