call HART crazy

call HART crazy .. but

I probably won’t go.

The Red River Exhibition is an annual carnival or county fair that has many rides, live events, gambling traps and merchants flogging their wares for everybody to spend money on. This year, it is on between June 16th and June 25th. I think it’s about 5 days early this year. Why? Probably, because for the past 25 years it rains every bloody day at this event! Maybe they think that if they book it earlier, there won’t be rain. But, there was rain over the weekend. Why? Because IT RAINS DURING THE SPRING AND SUMMER HERE IN WINNIPEG! ACCEPT IT!

At least it doesn’t rain most of the time like it does in, say Vancouver or in the UK .. and even though we are known as “Sunny Manitoba” .. we do get our share of rain storms.

About the Red River Exhibition, or “THE EX” as I like to call it.It’s a long time Winnipeg event. Ever since I can remember we had it. In fact, my brothers in the mid-1980’s tried desparately tried to get a booth with the Red River Ex and flog our wares, but was unable. We did manage to join a smaller carnival and get a booth that places like the Morris Stampede, and other small towns of Manitoba. It was fun and exciting and a learning experience - but, that’s another story.

This story is about “THE EX”. It used to be located by the (now demolished old) Winnipeg Arena and Stadium off of St. James Street. They used to have a neat casino in the basement of the Winnipeg Arena and I used to go all the time. Then, the casino became so popular they moved it permanently to the Winnipeg Convention Center. Ultimately, gambling became even hotter that they opened up a bigger permanent location atop the Fort Garry Hotel and later two new casinos and slot machine places for gambling. That’s the government for you.

So, I used to just go for the gambling. When I was younger, it was for the rides. My brothers and I would go on every single one of them … every year. It was fun. But, when I had much fun with the gambling at the casinos, I would just go to THE EX for the mini Tom Thumb donuts. Really, that’s all I ever cared about.

When I first met my wife, she would occassionally go to THE EX with her father and her neices and asked if I would go. I remember maybe blowing about $20.00 on those stupid six-arrows that spin and if any point to your dollar - you get one dollar back for every pointer. Then, she didn’t want to go on any rides .. and at that time, I cramped the girls’ “space” going on rides with them … so I ended up just following my wife around and eating Tom Thumb Donuts. You would get about 12 little donuts for $2.25 or something like that. I’d spend about $15.00

Anyway - my wife doesn’t eat donuts, and ended up going to the merchant / craft tent. We spent almost $200 of junk, errm stuff. Sure, some of that stuff was neat but most of it was for her .. jewelry, anklet bracelets, etc. All I remember was that between my $20.00 gambling losses and donuts and the price of admission .. I was down $300.00

Geesh .. Why even go?

Well - this year they were bragging about a new ride - called the Crazy Mouse Roller Coaster. Winnipeg was the 6th time this ride has been operated because THE EX guys have only had this ride for ten months. I think the point of it (I haven’t seen it so I might be totally wrong) .. is that the coaster car swirls around besides going up, down and around on the roller coaster tracks. I found this picture from some press release of 2004.

There was an accident over the weekend. Quite Sad.

Injured worker was in restricted area

Mon Jun 19 2006
By Aldo Santin

THE midway worker who was struck in the head by a roller-coaster car travelling between 40 and 56 kilometres per hour was in a restricted area and shouldn’t have been there while the ride was in operation, his boss said.
Tony Diaz, general manager of North America Midway Entertainment, said he doesn’t know why Christopher Briers, 31, had wandered into the heart of the ride while it was in operation.

“Chris was in a restricted area where no one from the general public has access to,” Diaz said, adding that Briers shouldn’t have been there either while the ride was in operation.

Briers was taken to the Health Sciences Centre after being struck in the head by a roller-coaster car just before 6 p.m. Saturday. Diaz said Briers suffered a fractured skull and has a bruised brain. He said he remains in critical condition at the HSC intensive care unit.

Diaz said the ride, the Crazy Mouse, is a new attraction for North America Midway, adding they’ve only had it for 10 months. Winnipeg is the sixth location where the ride has been used. He said there were no accidents involving the new ride until Saturday.

Diaz said the ride had been inspected by the midway firm’s own safety inspector and by provincial labour officials before the Ex opened. The ride was closed following the accident, he said. The ride was re-examined by provincial officials who could find no mechanical source for Briers’ injury, he said.
“It was deemed to have been a non-mechanical injury,” Diaz said. “So the decision was made to reopen the ride,” just before 10 p.m. Saturday. Diaz said the ride is safe for the public.

Diaz said Briers, a native of South Africa, had worked for North America Midway last year and came back again for his second season. Diaz said that Briers had been working on the Crazy Mouse since March and was familiar with its operation.

Diaz said Briers was struck at a point where the roller-coaster cars reach the bottom of a hill. “It was at the point where the roller-coaster cars come down the hill and before they go back up,” Diaz said, adding the cars would be travelling at speeds of 40-56 kilometres per hour. He said the cars at that point of the ride would be about two-thirds of a metre off the ground.

“Why (Briers) was there… it’s all speculation,” Diaz said. “He wasn’t supposed to be there and we’re still trying to figure out why he was.”

A provincial government spokesman said last night that the accident remains under investigation.

© 2006 Winnipeg Free Press. All Rights Reserved.

I think I would rather just go out to the beach … and, now that I’m on a diet - I certainly don’t need to eat 50 mini Tom-Thumb Donuts …. well, okay .. maybe only 24 of them - but you can get them at the Forks without having to pay admission!

So, we won’t be going to THE EX. But if you go - let me know! Was it worth it? Did you have fun? How much did you spend?

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