FAMILY TRAVEL
— by Deborah Williams
There’s Always
Something
New to See in
T
oronto is a dynamic, world-
class city that is constantly
growing with new residents
from around the world and an ever-
changing array of new buildings, sky-
scrapers, and attractions.
Canada’s largest city, it is the cul-
tural, entertainment, and financial capi-
tal of the country. It is also a multicul-
tural melting pot where more than 140
languages are spoken.
Luckily for Western New Yorkers,
it offers an easy getaway for the day, a
weekend, or longer. The exchange rate
continues to favor the American dol-
lar ($1 U.S. = $1.31 Canadian at press
time).
Best of all, there are
a multitude of family
friendly attractions
— many with new
features — some
truly breathtak-
ing. Roller coaster
fans should make a
beeline to Canada’s
Wonderland — now
34 WNY Family September 2019
Toronto!
home to the world’s longest, fastest and
tallest dive coaster. Called the Yukon
Striker, it is themed around the idea that
it’s 1897 and riders are prospectors seek-
ing gold in northwest Canada. Riders
take an exciting (or terrifying, depend-
ing on your viewpoint) journey through
steep mountains.
This is a wide train with three
rows that seat eight people across. Af-
ter making a climb to its first 245-foot
drop, the ride pauses for three seconds
just over the hill giving riders a moment
to view their fate. Then it plunges into
a tunnel at 80 miles per hour. The train
soars through four inversions including
a complete 360-degree loop — the only
one of its kind for a dive coaster.
The trains are floorless and
are designed to give more
of a sense of flying with
your feet dangling (no
flip-flops advised).
This roller coaster
is located in a newly
themed section called
Frontier Canada. Other
attractions in this section in-
clude Mighty Canadian Minebuster,
Lumberjack, Soaring Timbers, Flying
Canoes, Vortex, Timberwolf Falls, and
White Water Canyon.
There are a number of family rides
designed for adults and children. On
Flying Canoes guests can fly up, down,
and all around. They can control how
high they would like to fly by pressing
a button. Don’t miss the almost century-
old Antique Carrousel that features 64
original hand-carved horses.