From Niagara This Week:
In the summer of 1992, Clifton Hill was alive with the sounds of bells, whistles, heavy beats and excited squeals coming from nearby Maple Leaf Village.
There were jingles and jangles, screams and lots of fun as rides like the amusement park’s trademark giant ferris wheel put smiles on the faces of many young and old.
The excitement is something Ken Jones remembers well, since he enjoyed the Village as a youngster and worked there for four years as a teenager. Jones was part of the crew the final year of the park’s 14-year run and had just finished high school when the ferris wheel made its final spin.
Jones, along with another worker, were the last two employees running the 56-metre ferris wheel during its fall offseason spins before it was powered down for good.
“The very last day the wheel ran, I was the last person to shut off the pumps and close the door. It was a typical end of shift.”