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  #61  
Old Posted Apr 19, 2018, 11:14 AM
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Did Lisa Blackburn actually say, “Now there’s no reason to go to a different province — you just have to come to District 14 and have all of your waterslide needs met.”

That's my new front-runner for quote of the year.
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  #62  
Old Posted Apr 19, 2018, 3:05 PM
OldDartmouthMark OldDartmouthMark is offline
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Did Lisa Blackburn actually say, “Now there’s no reason to go to a different province — you just have to come to District 14 and have all of your waterslide needs met.”

That's my new front-runner for quote of the year.
Why would you want to go anywhere else?
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  #63  
Old Posted Apr 19, 2018, 3:21 PM
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Why would you want to go anywhere else?
The slides are a good start to get some people out there again. The article doesn't state if other area's other than landscaping and painting will also be looked at for refurbishment. I personally would love a re-vamp of the Batting Cages and Go-Kart tracks.

I also feel like Lisa's comment was clearly spoken with humor in mind.
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  #64  
Old Posted Apr 19, 2018, 4:28 PM
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Since we're on the subject of Atlantic Playland, now Atlantic Splash Adventure, a few may know that Atlantic Playland was built on the site of Atlantic Speedway, which was a 1/2 mile oval racetrack that operated from 1970 - 1980.

I know that on an urban skyscraper site there probably won't be many who care, but for those that do I've attached an article about the race track that was printed in the October 1979 issue of the now-defunct Stock Car Racing magazine. There are a lot of typical cheesy maritime references (and some exaggerated inaccuracies) - keep in mind it was written by American writers almost 40 years ago - but there is enough information to get an idea of what the track and people were like, for those who care. It's a little ironic that, after such positive exposure in a national publication, it closed down a year later and was converted by the same owners to Atlantic Playland. Apparently an amusement park was much more profitable than a race track, as I know they were having trouble attracting enough cars and enough spectators as a result, despite the impression given in the article. I also know, from other sources, that insurance costs for running a race track were starting to climb, which may or may not have played into the decision.

I haven't been there in a few years, but the last time I was there I noted that part of the go cart track is located on banked turn from the actual racetrack when it was in operation. The front straight with the grid for lining up the cars along with the concrete retaining wall - which wrinkled many a fender over those years - were still intact then.

Article attached below:






On Google Maps satellite shot you can see the outline of about half the track (the southern side) with the location of the other turn having been just north of the water slide. The main parking area was north of that and is mostly grown over today.

https://goo.gl/maps/dnSt4vstjvx

A pic of the northern-most section of the track from 1977:


And, finally, an ad from the Chronicle Herald:
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  #65  
Old Posted Apr 19, 2018, 4:34 PM
OldDartmouthMark OldDartmouthMark is offline
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Originally Posted by Jstaleness View Post
The slides are a good start to get some people out there again. The article doesn't state if other area's other than landscaping and painting will also be looked at for refurbishment. I personally would love a re-vamp of the Batting Cages and Go-Kart tracks.

I also feel like Lisa's comment was clearly spoken with humor in mind.
I'm sure that is the case, as I recall Lisa's sense of humour from her radio days.

My post was meant in humour as well, as there may be other reasons to visit other provinces besides a water slide.

As one would gather from my above post, the place holds a degree of sentimentality for me as I remember attending races there as a kid, and then having fun at Atlantic Playland in my youth. I hope it continues to grow and prosper.
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  #66  
Old Posted Apr 19, 2018, 5:33 PM
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Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark View Post
I'm sure that is the case, as I recall Lisa's sense of humour from her radio days.

My post was meant in humour as well, as there may be other reasons to visit other provinces besides a water slide.

As one would gather from my above post, the place holds a degree of sentimentality for me as I remember attending races there as a kid, and then having fun at Atlantic Playland in my youth. I hope it continues to grow and prosper.
That was an incredible share as I personally didn't know that they had had a full race track there. Now that I see the google post it amazes me that I had never noticed the track before. I would love for NS to once again have a 1/2 mile track near Halifax. Let's call it what it is. Scotia Speedworld is aged and needs the same repairs and work that went into Riverside. The current Pro Stock Tour is great racing in the summer and I wish we had better venues.
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  #67  
Old Posted Apr 19, 2018, 9:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Jstaleness View Post
That was an incredible share as I personally didn't know that they had had a full race track there. Now that I see the google post it amazes me that I had never noticed the track before. I would love for NS to once again have a 1/2 mile track near Halifax. Let's call it what it is. Scotia Speedworld is aged and needs the same repairs and work that went into Riverside. The current Pro Stock Tour is great racing in the summer and I wish we had better venues.
I'm glad you enjoyed. I realize it wouldn't be obvious to most people that it had been a full track as there is very little left of it. There are clues remaining to be found once you are on site, as I had mentioned, but you'd have to be a diehard to pick up on most of them. I had the advantage of having been at the actual track when it was open, so I just went by memory of how it used to be.

I would like to see a half mile oval return locally, as Scotia and Riverside are only third miles. The longer straights on the half mile track allow higher speeds to be attained, which I understand also gives more of an advantage to power vs handling. Having tracks with shorter straights takes the emphasis off the engines (allowing cars with lower cost engines to be competitive) and puts the focus more on chassis set-up, which helps keep the classes competitive with lower overall costs. This is the reason why you probably won't see another half miler around here unless more racers with cash to burn start showing up.

The longer tracks are much better for spectators, though, as it allows for more exciting racing.

Would like to see a refurbish on Scotia as well. Ha ha... that $200 million stadium money would go a long way...

BTW, if you are interested in Riverside, they have a good site with lots of info:
https://riversidespeedway.ca/about/
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  #68  
Old Posted Apr 20, 2018, 2:55 AM
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Why would you want to go anywhere else?
Now people who miss Crystal Palace in Moncton can come to Lucasville.
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  #69  
Old Posted Apr 20, 2018, 4:15 AM
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Fascinating, I had no idea the site was once a race track!

Seems there are quite a few abandoned race tracks in the Halifax area.
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  #70  
Old Posted Apr 20, 2018, 4:29 PM
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Fascinating, I had no idea the site was once a race track!

Seems there are quite a few abandoned race tracks in the Halifax area.
Here is a website that lists of a number of them - I don't think it has been updated in awhile, though:
http://www.canadianracer.com/track-d...ubmit22=Submit

On another part of the site is a list of "ghost speedways" with links to photos (most of which were taken over 10 years ago).
http://www.motorsportscentral.com/old-tracks.asp
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  #71  
Old Posted May 28, 2019, 8:31 PM
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So big news, there is a brand new roller coaster currently under construction at Atlantic Splash Adventure to go with all the new water slides.



Runaway Mine Train:
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  #72  
Old Posted May 28, 2019, 8:53 PM
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They said this was going to be ready the beginning of last summer yet ...
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  #73  
Old Posted May 28, 2019, 8:57 PM
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They said this was going to be ready the beginning of last summer yet ...
Drove by there, waterslides look ready to go and the roller coaster is progressing well by the looks of it.
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  #74  
Old Posted Apr 20, 2020, 4:52 PM
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So Upper Clements Park is closed for good. Anybody know what's happening with their rides? Any possibility of them being moved somewhere closer to HRM? It might be sacrilege (and challenging with the grades), but it would be kind of cool to have the train run through Point Pleasant Park like the one in Stanley Park.
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  #75  
Old Posted Apr 20, 2020, 5:00 PM
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Originally Posted by IanWatson View Post
So Upper Clements Park is closed for good. Anybody know what's happening with their rides? Any possibility of them being moved somewhere closer to HRM? It might be sacrilege (and challenging with the grades), but it would be kind of cool to have the train run through Point Pleasant Park like the one in Stanley Park.
I would imagine Atlantic Splash Adventure would try to acquire any of the decent rides.
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  #76  
Old Posted Apr 21, 2020, 6:53 AM
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Imagine a roller coaster in Point Pleasant (lol)

Although somewhere along the boardwalk, or on McNab's Island, would be cool for the coaster, if there's a way of moving it. McNab's actually had its own amusement park in the early 20th century. Atlantic Splash Adventure would be another logical spot for it but it would be more fun (IMO) to have it as an actual part of the urban core.
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  #77  
Old Posted Apr 21, 2020, 11:55 AM
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Yes, by all means let's make the waterfront even more Disneyfied. A cartoon choo-choo and waterslide would be perfect. Maybe copy London and build a giant ferris wheel too. We could even revive Jolly Tar and other outsized cartoon characters in costumes with giant heads to wander around as kiddie music plays incessantly. Sounds delightful.
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  #78  
Old Posted Apr 21, 2020, 3:56 PM
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Originally Posted by Keith P. View Post
Yes, by all means let's make the waterfront even more Disneyfied. A cartoon choo-choo and waterslide would be perfect. Maybe copy London and build a giant ferris wheel too. We could even revive Jolly Tar and other outsized cartoon characters in costumes with giant heads to wander around as kiddie music plays incessantly. Sounds delightful.
You sound real fun.

I’m really sick and tired of reading your constant negative take on literally everything.

We should go back to the good ol days of factories and smoke stacks all over the waterfront, that would be a much better use of the waterfront.

I’m really glad that you are in no way involved with government or any type of urban planning
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  #79  
Old Posted Apr 22, 2020, 12:02 PM
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I’m really glad that you are in no way involved with government or any type of urban planning
Trust me, if I was involved with urban planning these days it would not be a happy time for me either.
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  #80  
Old Posted Apr 22, 2020, 8:31 PM
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Originally Posted by Keith P. View Post
Yes, by all means let's make the waterfront even more Disneyfied. A cartoon choo-choo and waterslide would be perfect. Maybe copy London and build a giant ferris wheel too. We could even revive Jolly Tar and other outsized cartoon characters in costumes with giant heads to wander around as kiddie music plays incessantly. Sounds delightful.
What would you prefer to see on the waterfront? What would you prefer the waterfront to be like?
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