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Yellowknife (July 04/01) - After four flat tires, a busted trailer hitch, 400 broken light bulbs and a damaged haunted house, M.F. Wagner Shows Ltd. rolled their hair-raising rides and candy apples into Yellowknife for the third straight year.
 Carnival-boss Judi Wagner says times have changed from when grungy, wandering carnies leered from scruffy faces and gave young girls free rides and a hard time. |
"We use up lots of hotel rooms. We buy fuel. The tire shops and rental companies. Laundry service. We spend money locally," said carnival-boss Judi Wagner.
"It took a lot of ferry trips," she said, referring to the necessary barge ride across the Mackenzie River.
She said the last 90 kilometres of unpaved, pot-holed road into Yellowknife was gruelling for drivers and equipment, taking a bite out of the bottom line.
Wagner said the net profit made in Yellowknife is low compared to southern destinations. In a similarly sized city the gross profit - the revenue taken in for ride tickets, games and food sales - - would be only 60 per cent of what they might pull in Yellowknife but overhead down south would be less.
Wagner estimated the cost of bringing the travelling fair North, not including fuel expenses, was about $8,000 more than in other parts of Canada. Two thousand light bulbs worth $1,400 had to be ordered from the States after they were broken on the bad road.
"The government makes it tough. Rides have to be inspected in every province and by insurance companies and by us."
The U.S. dollar also impacts their cost of business because rides and parts have to be ordered south of the border. A 12-bucket ferris wheel or a zipper bought from the States costs about $500,000.
But Wagner said it's worth it.
"We have been well received by the community. There is a lack of entertainment in the North," she said recalling kids lined up for rides as soon as the show started to unpack and set up.
"We are constantly competing for entertainment dollars in the south," said Wagner, explaining the road show is usually scheduled to sideline a main event like a rodeo or festival.
"For us to be a single event, we were surprised to draw as many people as we do."
Every year Wagner Shows adds more Northern destinations to their route.
"There are a lot of young families here," she said.
Despite the difficulty accessing the North, Wagner's ticket prices are the same in Yellowknife and Hay River as they are in Alberta's Rocky Mountain House or High River. Rides cost between $2.50 and $4 each.
Although the show carries their own crew, they ended up hiring four employees from Yellowknife. Last year one Yellowknifer hired on and travelled with them for the season. Even though the work is seasonal some of the regular employees have been with the show for 12 years.
She said times have changed from when the grungy, wandering carnies leered from scruffy faces and gave young girls free rides and a hard time. When looking for perspective employees, Wagner seeks the same qualities as any other employer: good manners, friendly personality and tidy appearance.
Wagner's son Justin said Whitehorse is the farthest North that the carnival has travelled.
Three years ago, when they found themselves with some unbooked time before the Whitehorse trek, Justin looked at a map and thought he saw a shortcut from Alberta through Yellowknife and across to Whitehorse. When the advance party checked it out they realized there was no good road but there was a captive audience in Yellowknife.
"If we had known the road was that bad we might not have come here," he said.
The Wagners plan to return to town the same time next year, during the Canada Day holiday.
