Mindbender roller coaster closed after 37 years at West Edmonton Mall
The Mindbender roller coaster at Galaxyland has been shut down, West Edmonton Mall announced on Monday.
The redevelopment of the area is already underway, and the roller coaster is being decommissioned and removed.
"The iconic Mindbender has been the park’s premier thrill ride since the grand opening in 1985," said Lori Bethel of WEM in a written statement. "While the Mindbender will be missed, we are excited to announce that we are working on groundbreaking new plans for family thrills that will immerse our guests in an out-of-this-world experience."
Archive video of the Mindbender roller coaster.
The Mindbender was designed by Werner Stengel and built by Anton Schwarzkopf.
It was based on the “Dreier Looping” portable rollercoaster that was built by the same team to travel to German funfairs.
Three people were killed on the roller coaster in a crash in June 1986.
The roller coaster reopened to the public in January 1987.
'SO LOVED BY ALL OF EDMONTON'
One local historian says the mall will have a tough time replacing the iconic ride.
"I don’t think there ever will be a right time to remove the Mindbender. The Mindbender is so loved by all of Edmonton and coaster enthusiasts. It’s been there since '85, '86, so most people know it as part of their lives," Matthew Dutczak, the man behind the website Best Edmonton Mall, told CTV News Edmonton, adding that removing the roller coaster will be no easy feat.
"You look back in 1985, '84, when they were building the Mindbender, they built it up outside, and they built the ceiling over it after the fact. So that space, that whole area around the Mindbender, was built for the Mindbender. Trying to pull that out, get that replaced with the ceiling in place, it seems insurmountable to me."
The mall hasn’t given a reason for closing the coaster. While there has been speculation online it is being removed to fit with Galaxyland’s new Hasbro theme, Dutczak thinks there’s likely a bigger reason.
The Mindbender roller coaster at West Edmonton Mall's Galaxyland.
"I don’t think they were aiming to replace it with something just because Hasbro was there. I think the timing is just going to work out that maybe we see a bigger transformation of Galaxyland than we once thought there would be."
Like other Edmontonians, he has fond memories of riding the Mindbender.
"It’s not smooth, it’ll rock you back and forth, it’ll jostle you, it’ll beat you up, you’ll get off and then you’ll get right back on."
"To say that there are big shoes to fill at this point is an understatement, you can’t fill the shoes of the Mindbender. I don’t know what they’re going to come up with, but they have their work cut out for them."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.