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Playland is the oldest amusement park in Canada.

Originally opened in 1910, it was moved to the current location

on the fringes of Vancouver in 1958, and still

has a working wooden roller coaster built the same year.

The last World Expo in North America was held here

20 years ago, and you pass the dilapidated

remains of the fairgrounds on the way here.

The park is a little dog-eared now, in a not-so-great part of town.

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Amusement parks have a surreal atmosphrere anyway,

with sketchy carnies as recalcitrant ushers to rituals of fear and

mock torture we call "amusement." But add a rainy night,

an all but vacant park, most of which is inexplicably roped off,

and things take on a very strange and beautiful appearance indeed.

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