Fire-breathing dragons to flamingos: Wild West Edmonton Mall lore and myths
As one of the largest malls in North America and with more than 40 years of history as a shopping and meeting destination, West Edmonton Mall is full of wild lore and even crazier rumours.
Edmontonians are sharing their stories about the mall, ranging from the strange and tragic to the spectacular.
Here are a handful of WEM myths and some of the tales behind them:
There used to be a fire-breathing dragon at the movie theatre
Stonagal/Wikimedia Commons
When the Silver City Theatre (now Scotiabank Theatre) opened in 1999, it debuted a 3.5-ton animatronic dragon with glowing eyes that literally breathed fire every 15 minutes. Though it was decommissioned in 2010, Edmontonians still reminisce about movies at the mall and seeing the fire-breathing dragon.
A kung fu comedy scene was filmed on the ship
The 1988 Hong Kong comedy-action film Paper Marriage is set in Los Angeles but was actually filmed here in Edmonton. The opening scene was at Northlands Park, with the action-packed final fight happening on the boat inside WEM.
There’s a “ghost” LRT station underneath the Ice Palace
A train station beneath the Ice Palace has been debunked as a rumour, according to mall historian Best Edmonton Mall. But we do know that a station will be built next to West Edmonton Mall once the West Valley LRT Line opens. WEM does have an enormous maze of tunnels for shop storage, holiday displays, and stuff like that, so it’s easy to see how a rumour could get started.
There were animal enclosures in different parts of the mall
Throughout its history, West Edmonton Mall has been home to a variety of animals, including peacocks, dolphins, flamingos, and even tigers. The mall even has accreditation as a zoo. Today, you’ll find California sea lions, African penguins, and a whole host of fascinating reptiles, amphibians, fish and more.
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It had the world’s tallest indoor rollercoaster
2009fotofriends/Shutterstock
West Edmonton Mall’s infamous MindBender opened in 1985 and held the title of the world’s tallest indoor rollercoaster for most of its reign. In 1986, a car on the ride derailed, killing three people. After a redesign, it continued running until it was decommissioned in 2023.
Do you know any myths or fun historical facts about West Edmonton Mall? Let us know in the comments.