Check out Part 2: Return to the Deep. An underwater tour of the Deep Sea Adventure Lake where the submarines once operated: ua-cam.com/video/LerbZYNWWKI/v-deo.html
I was one of the "captains" that started with the opening of the rides. Cools job, subs never ran as they wanted. Would have to balance the ballast - so the sub "floated" just above the track that keep it on course. Often, we would pot the track, and would require a diver to help place the sub back "on track". Great job - I would tell people I was a U-boat commander, that we had more subs than the Canadian navy.
I was just talking about that to my daughter. I am a kiwi and visited in 89 at age 15 and the sub came of the track and we were stuck down there for sometime. I also remember the medival torture museum which was cool as I was really into the history of witchcraft and the inqustion as a teen and heavy metal. I bought my first GNR t shirt there too.
The mall really is just a sad place nowadays where vendors push their products on you. WEM really was a unique (though probably inhumane) concept back in the day when they had peacocks, penguins, flamingos, ball machines, artifacts, and even that little marketplace above Fantasyland. Remember when Bourbon Street really did feel a bit like you were in New Orleans? Good times...
doanster the mall is really sad now , I agree, I mean like the mall is still pretty unique but not as unique as before. Now the mall is just worried about being “modern” I’d rather have it like it was before when you could actually feel the ambience of everything
yeah i agree!! so sad to see it all changed and all those awesone decors they had up! it really has changed and now its just a place where u would only wanna go once in a blue moon! there nothing much to do there other than spend your money!! The Jets, dragon, clowns, etc... All gone 😔 Even galaxyland turned into kiddyland! there used to be such sick attractions! Its like $50 for adults and $35 For KIDS! Honestly just a rip off, when i was i kid i remember paying like $20 bucks!! So Sad to see it all changed!! Only place nice to go to is Simons!! Miss that old candy store by the water park, they had the best selection!!
I've got to disagree we you a bit sure they did of many fun attractions but the mall still has galaxy land the waterpark and the movie theatre plus they have many minigolf, bowling a rec room a small aquarium. I would say it's anything but sad place.
Fantasy Land was fun! You could walk in without having to pay first and look around. Back in the early 80’s, I would sometimes skip school and go to the arcade. It’s not the same anymore. It’s all about the money
I was on the submarine in 1995 or 1996. I would agree it is the kind of thing you would likely only do once, or wait a few years before trying it again. The decision to deck over part of the lake to add a place for "street vendors" who charge out at anyone walking by to push their products is pathetic.
Malls should forbid that kind of aggressive marketing. I worked at a camera shop in high school, and the same marketers would lunge at me *every* day on my way to lunch, despite the fact that I was in UNIFORM. That kind of tactic repulses people. It wouldn't surprise me if it drives people away from the nearby stores.
I was a diver for West Edm. Mall for 3 years. I was one of the divers putting on the shark feeding show with the sea turtles also. It was a fun but stressful job at times. I always felt bad for the animals housed in the aquariums. Things went on there that should never happen outside the publics eye. I stopped working there for that reason. After my departure the Live animal feeding shows stopped and so did keeping up with the maintenance of the submarines. Turns out they didn't have another diver to fill my shoes ... :) good .
I was a captain on the sub ride for the last three years that it ran. I loved that job, but it was always a really huge challenge to make the ride interesting. A lot of the things inside the lake had long stopped working and looked all washed out from the chlorine. There was still the actual fish tanks on starboard side, but port side had almost nothing. I worked hard to learn marine facts and turned my rides into an educational tour, but that only helped so much. Also, the subs kept breaking down. There were pressure gauges in the subs to tell you where you were in relation to the track, and most of them didn't work anymore resulting in a lot of times where the ride would need to be rescued by scuba divers. They made the right call to shut it down, even though it pains me to say it. Poor old subs. I loved driving #3 the most.
@billy vandory I do remember a Brad, but I honestly don't remember his last name. I was there for 3 or so years if I were to guess, probably from about 1999-2002.
Good video on the Submarines at WEM. I live in Edmonton and go to WEM sometimes. I WAS wondering what happened to them. So thanks for the informative video even if it's a sad one.
My first job out of high school in 87 was working at Deep Sea Adventure. I was a dock hand and then a captain. It was a lot of fun and we got to meet people from all over the world that would come to West Ed. It was sad to see this attraction go along with other things in the mall. It's just not the same and it's really like any other mall now. Thanks for the video and the memories! There is an alumni page on facebook for those that worked here or in "Fantasyland", World Water Park, Pebble Beach Golf, etc.
Steve Norstrom hey that’s interesting. Do you remember any of the robotic features like the squid attack and the mechanical T. rex with the snake around it? I used to love that stuff. Maybe you can answer my question: I never got to see it “working”, but did the huge clam shell by the Santa Maria used to open up during the ride? I’ve always wondered thanks.
I moved to Canada when I was 4. This was back in 2003. Absolutely loved the submarines and the mall. Never had seen anything like it in the UK. The submarines were magical, having been a fan of underwater exploration and films like 20,000 leagues under the sea and Disney's Atlantis. One of the highlights of going on the sub was when a diver came over and said hello through the porthole. An amazing experience, a shame it's gone now. Glad I caught it when I did. (Got a matchbox submarine set from the mall for crimbo :) )
I performed at the grand opening of the "Deep Sea Adventure." The production was a California Beach scene; a "Baywatch" theme before Baywatch. I met my soon to be wife on the job, we traveled from California for the event. We were very taken by the mall, and Edmonton. We spent some quality time at "Goose Loonies." Great people up there, but COLD! Shout out to long lost friends Mickey Mcarthy and Dwayne Drosdiak. K:-)
This is a punch right in the childhood. My parents always said they would one day take me on it but never did, and when I was older, I felt like it was a kiddie ride. I would've loved to have experienced it when it was new, was so sad to see it go.
I do remember, and was on them many times. Sad to see them go. I moved away from Edmonton before they were gone and had no idea they were removed till a trip back in 2015.
I visited the west edmonton mall once. I don't remember exactly what year it was but it was after the submarine ride was closed. I remember looking for the submarines while walking next to the lake. When I saw them sitting idle I was a little disapointed. I remembered hearing about the west edmonton mall when I was a kid back in the 80's. I remember that a trip to the west edmonton mall used to be a prize on some kids game shows I watched as a kid.
I live in edmonton and loved the submarines as a kid. It was super cheap and such a cool attraction. There's a bunch of stuff under the lake that you could only see from the submarine (my favorite was the giant octopus attacking a submarine which is still there under the booster juice but it's hard to see from above the water) West edmonton mall sucks now. The watermark is by far the most disgusting place in the entire mall
Won a trip to WEM through a radio station stayed in the hotel at the mall back '88. Went on the sub ride and thought it was pretty cool experience back then.
I guess I fell into the tourist class... My family went up to WEM from Calgary at least once a year or so in the 80's and early 90's. As far as I knew, there wasn't even anything more to Edmonton than the mall :) The submarines were my favourite part of it... Out here on the prairies, it was the closest thing to a sense of far flung marine adventure. Plus the fact that it had real fish on exhibit was even more amazing. Seeing what's left of it today brings back a flood of childhood memories every time I end up back in Edmonton.
Another former “captain” here. I piloted these class A-1 submersibles the summer of 2001. My favourite moment was stopping the sub just outside the dolphin tank where there was a window looking through. I shut off the engine and told my guests that if they waved to Howard and Mavis they’d wave back. (I was told this by another captain but never witnessed this.) This time one of the dolphins waved back. It was an awesome experience. Shortly after both dolphins passed away. I’ll never forget them.
I remember in Grade 1, I went on a field trip to West Edmonton Mall back in 2003 to go on the submarine. I remember it a little bit. I always was curious about it. Didn't realize it was gone until now.
I remember going on one of these when I was so little on a field trip with school, I think about it quite often! At that age, it seemed so magical and just like the movies! Definitely a one of a kind experience. It makes me sad to know that they are no longer running although I completely get why they’re not.
I was lucky enough to go on a submarine there one time when me and my grandparents visited relatives in Edmonton one summer. It was a really interesting experience. If I recall correctly, the view from the sub windows was mostly of the very physically close nearby man made underwater imitation mountains (think a city block away or less.) Once in a while small multi coloured fish darted past. We passed several areas that looked like cave entrances that had been caved in by avalanches. One of the most interesting thing I remember was the tour guide telling everyone stories about how several other subs had been lost. Most subs had been lost to people ceashing into the walls. One had alparently been lost to damage from a large squid.
I thought I was insane for remembering this ride! No one I know remembered it, eventually I thought I made it up, but I'm so glad I remembered properly!
I remember riding those submarines when we visited relatives in Canada for our summer vacation back in (I think) 1990. I can remember being completely overwhelmed as a 12 y.o. little guy - first that ginormous mall the like of which I'd never seen before and then getting into that submarine and going underwater in a real fricking submarine. It was soooo awesome! One of my fondest childhood memories. Pity that the place seems to have lost much of its former glory today.
The beginning of 89 was when I went to the mall my first time, I was 11. I went on every ride and attraction in the mall even stayed in the Polynesia room, it was a great time for the mall and great childhood memories.
A lot of my family lives in Edmonton, so I've been to the mall a lot, especially when I was a kid. I always begged my mom to take a submarine ride, and she always said next time, next time. And then one year they were closed. I never got to ride the submarines, but I always wanted to.
I went on the submarines only once when I was quite young and I barely remember any of it! I wish I could've gone again when I was older so I could remember it! It's too bad they spent all that time decorating the bottom of the lake and now no one can even see most of it! such a shame. even if they did like a walk through glass tunnel through the lake so you could see down there I think that would be awesome! Oh and they need to bring the fish and sharks back!!! Thanks for all your work on your videos! Everyone who lives in the region should be subscribed to your channel!
I was too young to ride the subs, as I was born in 2004. I did, however, see a few subs in my youth, and am still able to point out the abandoned tracks and old sub docks, which are still there.
As the only likely threats at sea these days are eco-disasters from oil or fishing industries, or smuggling, and our navy is pretty lazy, excusing themselves and any duty from these things, Canadians could save a fair bit o' money by dissolving the navy. Just arm the fishing boats and pay them as volunteers. :)
We drove from calgary a few times to go there....and when I was older and beer was involved that lake was pretty fun skinny dipping place when the mall closed but hotel and restaurants were still open....ahhh the good old days
We stopped at the West Edmonton Mall on our way home to Ontario from Expo 86 in early August . We arrived at the mall just after the deadly accident on the roller coaster and the subs weren’t running because a gasket had leaked on one the day before so they were all shut down. The indoor water park was enough to keep us occupied for the time there.
I was here yesterday. I thought the Derby would be cool. I went on the sub when I was a kid. Fond memories. Not often I come to Edmonton but I have great memories of this mall.
I got to ride them twice in my life once as a kid when we moved to AK from the lower 48 and once as an adult when I moved back. Good memories to bad it's gone.
I went on it once or twice when I was a small kid, and once again at 12 in 2001. I couldn't find it in 2005 so I didn't know that it lasted until 2012. A sad but real ending for one of the most unique things at WEM.
I actually remember going on the submarines, and regret not going once more before they were shut down. It was a pretty cool thing to have in the middle of the mall, and it was actually pretty depressing watching them get cut apart by divers.
I went there when I was a kid in the 90’s I had never seen a mall like that before. We had a family reunion there and my family stayed in the themed hotel as well. We got the Roman room but the Hollywood room was my favorite. The sun ride was awesome!!
Loved the subs...took a couple of rides on them shortly after it opened in the 80s. Would love to see a video on what happened with all the sea life when the ride closed.
When I did live in Canada I did go to WEM many times, starting around 2015. Whenever we did go by that area I did see the track under the water but I wasn’t aware of what ran on it. I do remember thinking that it might have had a boat or a submarine on it but I never saw signs of that. It is very interesting to finally know what used to be there and the history of this great mall
When I was in kindergarten or grade one (2001/2002) , I got to go on a submarine ride for a birthday party. 🎉 I don’t recall seeing aquatic life, however it was a totally amazing experience! I remember seeing the derby things; but unfortunately never got to ride one while they were in operation.
I remembered the submarines. I went on when I was around 4 or five. I don’t remember when they were taken out but I also remember going onto those squirt water at each other derbies when I was like 8 or 6. I made a ton of great memories there and I intend to make a ton more 😬
I remember going on both attractions as a kid. I remember seeing the subs sitting there for years. Wish they could bring back these attractions. I would go with my kids
There is one attraction that you are missing for the lake, though many didn't know about it but you could actually pay to have and actual walk along the bottom of the lake using an old school looking divers helmet that is being filled with air from the surface. I dont know if they still off this thought. You would enter the water from inside the pirate ship and have the ability to walk all of the way around the ship and walk by the deep sea adventure tanks which hold an assortment of sea life and pinguens. I have no idea of the cost per person per visit but I remember when I was younger seeing people walking around down there with the helmets on in their swimsuits (so I don't think they were maintenance people). This was around early 2000-2005 if I remember correctly.
@@cowboylike_zoe the actual shark tanks in the Sea Life Caverns attraction are far smaller than the lake. I think the real reason is so many throwing coins and other crap in the water would be hazardous to the animals.
I remember a family vacation as a kid in the late 80's we went from BC to AB camping in Jasper and Banff along the way. Eventually we stopped in to WEM and I got to ride the submarines. I remember talking to the captain and asked if the subs ever went off track. He said yes. I asked if it happened often, he replied "You wouldn't want to know" 😅
Same here, I went in 97 the first time. Everyone from back home (eastern Canada) that came to visit me wanted to go in those subs when they got to the mall. I ended going a lot more than I wanted to. The bumper boats where awesome though. I also got to see one of the major boy bands at the time (can't remember which one) but they put on a short show for free. A lot of big bands put on a small show for an hour or so. There was a huge HMV store right there. I lived close by, so me and my bud's would go there all the time on our time off. There's an indoor firing range, and they used to have the best Hooter's, then you could go to a sports Store and take an elevator to the roof where there was an awesome multi level automated driving range. You could rock climb and bungee jump, watch an Imax flic and eat in really great restaurants . We spent hours having fun under one roof. That was 2 decades ago though. Great memories of that place, thanks for the video.
Omg Playdium!!!! And Circuit Circus. 😍😍😍 I skipped school many a day and spent the entire time there before hopping the bus home when I was in jr high. Hahahaha. Those were the days.
If I am not mistaken, I believe the 20,000 leagues sub ride at Disneyland was in service a number of years before the West Edmonton mall, decades in fact. Disneylands attraction, the undersea adventure, which featured a ride on submarines, opened on June 14, 1959, as one of the first rides to require an E ticket. It later was renamed and revamped to look like the nautilis from Disney's 20,000 league's movie. I've ridden on both Disney's submarine when I was very young, and the WEM sub rides. First time I rode on the WEM ride, it was so similar to Disneys design that I had thought they bought the subs from Disney.
The main difference is that Disneyland's subs aren't real submarines. They're submerged ride cars designed to look like subs. The main difference is that WEMs were actually manufactured submarines which would be able to sustain life if submerged in the sea.
I was out there in June 1988 with some other military people from CFB Trenton while CFB Namao was still operating before the Army took over. We were for 3 weeks spent a lot of free time in Mall.
I never got to ride the submarines but I remember them being there, it was cool to see as a kid and I always wanted to ride them. It's a shame they're gone now.
Check out Part 2: Return to the Deep. An underwater tour of the Deep Sea Adventure Lake where the submarines once operated: ua-cam.com/video/LerbZYNWWKI/v-deo.html
I was one of the "captains" that started with the opening of the rides. Cools job, subs never ran as they wanted. Would have to balance the ballast - so the sub "floated" just above the track that keep it on course. Often, we would pot the track, and would require a diver to help place the sub back "on track". Great job - I would tell people I was a U-boat commander, that we had more subs than the Canadian navy.
Do you have a picture of the control panel? What propelled the sub?
awesome lol
I was just talking about that to my daughter. I am a kiwi and visited in 89 at age 15 and the sub came of the track and we were stuck down there for sometime. I also remember the medival
torture museum which was cool as I was really into the history of witchcraft and the inqustion as a teen and heavy metal. I bought my first GNR t shirt there too.
Same, worked at dsa in 2002
youd think considering it was already on a track theyd just have it driven on a rail completeley like a underwater monorail
The mall really is just a sad place nowadays where vendors push their products on you. WEM really was a unique (though probably inhumane) concept back in the day when they had peacocks, penguins, flamingos, ball machines, artifacts, and even that little marketplace above Fantasyland. Remember when Bourbon Street really did feel a bit like you were in New Orleans? Good times...
doanster the mall is really sad now , I agree, I mean like the mall is still pretty unique but not as unique as before. Now the mall is just worried about being “modern” I’d rather have it like it was before when you could actually feel the ambience of everything
yeah i agree!! so sad to see it all changed and all those awesone decors they had up! it really has changed and now its just a place where u would only wanna go once in a blue moon! there nothing much to do there other than spend your money!! The Jets, dragon, clowns, etc... All gone 😔 Even galaxyland turned into kiddyland! there used to be such sick attractions! Its like $50 for adults and $35 For KIDS! Honestly just a rip off, when i was i kid i remember paying like $20 bucks!! So Sad to see it all changed!! Only place nice to go to is Simons!! Miss that old candy store by the water park, they had the best selection!!
I've got to disagree we you a bit sure they did of many fun attractions but the mall still has galaxy land the waterpark and the movie theatre plus they have many minigolf, bowling a rec room a small aquarium. I would say it's anything but sad place.
doanster Not to mention getting rid of the dragon.... :(
That was my favourite thing about WEM. 😔
Fantasy Land was fun! You could walk in without having to pay first and look around. Back in the early 80’s, I would sometimes skip school and go to the arcade. It’s not the same anymore. It’s all about the money
I was on the submarine in 1995 or 1996. I would agree it is the kind of thing you would likely only do once, or wait a few years before trying it again.
The decision to deck over part of the lake to add a place for "street vendors" who charge out at anyone walking by to push their products is pathetic.
Lake Nipissing the rent in the mall has gotten so high that many places can’t get in unless they settle for a kiosk. That’s why there’s so many now
I live right by lake nippising
They also took out the the T-Rex in the water statue!!!
Malls should forbid that kind of aggressive marketing. I worked at a camera shop in high school, and the same marketers would lunge at me *every* day on my way to lunch, despite the fact that I was in UNIFORM.
That kind of tactic repulses people. It wouldn't surprise me if it drives people away from the nearby stores.
I would ride it more than once it looks relaxing. I love scenenic rides
I was a diver for West Edm. Mall for 3 years. I was one of the divers putting on the shark feeding show with the sea turtles also. It was a fun but stressful job at times. I always felt bad for the animals housed in the aquariums. Things went on there that should never happen outside the publics eye. I stopped working there for that reason. After my departure the Live animal feeding shows stopped and so did keeping up with the maintenance of the submarines. Turns out they didn't have another diver to fill my shoes ... :) good .
Brad Majors really? What things happened in the aquariums?
Did they ever bring up the diver that was killed in the tank?
what happened?
Brad Majors they still have shows but with sea-lines, absolutely terrible.
If you quitting means at least some of the sea life made it out to a better & bigger place to swim, thank you.
I was a captain on the sub ride for the last three years that it ran. I loved that job, but it was always a really huge challenge to make the ride interesting. A lot of the things inside the lake had long stopped working and looked all washed out from the chlorine. There was still the actual fish tanks on starboard side, but port side had almost nothing. I worked hard to learn marine facts and turned my rides into an educational tour, but that only helped so much. Also, the subs kept breaking down. There were pressure gauges in the subs to tell you where you were in relation to the track, and most of them didn't work anymore resulting in a lot of times where the ride would need to be rescued by scuba divers. They made the right call to shut it down, even though it pains me to say it. Poor old subs. I loved driving #3 the most.
What used to be in the lagoon? I remember a big octopus.
This was my very first job about 19 years ago. I made some fantastic friends and still have fond memories of the experience.
@billy vandory I do remember a Brad, but I honestly don't remember his last name. I was there for 3 or so years if I were to guess, probably from about 1999-2002.
Good video on the Submarines at WEM. I live in Edmonton and go to WEM sometimes. I WAS wondering what happened to them. So thanks for the informative video even if it's a sad one.
Glad you liked it!
I wasn't alive when there were submarines at Wem but huh that's pretty cool
I miss bourbon st in the 1980s. I miss the vibe of the mall from that era. Its long lost now :(
Those were good years.
My first job out of high school in 87 was working at Deep Sea Adventure. I was a dock hand and then a captain. It was a lot of fun and we got to meet people from all over the world that would come to West Ed. It was sad to see this attraction go along with other things in the mall. It's just not the same and it's really like any other mall now. Thanks for the video and the memories! There is an alumni page on facebook for those that worked here or in "Fantasyland", World Water Park, Pebble Beach Golf, etc.
"I'm the Captain now"
Steve Norstrom hey that’s interesting. Do you remember any of the robotic features like the squid attack and the mechanical T. rex with the snake around it? I used to love that stuff. Maybe you can answer my question: I never got to see it “working”, but did the huge clam shell by the Santa Maria used to open up during the ride? I’ve always wondered thanks.
I moved to Canada when I was 4. This was back in 2003. Absolutely loved the submarines and the mall. Never had seen anything like it in the UK. The submarines were magical, having been a fan of underwater exploration and films like 20,000 leagues under the sea and Disney's Atlantis. One of the highlights of going on the sub was when a diver came over and said hello through the porthole. An amazing experience, a shame it's gone now. Glad I caught it when I did.
(Got a matchbox submarine set from the mall for crimbo :) )
Hard to believe that once upon a time, WEM had a submarine fleet the same in numbers as the Royal Canadian Navy.
We only have four diesel boats (submarines)
Yup!!!
The "royal" Canadian Navy thanks to that royal zionist harpercrite eh... Öö
@@aspincelaframboise5300 doesn't really matter who, it's all politricks
I remember these submarines very well in the early nineties when I visited West Ed! I was 6-7 yrs old. I miss that place so much. It’s amazing
I do reamber riding on subs. I was at WEM the night the coaster came off. I was on the ride 30 min prior before it came off.
@@sevendyseven4090 Sorry no. That was 37 years ago and I was 18.
I performed at the grand opening of the "Deep Sea Adventure." The production was a California Beach scene; a "Baywatch" theme before Baywatch. I met my soon to be wife on the job, we traveled from California for the event. We were very taken by the mall, and Edmonton. We spent some quality time at "Goose Loonies." Great people up there, but COLD! Shout out to long lost friends Mickey Mcarthy and Dwayne Drosdiak. K:-)
This is a punch right in the childhood. My parents always said they would one day take me on it but never did, and when I was older, I felt like it was a kiddie ride. I would've loved to have experienced it when it was new, was so sad to see it go.
I do remember, and was on them many times. Sad to see them go. I moved away from Edmonton before they were gone and had no idea they were removed till a trip back in 2015.
I just got back from the mall in Edmonton it now has swan boats that you can rent. I did it, and it was fun. Whould i do it again, probably
I visited the west edmonton mall once. I don't remember exactly what year it was but it was after the submarine ride was closed. I remember looking for the submarines while walking next to the lake. When I saw them sitting idle I was a little disapointed. I remembered hearing about the west edmonton mall when I was a kid back in the 80's. I remember that a trip to the west edmonton mall used to be a prize on some kids game shows I watched as a kid.
I live in edmonton and loved the submarines as a kid. It was super cheap and such a cool attraction. There's a bunch of stuff under the lake that you could only see from the submarine (my favorite was the giant octopus attacking a submarine which is still there under the booster juice but it's hard to see from above the water)
West edmonton mall sucks now. The watermark is by far the most disgusting place in the entire mall
Won a trip to WEM through a radio station stayed in the hotel at the mall back '88. Went on the sub ride and thought it was pretty cool experience back then.
I miss them! That kiosk platform makes me ill.
I guess I fell into the tourist class... My family went up to WEM from Calgary at least once a year or so in the 80's and early 90's. As far as I knew, there wasn't even anything more to Edmonton than the mall :) The submarines were my favourite part of it... Out here on the prairies, it was the closest thing to a sense of far flung marine adventure. Plus the fact that it had real fish on exhibit was even more amazing. Seeing what's left of it today brings back a flood of childhood memories every time I end up back in Edmonton.
Another former “captain” here. I piloted these class A-1 submersibles the summer of 2001. My favourite moment was stopping the sub just outside the dolphin tank where there was a window looking through. I shut off the engine and told my guests that if they waved to Howard and Mavis they’d wave back. (I was told this by another captain but never witnessed this.) This time one of the dolphins waved back. It was an awesome experience. Shortly after both dolphins passed away. I’ll never forget them.
😢Rip howard and mavis
I remember in Grade 1, I went on a field trip to West Edmonton Mall back in 2003 to go on the submarine. I remember it a little bit. I always was curious about it. Didn't realize it was gone until now.
I was born in 95 so a lot of the stuff featured on this channel I wasn’t around to see back then but this I do remember and it was pretty cool.
I remember going on one of these when I was so little on a field trip with school, I think about it quite often! At that age, it seemed so magical and just like the movies! Definitely a one of a kind experience. It makes me sad to know that they are no longer running although I completely get why they’re not.
this channel is great - thanks from a new edmontonian
I remember doing it when i was young, sometime in the mid 90's. I didn't realize they had taken the subs out but thanks for the great video.
I don't even live in Canada, never even been to the mall, but yet here I am watching your videos.
I was lucky enough to go on a submarine there one time when me and my grandparents visited relatives in Edmonton one summer. It was a really interesting experience. If I recall correctly, the view from the sub windows was mostly of the very physically close nearby man made underwater imitation mountains (think a city block away or less.) Once in a while small multi coloured fish darted past. We passed several areas that looked like cave entrances that had been caved in by avalanches. One of the most interesting thing I remember
was the tour guide telling everyone stories about how several other subs had been lost.
Most subs had been lost to people ceashing into the walls. One had alparently been lost to damage from a large squid.
I thought I was insane for remembering this ride! No one I know remembered it, eventually I thought I made it up, but I'm so glad I remembered properly!
OHHH THIS IS THR MALL WHERE THE TWO GUYS JUMPED IN THE WATER OMG THIS IS LEGEND
I have so many fond memories of being on it as a kid. It's sad to hear it was shut down. =(
great memories late 80s age 4 with the best family a kid could ask for. thanks for the video.
Thanks for the video...it answered my question thoroughly
I went on the sub when i was a kid and loved every minute of it. It truly was a great mall back then
That’s awesome scenery thank you for sharing
I rode these once in kindergarten, and never got a chance to again. I remember it being fun.
I remember riding those submarines when we visited relatives in Canada for our summer vacation back in (I think) 1990.
I can remember being completely overwhelmed as a 12 y.o. little guy - first that ginormous mall the like of which I'd never seen before and then getting into that submarine and going underwater in a real fricking submarine.
It was soooo awesome! One of my fondest childhood memories.
Pity that the place seems to have lost much of its former glory today.
This is the most random topic I have ever seen on UA-cam! But, I'm gonna watch
I was on it once; when I was 9. Looking back; it was a few years before it closed. I enjoyed it I guess! its hard to remember when you are a kid.
Watching all these channels videos makes me cry from the nostalgia
Thanks for the memory!
The beginning of 89 was when I went to the mall my first time, I was 11. I went on every ride and attraction in the mall even stayed in the Polynesia room, it was a great time for the mall and great childhood memories.
A lot of my family lives in Edmonton, so I've been to the mall a lot, especially when I was a kid. I always begged my mom to take a submarine ride, and she always said next time, next time. And then one year they were closed. I never got to ride the submarines, but I always wanted to.
I went on the submarines only once when I was quite young and I barely remember any of it! I wish I could've gone again when I was older so I could remember it! It's too bad they spent all that time decorating the bottom of the lake and now no one can even see most of it! such a shame. even if they did like a walk through glass tunnel through the lake so you could see down there I think that would be awesome! Oh and they need to bring the fish and sharks back!!!
Thanks for all your work on your videos! Everyone who lives in the region should be subscribed to your channel!
I remember seeing those subs sitting around. Always wondered if they were props or rideable.
I was too young to ride the subs, as I was born in 2004. I did, however, see a few subs in my youth, and am still able to point out the abandoned tracks and old sub docks, which are still there.
I remember going back when I was a kid. It was one of the best memories I had of the mall and it’s too bad more people weren’t able to experience it
if they worked they'd still have more subs than our Navy
Jordan Woodford lol
As the only likely threats at sea these days are eco-disasters from oil or fishing industries, or smuggling, and our navy is pretty lazy, excusing themselves and any duty from these things, Canadians could save a fair bit o' money by dissolving the navy. Just arm the fishing boats and pay them as volunteers. :)
I miss 80s to 90s west edmonton mall. My mom went into labour with me in that mall haha
We drove from calgary a few times to go there....and when I was older and beer was involved that lake was pretty fun skinny dipping place when the mall closed but hotel and restaurants were still open....ahhh the good old days
We stopped at the West Edmonton Mall on our way home to Ontario from Expo 86 in early August . We arrived at the mall just after the deadly accident on the roller coaster and the subs weren’t running because a gasket had leaked on one the day before so they were all shut down.
The indoor water park was enough to keep us occupied for the time there.
Got to ride once! I was 8 and we stopped there on our way to Vancouver Island.
I grew up making yearly visits with the family to Edmonton from PG. Late 80's to early 90's there were the best!
Great video ! I went on the subs when I was around 12 ... The kid next to me was sick and we all had to be evacuated !
I remember riding it back in 2004 and I really enjoying it but that's the joy of being a child you see things for being great
I was here yesterday. I thought the Derby would be cool. I went on the sub when I was a kid. Fond memories. Not often I come to Edmonton but I have great memories of this mall.
I got to ride them twice in my life once as a kid when we moved to AK from the lower 48 and once as an adult when I moved back. Good memories to bad it's gone.
I went on it once or twice when I was a small kid, and once again at 12 in 2001. I couldn't find it in 2005 so I didn't know that it lasted until 2012. A sad but real ending for one of the most unique things at WEM.
I actually remember going on the submarines, and regret not going once more before they were shut down.
It was a pretty cool thing to have in the middle of the mall, and it was actually pretty depressing watching them get cut apart by divers.
Thanx 4 this presentation.
I remember riding one when I was a kid. I loved it. Sad to see that it went but it makes sense of why it’s gone now
I went there when I was a kid in the 90’s I had never seen a mall like that before. We had a family reunion there and my family stayed in the themed hotel as well. We got the Roman room but the Hollywood room was my favorite. The sun ride was awesome!!
i rode the subs when i was a kid, and never cared to do it again. I remember seeing them just sprawled about in the water after it's closure.
I remember the bumper boats, but then again, i never set foot in the WEM until 2008 because I was living in Ontario up until late 2007
I went on these in 86
Shopped a lot at West Ed in 2002 and just took my 3 kids there in March.
Always go there when im in Canada.🇦🇺🇦🇺
Loved the subs...took a couple of rides on them shortly after it opened in the 80s. Would love to see a video on what happened with all the sea life when the ride closed.
When I did live in Canada I did go to WEM many times, starting around 2015. Whenever we did go by that area I did see the track under the water but I wasn’t aware of what ran on it. I do remember thinking that it might have had a boat or a submarine on it but I never saw signs of that. It is very interesting to finally know what used to be there and the history of this great mall
I've only heard of this mall through these videos and it sounds like it used to be so cool.
When I was in kindergarten or grade one (2001/2002) , I got to go on a submarine ride for a birthday party. 🎉 I don’t recall seeing aquatic life, however it was a totally amazing experience! I remember seeing the derby things; but unfortunately never got to ride one while they were in operation.
I remembered the submarines. I went on when I was around 4 or five. I don’t remember when they were taken out but I also remember going onto those squirt water at each other derbies when I was like 8 or 6. I made a ton of great memories there and I intend to make a ton more 😬
Man, I was so excited as a child, I loved this attraction.
I'm actually glad I got to ride this ride before they shut down maybe in 2003 or 2004.
I heard the subs are now being used in the Canadian Navy
Nope, they were scrapped.
I remember going on both attractions as a kid. I remember seeing the subs sitting there for years. Wish they could bring back these attractions. I would go with my kids
Me and my dad rode that submarine when I was about 5. Still remember it well.
Anyone remember that area with shops up that escalator in galaxy land ? Over by the train ride entrance, it's covered up now
i live in Saskatchewan and went to the mall but i have never rode on it. it looks really fun.
In 2005 me my sister my Dad my Mom and my 2 grandparents were literally the last people to ride the submarine I wish WEM brought them back
I only got to ride the subs once as a kid but I have very fond memories of it. This sort of thing really affects the imagination of a kid.
I was up here in 1998 and loved it.
Great video, I did ride the subs back in the day.
There is one attraction that you are missing for the lake, though many didn't know about it but you could actually pay to have and actual walk along the bottom of the lake using an old school looking divers helmet that is being filled with air from the surface. I dont know if they still off this thought. You would enter the water from inside the pirate ship and have the ability to walk all of the way around the ship and walk by the deep sea adventure tanks which hold an assortment of sea life and pinguens. I have no idea of the cost per person per visit but I remember when I was younger seeing people walking around down there with the helmets on in their swimsuits (so I don't think they were maintenance people). This was around early 2000-2005 if I remember correctly.
I remember going on this! It was the coolest thing EVER for a kid so sad it stopped.
I believe that I read somewhere that the subs were held for a while, hoping something else would purchase them, but ultimately they were scrapped.
I remember riding them a few times when I was kid, it was a blast.
They should just put sharks in the water for when people jump in 😂
Brook’s Pets the lake isn’t big enough for sharks but her maybe it would stop peope
Lol
@@cowboylike_zoe the actual shark tanks in the Sea Life Caverns attraction are far smaller than the lake. I think the real reason is so many throwing coins and other crap in the water would be hazardous to the animals.
The fish and sharks were never actually in the lake they where behind a glass panel at least that’s what my dad told me
And put lasers on the sharks and havea Dr Evil midget watching over
Yes I remember the subs, I rode on them in 2001 when I visited Edmonton that year.
I remember a family vacation as a kid in the late 80's we went from BC to AB camping in Jasper and Banff along the way. Eventually we stopped in to WEM and I got to ride the submarines. I remember talking to the captain and asked if the subs ever went off track. He said yes. I asked if it happened often, he replied "You wouldn't want to know" 😅
Same here, I went in 97 the first time. Everyone from back home (eastern Canada) that came to visit me wanted to go in those subs when they got to the mall. I ended going a lot more than I wanted to. The bumper boats where awesome though. I also got to see one of the major boy bands at the time (can't remember which one) but they put on a short show for free. A lot of big bands put on a small show for an hour or so. There was a huge HMV store right there. I lived close by, so me and my bud's would go there all the time on our time off. There's an indoor firing range, and they used to have the best Hooter's, then you could go to a sports Store and take an elevator to the roof where there was an awesome multi level automated driving range. You could rock climb and bungee jump, watch an Imax flic and eat in really great restaurants . We spent hours having fun under one roof. That was 2 decades ago though. Great memories of that place, thanks for the video.
I was there recently and wondered what happened to them. I was a kid the last time I was there and they had them. I loved the ride as a kid.
How about those of us that even remember how much fun going to the mall even was, and when we got to go to the arcade... How about that memory?
Omg Playdium!!!! And Circuit Circus. 😍😍😍 I skipped school many a day and spent the entire time there before hopping the bus home when I was in jr high. Hahahaha. Those were the days.
I remember the little boat things I wish they hade those still I never really got to ride them yet
Wow! 25 minute ride is pretty epic.
Was a huge part of my child hood growing up in Alberta during the 80’s
If I am not mistaken, I believe the 20,000 leagues sub ride at Disneyland was in service a number of years before the West Edmonton mall, decades in fact. Disneylands attraction, the undersea adventure, which featured a ride on submarines, opened on June 14, 1959, as one of the first rides to require an E ticket. It later was renamed and revamped to look like the nautilis from Disney's 20,000 league's movie. I've ridden on both Disney's submarine when I was very young, and the WEM sub rides. First time I rode on the WEM ride, it was so similar to Disneys design that I had thought they bought the subs from Disney.
The main difference is that Disneyland's subs aren't real submarines. They're submerged ride cars designed to look like subs.
The main difference is that WEMs were actually manufactured submarines which would be able to sustain life if submerged in the sea.
And the difference, there not real sea life there fake.
I was out there in June 1988 with some other military people from CFB Trenton while CFB Namao was still operating before the Army took over. We were for 3 weeks spent a lot of free time in Mall.
I never got to ride the submarines but I remember them being there, it was cool to see as a kid and I always wanted to ride them. It's a shame they're gone now.