FAQ

All sales of tickets and wristbands are final.  

If you purchased your wristbands and have not redeemed your purchase on site, you can transfer/sell your purchase to someone else.

Children under 2 or under 36 inches are not permitted on any rides.

 

Others must be personally responsible to be in good health and free of conditions that may be aggravated by the rides.

For most rides people MUST be a minimum of 36″ tall. For some rides, the minimum is 42″ tall. 

Check all rides to make sure you are tall enough. We post signs that have the height requirement and any specific guidelines at each attraction.

For your safety, we strictly enforce these requirements.

Refunds are not provided for wristbands or tickets purchased for people who do not meet height requirements.

Your wristband includes access to all rides for one day. If it is a multi-day event, there is no defined day for the wristband – it can be used on any one day during the event.  

You do not have to purchase any additional tickets to get on WCA rides.

Wristbands do not include games or food.

WCA does not charge a fee to walk the midway area (non-riders,  parents, etc).  Some larger fair events, however, have a separate gate entrance fee (for example: The Prince Albert Exhibition).

Wristbands are only valid for the location you purchased for.

Wristbands are on sale now – priced at $45.00+taxes=$49.95.

Prices will go back to $55 each + taxes on August 6th

Yes. Every rider is required to have a ticket on each ride.

There are no refunds or exchanges allowed after you purchase your tickets.

If you are pregnant, you are not permitted to ride. Sorry, but there is no exception – including the carousel. 

Yes we accept both credit and debit cards. For your convenience there are ATMs available throughout the Midway and in the PAEX Main Hall.

Open at 1:00 pm till Midnight

We cannot be responsible for weather and therefore we do not offer refunds. Some rides may be closed if there are unsafe weather conditions.

Be sure to wear closed-toe shoes and avoid wearing any loose clothing.

No casts are permitted without previous approval from the Guest Relations Office

Our rides are secured with the latest safety equipment and are inspected daily. As a rider, here is a list of things you can do to help keep yourself safe:

 

  • Walk – don’t run on the midway
  • Use caution while entering and exiting all rides
  • Secure all loose articles of clothing
  • Hold on to all lap bars when riding
  • Stay in your seat while riding
  • Do not rock seats
  • Keep all hands and feet inside the cars while riding
  • Stay seated until the ride comes to a complete stop
  • Wait for ride attendant to open all restraint devices
  • Listen to the directions of the ride operators
  • Please do not talk to ride operator while the ride is in motion
  • WCA is not responsible for any personal belongings – please keep your belongings with you for find a safe place to keep them while you’re on the rides

History of West Coast Amusements

Based in British Columbia, West Coast Amusements is the largest Canadian midway operation in Western Canada, and one of the few that remains family operated. West Coast Amusements has 125 rides, employs 500 staff at peak season, and has four traveling units. From April to September, these four units coordinate to set up and operate more than 100 fairs and rodeos across Canada and into the Southern U.S. West Coast Amusements also contracts services and equipment for large gigs such as Vancouver’s Pacific National Exhibition and the Calgary Stampede.

And it is all run from the Hauser family line, and started 83 years ago with Bingo.

Irvin R. “Bingo” Hauser was born Oct. 17, 1926 in Warsaw, Poland. Less than a year later baby Irvin moved with his parents and family to Canada settling in Brandon, Manitoba. Even as a child, young Irvin was always a hardworking entrepreneur, doing any kind of odd jobs, paper route, and selling pots and pans.

At 15 yrs. of age, Irvin (Bingo) and his buddy Sonny Hazelwood left home to seek adventure with the glamorous world of the travelling carnivals, first Crescent Shows, Royal American Shows and Conklin Shows with Patty Conklin. By the time Bingo was 21 he had travelled most of Canada and spent several years doing every conceivable job related to the carnival industry. The theory is Irvin got his nickname “Bingo”, from when customers at the bingo game won they would shout “House”! (So House or Haus became Bingo.)

Bingo traces his passion for the carnival life back to the 1930’s. At this time, in Manitoba, where he grew up, the Barnum & Bailey Circus would come through his hometown. Bingo would peel potatoes, or do whatever other small jobs that needed done. In 1942, at age 16, Bingo stepped into the business. As his experience with the carnival industry grew, so did his skill and talent in the business. He operated a number of rides and concessions before going out on his own with an animal show.

At first the show only consisted of a few monkeys and two lion cubs named Simba and Jackie. He began his lion taming act with Simba. Eventually, Bingo bought a merry-go-round and soon had a growing menagerie of animals, including a bear, an alligator, and an anaconda. Simba became the star of Bingo’s show. He was beloved by Bingo and their fans, and his depiction is now immortalized in the West Coast Amusement logo.

While working a gig in Vancouver, Bingo met a young woman named Jacqueline Christmas, whose parents operated a cotton-candy booth at Shrine Circus shows. This would be the beginning; in 1962, Bingo founded West Coast Amusements.

In the 1970s, the midway became a large draw, and Bingo made the difficult decision to placed his animals in the Calgary Zoo. Together Bingo, Jackie, and many members of their extended family built West Coast Amusements into the world-class carnival operation it is today.

West Coast Amusements is located in Chilliwack, BC and continues to grow with pride.