A sly grin came to my lips when I saw the gigantic Ferris wheel in the old port when I first arrived in the city. It was slowly spinning, and I wondered how fast it could rotate.
La Grande Roue de Montréal was inaugurated in 2017, and at 60 metres high, it’s said to be the tallest Ferris Wheel in Canada. I couldn't resist its siren call and made sure to block time out in my itinerary for a visit.
Play behaviour in animals is common and has been documented across several species including mammals, birds, fish, and so on. It seems every day I come across videos of dogs, cats, or crows engaging in play hijinks. Humans, like other large-brained animals engage in play activities for a relatively longer period of time past their juvenile stage. So, I didn’t feel too peevish about paying to revolve in a giant wheel.
I decided to visit at sunset, hoping that the sunlight would create nice deep hues and shadows. Play does not necessarily have a purposeful and functional objective, but if I could take a few snapshots, I would try to maximize the viewing conditions.
The procedure to access La Grande Roue de Montréal is fairly straight forward. Go to the old port, buy the tickets, walk up the ramp, wait for passengers to disembark, then go to your assigned cabin directed by the assistants. Beautiful. It ran like a well oiled machine (ahem!)
Speaking of which, I noticed that this particular machine was built by Dutch Wheels BV, so I knew I was in good hands. As I stood on the ramp waiting for the wheel to come to a stop, I took a few photographs, and the accompanying video. The sheer size of this thing was mind-boggling. It sure beat the flashy but small Taylor Swift Ferris Wheel that they put on the Vancouver art gallery when she was in town.
Stepping into the cabin was pure luxury. There were bench seats on either side. I read that a few of the cabins were VIP and had transparent floors. All had anti-UV tempered glass, which give the cabins a dark appearance.
The doors closed. A voice came over the speakers and made safety announcements, then a after a minute or so, the wheel groaned and began to move.
I sprang into action and began to photograph from the different angles around the old port environs including the Montreal cityscape and the St. Lawrence river flowing mightily not too far from the wheel.
The sunlight looked great, but it was casting flares all over the camera scene at one point, so I had to get creative in the small space.
I was surprised at just how smooth the ride was. Personally, I was hoping for a little more speed, but I also didn’t want to end up rolling in a giant wheel down Montreal’s historic streets. So, I guess, if you’re expecting a heart-stopping stomach-sinking blood-pumping adrenaline-infused wild ride, then this is not it, but if you enjoy smooth thrills with fantastic views from great heights, then this wheel is just perfect.
While play is not necessary for the immediate affairs of life, it does appear to have a long term influence on brain wiring and various psychological processes during key periods of development. And as I mentioned, humans are particularly special, though not unique, in that we engage in play well into our older years. It is thought to support cognitive function and social cohesion among various benefits.
I marveled at the size of the wheel. The engineering that goes into making something like this is unreal. It made three rotations in the span of about 20 minutes. This allowed me to photograph the same area from a slightly different position and with a different light as the sun raced towards the horizon.
I saw the nearby market below, where visitors could buy arts, crafts, clothing, food, jewelry, and much more.
The wheel soon slowed, and the cabin came to a precise stop on the platform. The doors opened, and I stepped out into the crisp autumnal air. It was a fun ride, and I hope you enjoyed it too.
Thank you for spinning this way.
Resource
Animal play and evolution: Seven timely research issues about enigmatic phenomena
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0149763424000861
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