”Were you ever a little girl and wanted to join the circus?  Well, I did.”  Wanda laughed.  She was standing inside the fence of the Scrambler, one of the Majors.  The Majors are the more death-defying rides at the Midway.

Wanda joined the Carnival this year, and she’s having fun.  The most enjoyable part of her job is the ”smiles on everyone’s faces,” when they get off the rides.

Enjoying travelling is an important element of this work.  As is being outside.

Being outside was one compelling reason why Wanda joined West Coast Amusements (WCA), a company with 4 units that winters in Langley, BC.  She joined the troop at the beginning of the season, in March.  The unit of 50 people that landed in Nelson the first week of May will be on the road until September.

Wanda’s position is a Ride Operator, which means in addition to getting people safely on and off the rides, she works on the set up, tear down, and daily safety checks.  Safety is a big part of WCA’s practices.  Each day, the Ride Operators arrive at their posts an hour before they open the gates, to make sure that all is well.

Working on a Carnival is one of those lifestyle jobs.  ”We live where we work,” another worker said.   Indeed, behind the public scenes are bunkhouses, sleeping cabs, and a cookhouse.  There is even an office.

Which is where most of the women work.  In this group of 50, about 20% are women.  Wanda is a novelty in that she works on one of the bigger rides.  Most of the other ”ride jocks,” are men.

The job is physically demanding, with lots of pushing and pulling as the various pieces of the machinery fit together like a puzzle for the journey to the next venue. All positions are involved in the tear down and set up of the rides, food and ticket stands, and the ”joint line,” which is Carnival language for the games.

The challenges of the job are largely the weather.  Spending the majority of the day outside, a Midway worker is always looking towards the skies.

How about the job openings?  There is a big demand for people with Class 1 driver’s license; a driver’s bonus is offered to these individuals.  Carnival positions include:

• Electricians
• Food Personnel
• Game Attendants
• Mechanics
• Ride Superintendents
• Ride Foremen
• Ride Operators
• Ticket Sellers

If this type of work interests you, check out the West Coast Amusements website.

As for Wanda, life on the road has some perks.  ”I call it glorified camping,” she smiles.