End of an era: La Ronde puts the Pitoune to bed

La Ronde cancels The Pitoune Many are upset after La Ronde announced it is putting one of its oldest and most popular rides, The Pitoune, to rest.

One of the most beloved rides at La Ronde is no more.

On Saturday the amusement park announced on its website that one of its most popular rides, the Pitoune, would not be operating this summer.

“After 50 seasons, the Pitoune ride has reached the end of its useful life and will not re-open for our 2017 season. We greatly appreciate the history and tradition of this classic La Ronde ride and thank you for your patience while we evaluate alternatives for a replacement ride in the future.”

Six Flags later said that while doing annual overhaul work it "determined that after 50 seasons, the Pitoune ride has reached the end of its useful life."

The iconic ride first opened in 1967 making it one of the oldest attractions at La Ronde, and one of the few thrill rides that could be enjoyed by the entire family.

There are half a dozen other rides and attractions from the park's opening days, including the Spirale, the Minirail, the Tchou Tchou train around the park, the Centipede (Marche de Mille Pattes) roller coaster, and the Carousel.

For those that absolutely must be on the water, the Joyeux Mousaillons have been navigating around the same stream since 1967.

Though some parts of the log boats were changed over the years, the main elements of the ride were the original pieces.

Each boat had wheels, and if one boat had a flat tire, the entire boat would have to be removed and repaired. All maintenance on the log boats was done in-house.

The ride was powered by flowing water pumped from the Saint Lawrence river.

Many people will miss sailing in those memorable log boats, experiencing the exciting splash of water at the bottom and getting that perfect Polaroid picture at the end.

RIP Pitoune.