World's Finest Shows

World's Finest Shows
Privately held company
Industry Amusement - Midway
Founded 1986
Headquarters Nanticoke, Ontario
Key people
 Barry Jamieson
Pat Jamieson
Stacey Jamieson
Barry Ford
Products Amusement ride operation and traveling carnival management
Number of employees
 unit
Divisions Road Show and Home Show (Also known as Trillium and Talbot, Red and Blue, or Big and Small)
Website www.worldsfinestshows.com

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).[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

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

The show is currently off-season.

Current

Total: 40

Name Type Manufacturer Season Purchased Unit
Alien Abduction Major Wisdom 2012 Road Show
Beach Party
Mardi Gras
Alpine House 		Fun House Show Me Unknown Not Traveling
Bikes
Hampton Bikes 		Kiddie Dalton Unknown Home Show
Boats
Hampton Boats 		Kiddie Dalton Unknown Home Show
Bumble Bees Kiddie Sellner 2004 Road Show
Cannonball Major A.R.M. 2005 Home Show
Cars
Hampton Combination 		Kiddie Dalton Unknown Home Show
Central Park Kiddie Majestic Unknown Not Traveling
Century Wheel Ferris wheel Chance 1991 Road Show
Cobra Coaster Roller Coaster / Kiddie Wisdom 2004 Home Show
Dizzy Dragons Kiddie Sellner 2001 Home Show
Farm Tractors Kiddie Dalton 2014 Road Show
Fireball Major Larson 2008 Road Show
Frog Hopper Kiddie S&S 2015 Road Show
Fun Slide Slide Frederiksen 2010 Home Show
Grand Entrance Entrance Gate Majestic 1999 Not Traveling
Groovy Bus Kiddie SBF/Visa 2014 Home Show
Hang Glider Major Dartron 2002 Home Show
Haunted Mansion Dark Ride Owen Trailers 2008 Home Show
Jumpin' Jumbos Kiddie Sellner 2005 Home Show
Magic Carpet Fun House Owen Trailers 2012 Road Show
Merry Go Round 1 Kiddie San Antonio 2006 Home Show
Merry Go Round 2 Kiddie Allan Herschell Unknown Not Traveling
Monkey Mayhem Kiddie Sellner 2007 Road Show
Monster Truck Kiddie Wisdom 2012 Road Show
Musik Express Major Majestic 2011 Road Show
Nemo Ride Kiddie Eyerly 2011 Road Show
Pharaoh's Fury Major Chance 1999 Road Show
Puppies Kiddie SBF/Visa 2014 Not Traveling
Raiders Fun House Wisdom Unknown Not Traveling
Scooter 1800 Bumper Cars Majestic Unknown Road Show
Scrambler Major Eli Bridge 2002 Home Show
Sports Cars Kiddie Dalton 2014 Road Show
Sky Slide
Fun Slide 		Slide Frederiksen 2006 Road Show
Tilt-A-Whirl Major Sellner Unknown Home Show
Tornado Major Wisdom 2008 Home Show
Volkswagens
Hampton Volkswagens 		Kiddie Dalton 2006 Home Show
Wacky Shack Fun House Funni Frite 2000 Home Show
Wacky Worm Roller Coaster / Kiddie Fajume 2011 Road Show
Zero Gravity
Time Machine
Round Up 		Major Hrubetz/Kilinski Unknown Home Show

Former (Recent)

[3] [4] [5]

Schedule

The 2015 schedule is as follows:

[6]

References

  1. ↑ "World's Finest Shows History".
  2. ↑ "World's Finest Shows Qualifies as a Certified Member of the OABA Circle of Excellence".
  3. ↑ "Archived Ride List (2010)". Archived from the original on January 26, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Archived Ride List (2004)". Archived from the original on October 22, 2004.
  5. ↑ "Archived Ride List (2006)". Archived from the original on November 14, 2006.
  6. ↑ "World's Finest Shows Calendar".
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