The Leviathan and Behemoth roller-coasters at Canada’s Wonderland may not reopen until the 2027 season, as the amusement park’s owner has launched an independent review of all the rides following a deadly incident at a Six Flags property in Georgia earlier this month. A spokesperson for Six Flags confirmed on Saturday that a timeline for reopening the Leviathan and Behemoth has not yet been established. Most of the coasters at the Vaughan, Ont., amusement park close for the winter after its Halloween events. The two coasters and six others in the U.S. and Canada have been shut down since Oct. 12 after a rider was ejected from his seat on the Goliath coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia and died. Those rides all share the same manufacturer and a similar restraint system. On Friday, the chief executive of Six Flags announced that the company will bring in independent engineers and inspectors to review the safety procedures for all rides across its parks. “Six Flags and Canada’s Wonderland have a comprehensive, multilayered safety and inspection program. The independent review we are announcing adds another layer to that work,” theme park spokesperson Kristin Fitzgerald said in a statement to CP24 on Saturday. “Rather than replacing or duplicating our existing inspection program, it will take a broader, enterprise-wide look at our safety procedures and practices to identify opportunities to further strengthen our approach.” Canada’s Wonderland is a Six Flags property after the amusement park’s owner, Cedar Fair, merged with the theme park giant in 2023. “The scope is comprehensive, and we want the experts to have the time necessary to conduct a meaningful review. We are establishing the schedule now,” Fitzgerald said. “If the review identifies an issue requiring immediate attention, we will address it promptly rather than waiting for the entire process to conclude.” Also on Friday, Six Flags announced that it was adding seatbelts as an additional restraint measure on the Goliath as well as the Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America in Illinois and Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey. Fitzgerald said the Leviathan and Behemoth already have those seat belts as an additional measure. With files from The Associated Press
