North Bay Heritage Carousel History

North Bay Heritage Carousel History. . , In 1999, Barry Jacobs, a dedicated volunteer with the Heritage Railway Co., had a dream; a full scale carousel to complement the successful train at the North Bay Waterfront. , Rod Johnston, one of the founders of the Heritage Railway Co. embraced that dream and together he and Barry began a search for the appropriate carousel. Rod knew that local artist Edna Scott was a recognized, knowledgeable antique carousel horse collector so he went to her with questions about new fibreglass carousel figures. Edna had a passion for wooden carousels and soon convinced Rod that hand carved reproduction horses were the way to go. Since watercolours of carousel horses were part of her artistic repertoire, Edna was a logical choice to design the 33 horses, spinning tub and two chariots which grace the antique mechanism. , Twenty eight of the 33 horses were carved by Chuck Kaparich of Missoula, Montana and nine horses were carved by volunteer members of the North Bay Woodcarvers Club. All the horses were painted by teams of volunteer artists. Each horse is patterned after originals carved in the early 1900s, and represent the best of the Philadelphia, Coney Island and Fairground styles., The frame of the North Bay Heritage Carousel was built by the Herschell-Spillman Company of North Tonawanda, New York in 1908. From 1944 to 1975, the carousel operated in Meadow Brook Park in Bascom, Ohio. As was the custom of the day, when the carousel was sold, it was dismantled and the original figures, including horses, pigs, dogs and chickens, were sold at auction. Designed as an outdoor carousel, exposure to the elements and nearly a century of wear and tear made constant repairs and frequent replacement to facades and decking a necessity. The original frame was put in storage until 1999, when Todd Goings of Marion, Ohio purchased and restored it for the City of North Bay., More than 350 volunteers dedicated three years to the planning, construction and trimming of the North Bay Heritage Carousel. The many components were cleaned and repaired, or replaced if wear was excessive. A new drive unit was constructed to meet today's safety regulations and to ensure ease of operation. New facade pieces, scenery panels, rounding boards, shields etc., were fabricated then shipped to North Bay for decoration by a team of volunteer artists. , The North Bay Heritage Carousel began operation on July 1, 2002, and was an instant success with residents and visitors. The galloping horses, whirling scenery and lively music enticed more than 120,000 riders to climb aboard in the inaugural season. , This carousel is the result of the dream team's imagination, the generosity of the community, and three years of tireless effort.