Columbia Gardens, Butte, MT
Roller Coaster

Council Crest, Portland, OR
Scenic Railway

Fun Forest, Seattle, WA
Galaxy and Wild Mouse

Happyland, Vancouver, BC
Giant Dipper

Jantzen Beach, Portland, OR
Big Dipper

Luna Park, Seattle, WA
Figure 8

Nat Park, Spokane, WA
Scenic Railway & Jack Rabbit

Oaks Park, Portland, OR
Monster Mouse and Zip coaster

Playland, Coeur d' Alene, ID
Playland Pier amusement rides

Playland, Seattle, WA
Giant Dipper

Playland, Vancouver, BC
Super Big Gulp

White City, Bellingham, WA
Roller Coaster

White City, Seattle, WA
Roller Coaster

Giant Dipper , Happyland, Vancouver, BC

Happyland logo
Dipper lift hill	Giant Dipper
First test run	Dipper and rides

Pictured above is Happyland's Giant Dipper coaster. Happlyand, located at Hastings Park, offered an assortment of rides including two roller coasters, a Shoot-The-Chutes, and a Traver Missouri Mule ride. Of the two coasters were, Baby Dipper and the Giant Dipper (pictured above).

Prior to Happyland's existence, Hastings Park had a few amusement rides on its grounds such as a roller coaster and ferris wheel but no real amusement park had been established yet. The Exhibition saw the development of Vancouver's underdeveloped east side (where Happyland was eventually built). Roads, transit lines were added as part of this development process. B.C. Electric Railway provided access to the fairgrounds on the Exhibition's opening day. People also were able to travel to the fair by boat via Brighton Beach or by the C.P.R. train.

Amongst the attractions that opened at the 1910 Exhibition was a dog show, band concerts, Vaudeville shows that entertained folks in the afternoons and evenings, industrial and agricultural exhibits and Skidroad - the fair's midway attraction. Skidroad offered competitive wrestling matches, snake charmers, dancing girls, Foolish House, Push House, plantation shows, and a Merry-Go-Round and Ferris Wheel. There were a number of unusual sights such as a pertrified woman that was claimed to have been unearthed in Arizona, and "The horse with the human brain." These type of shows were popular with the crowds in the early years.

In 1914, World War I broke out and the fair continued to remain open during its seasonal run and focused its theme on helping to support the war's efforts. In 1918, Battalion tents were scattered on the grounds where soldiers camped prior to joining the Canadian Expeditionary Force overseas. Drill exercises consisting of mainly drill corps were held at the 1918 Exhibition to show fair patrons that VEA (Vancouver Exhibition Association) truly supported the war effort.

Since real estate was difficult to hang on to for a once-a-year held fair event, the VEA met the growing public's demand to add a recreational center to provide more activities and attractions that would be open year round. Some of these attractions included Vancouver's first public golf course, aquarium, zoo, a major campground, and of course Happyland amusement park.

Happyland opened in the early 1920's as a means to provide employment to the youth living on the east end of Hastings Park and to help bring more entertainment to a growing rural area. New rides were added. The coaster that had operated on Hastings Park grounds in the early 1900's was replaced by the Giant Dipper which was designed by Fred Church who was a coaster designer in southern California. Soon all the other rides filled up the east side of the Exhibtion grounds. The Shoot-The-Chutes was said to have been one of the most popular rides which usually consisted of long lines of thrill seekers.

In 1925 a new entrance was added to the fairgrounds on the southwest side. Originally the main and only entrance was located on the northside. Now locals had a way to gain easier access to the grounds.

During World War II, though, the fair was forced to cease operations by the Federal government. Hastings Park became an Evacuation Center for Japanese Canadians. When the war ended the fair resumed its normal operations. In 1947, the old Exhibition became officially known as the PNE (Pacific National Exhibition) and brought in droves of excited people for the new fair season. The late 1940's brought steady growth with more exhibits, attractions and unsual and exciting entertainment to draw more fair patrons each year.

During this time period, not everything was able to maintain its measure of value or quality. Unfortunately, in 1947 the Giant Dipper had to be torn down since it not only was considered unsafe but so that the race track could be enlarged. The coaster's demise, did not affect the operation of Happyland's other rides, but this did not comfort some some fans who were heart broken, and pleaded to have it saved. In 1957, the PNE wanted to relocate the amusement park to help bring about modernization. Thus, Happyland mets its final demise.

Fortunately, a part of the Giant Dipper continues to live on today. Even though the coaster wasn't salvaged the trains were. In 1949 Robert Bollinger (then owner of the Puyallup coaster) redesigned them to fit on a newly reconstructed, roller coaster, at the Western Washington Fairgrounds in Puyallup, WA. The trains are still operating and are the last running Prior & Church open benched stock in existence today. Funtastic Traveling Shows has maintained the coaster and kept the trains in good running condition through the refurbishing process.

Today Playland operates across the PNE grounds where Happyland used to be located. The park opened in 1958 and has since then become a well loved treasure for locals and tourists world wide. In fact, on June 17, the city celebrated the wooden Coaster's 50th birthday that included free rides on Coaster, a big birthday cake, a dedication to Nina Fraley (Coaster's designer Carl Phare's daughter), and a commemoration plaque presented to ACE (American Coaster Enthusiasts) for their support of Coaster's preservation.