Calaway Park
The park presently holds several attractions such as carnival games and 32 amusement rides, including three roller coasters.
The park was created by John McAfee, a former Red Deer lawyer, and 15 other investors from British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.
In addition to the Flintstones theme, a Victorian motif was planned for the park;[3] similar to the Grande World Exposition of 1890 in Canada's Wonderland, which opened in 1981.
It was presumed by park founders that parents' entrance fees, along with food and gift purchases, would pay operating costs.
The approval came after council sat as the Development Appeal Board over a six-week period, and included a field-trip to "similar" parks in the United States.
Bill Copithorne, councillor for the Springbank area, suggested to the media that conditions weren't specific enough for residents.
The hearing took place in June 1980; three of the councillors were disqualified by the AAC for having visited the American parks previously.
The developers argued that they felt 90 per cent of area residents wouldn't object once they visited the park and realized they'd be "proud" of it.
[8] The Flintstone Fun Park developers felt 200,000 people would visit in the first year, and somewhere between 400,000 and 500,000 annually after a decade or two.
[9] Nine land owners filed a motion in the Alberta Appeal Court in mid-July, seeking permission to challenge the ruling on the grounds that council acted contrary to both a local by-law and the Calgary regional plan, didn't adequately explain its decision, and overstepped its powers by attaching conditions.
[9] Without the ability to ask the Alberta Planning Board (APB) themselves, the Springbank Action Group (SAG) asked in February 1981 that the Calgary Regional Planning Commission or Rocky View school board refer the matter to the APB, using recent legislation that allowed it to settle the situation.
Bill Copithorne, the sole dissenting vote in the Municipal District's initial approval, was now the Rocky View reeve.
Talking at an 11 January 1982, town hall meeting organized by the new citizen's group Partners in Progress, Copithorne warned that further development would be inevitable along the Trans-Canada Highway corridor.
The director of the Calgary Regional Planning Commission disagreed with Copithorne's statement of "inevitability"; a hearing on the motel and campground were scheduled for 22 January.
McAfee, who lived a "half-mile away" from the park site, admitted he would be displeased if he could see a corkscrew roller coaster from his house.
Alberta Opportunity Co., a Crown corporation set up to finance or assist management of viable small and medium businesses in the province, was not approached, at least in the early stage.
[16] To attempt to attain profitability, the park cut admission fees, started events, and began a $1.1 million capital expansion.
All of the changes were aimed at older age groups; the child-centric Flintstones theme was considered too minor to support the large facility; dropping the licensing fees helped fund the renovations.
[6] The admission cut was based on general manager Lemaster's success at Silver Dollar City, doing the same while marking things up within the park.
Northland bought the park from its original owners, selling the new company (Calalta Amusements Ltd.) back on better terms.
Concerts included Doug and the Slugs, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, and various contemporary tribute acts.
[4] By the end of their fourth season, Calaway Park turned a profit, despite 35 bad weather days, 10 above the expected average.
[29] The park's director of marketing, Bob Williams, became known throughout the Calgary tourist attraction scene as "The Coupon King".
[33] Drop tower Free Fallin' replaced Topsy Turvy, swing ride The Dream Machine, ferris wheel Balloon Ascension, and Flying Ace were added in 2007.
[44] The Calgary Cerebral Palsy Association hosts an annual "Light Up a Child's Life" event at the park, free for mentally or physically challenged children and their parents.
Tourism Calgary reported that numbers at attractions were strong in summer 2013, including those from out of town, following the 2013 Alberta floods.
[53] Cosmic Spin was a former ride that was removed, that rotated continuously on a hydraulic arm that raises you up; which was also formerly known as Round-em' up.
Before its removal, Theodore the Tugboat play area saw multiple reports of young children receiving second degree burns due to a combination of the temperature of black rubber mats sitting in direct sunlight and Calaway Park's policy that children not wear shoes on the play structure.
[39] Super Jet was a former powered roller coaster built by Wisdom Rides that was installed at the amusement park in 2002, and removed in 2012.
[14] In 2010, it won "Best Reward and Recognition Program (Facility under 1 million)" from IAAPA's Human Resources Excellence Awards.
