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On Sept. 25, 1888, Governor General Lord Stanley and Sir John A. MacDonald, Canada's first prime minister, opened the first Central Canada Exhibition; an address was given by the first president of the CCEA, Charles Magee, at the ceremony. Admission to the fair cost 25 cents per person, 75 cents for a two-horse vehicle and 50 cents for a one-horse rig. The driver was admitted free with these costs; each additional passenger paid the 25 cents admission. These vehicles or pedestrians could enter off of Bank Street; however, since the grounds were situated on the outskirts of town, there were two alternative routes to the fair: passengers could travel via horse drawn bus, seating 12, or by steamboat, which came right to the grounds. The grounds were open from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m., at which point they were cleared, and re-opened again from 7:30 p.m. until 10 p.m., but re-entrance cost another 25 cents. |
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Sept. 25, official opening day and day two of the fair, was marred by a horrible accident. One of the feature attractions was a balloon ascension, and 22-year-old Tom Wensley had volunteered from the audience to help hold the ropes of the balloon. When the time came to release the rope, Wensley didn't, and he was lifted 1,000 feet into the air before falling to his death just west of Bank Street, close to Lansdowne Park. Despite this tragedy, the fair was a huge success. At the close, the CCEA had a debit balance of $2,282.53. The total receipts for the year were $19,797.32, with total expenses of $22,079.85. A total of $7,337.87 was awarded for prizes at the fair, most of which went to the agricultural exhibitors. Mayor McLeod Stewart, who was away in England at the time of the fair, sent several cases of champagne to the CCEA to celebrate the opening. In his absence, Acting Mayor Errat declared that Friday would be a half holiday so that people could attend the fair. The first fair was a huge success, and it was then decided that the CCE would, in fact, be an annual celebration. |
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