Oh, WONDERLAND!

So, #1 post on this blog!
I decided to do a City Daily Photo blog, because I've enjoyed so many other City Daily Photo blogs, and I've often compared other cities to my own, in a better light. So, I decided to fall in love again with my own city through pictures. Hopefully.

Now for a brief introduction to Vaughan. The City of Vaughan is located in Ontario, Canada. It is indeed a city, not a town, or township as are many municipalities outside of Toronto, Ontario. Vaughan is the city just north of Toronto. In fact, that's the actual slogan of Vaughan, Ontario "The City Above Toronto". Yes, really. For those with a sense of humour, our slogan is also a double-entendre. Its commonly believed by those living outside the Vaughan city limits (and maybe some within, you know who you are), that we are "above it all". Take that as you will. Vaughan is a very industrialized growing city. It is the home of many corporate head offices due to its proximity to Toronto and to the Toronto International Airport. Its a lovely place to live also, if you don't mind hustle and bustle. There is no end to the amount of amazing restaurants and the variety of shopping venues at your doorstep when you live in Vaughan. Well, at your driveway. No one really walks anywhere here. This is still suburbia mind you. And there is a lot of traffic and we're not short on car accidents. Just ask my car insurance provider.

Now, onto the photo at hand. I chose a photograph of Canada's Wonderland. Or "Wonderland" for short. I chose a picture of Wonderland as my debut picture on Vaughan Daily Photo (VDP), because every time someone asks me where I live, and I say "Vaughan", they say "Where? Where's that???" Then I say "Wonderland", and people say "Oh, WONDERLAND!", because everyone knows Wonderland.

Wonderland is a giant amusement park nestled right in the centre of the City of Vaughan. It is considered one of North America's largest amusement parks with over 200 attractions. Originally called "Canada's Wonderland", then bought by Paramount Pictures and renamed "Paramount Canada's Wonderland", then bought out by Cedar Fairs, it now has reverted back to its original name "Canada's Wonderland", but everyone local knows its as "Wonderland". Wonderland was built in 1972. At that time, Wonderland was "in the middle of nowhere", according to Torontonians. Vaughan in 1972 was "the middle of nowhere", or a small village of Maple, Ontario. Nowadays, Wonderland has been swallowed up by numerous new housing developments. Wonderland was lost in a sea of houses....that is...until...the behemoth.
Every year, Wonderland comes out with a new ride or attraction. The Behemoth was for 2008. Now, i know Rome wasn't built in a day, but it sure seemed that the Behemoth was. That thing went up almost overnight. You can see this ride when your'e not even IN Vaughan. To some its a great spectacle and achievement, to others, an eyesore. I'm not a fan of rollercoasters, so guess which side i sit on? The Behemoth is a $26 million dollar, 230 foot high, 75 degree angle dropping, 5,318ft long, 124km/hr steel BEAST.

For further information: http://www.canadaswonderland.com/

Enjoy! See you tomorrow ;)