In 2008, Cedar Fair Entertainment Company and Canada’s Wonderland built Behemoth, a 230 foot tall roller coaster that broke Canadian records. Today, it was announced that Behemoth will have a big brother: the 306 foot tall Leviathan.

The 306 foot lift hill of Leviathan. Image courtesy of Cedar Fair Entertainment Company.

Designed and manufactured by the Swiss company Bolliger and Mabillard, Leviathan will not only overtake Behemoth as the tallest roller coaster in Canada, but at speeds of 148 km/h, it will also be the fastest. The ride is also groundbreaking for Bolliger and Mabillard, as it is the first ‘Giga’ in their arsenal, a term given to roller coasters that are 300-400 feet in height. Currently, there are only three Giga coasters in the world, which are located in Japan and the United States.

The overbanked hammerhead of Leviathan at Canada's Wonderland. Image courtesy of Cedar Fair Entertainment Company.

The new attraction is set to open in time for the 2012 season and construction is already well underway, fueling predictions amongst many coaster enthusiasts for months on what it could possibly be.

Steel supports and track await construction. Image courtesy of Jason (rollin_n_coastin) at themeparkreview.com 2011.08.18.

Leviathan will tower over Dragon Fyre. Image courtesy of Jason (rollin_n_coastin) at themeparkreview.com 2011.08.18.

The aqua blue track of Leviathan. Image courtesy of Jason (rollin_n_coastin) at themeparkreview.com 2011.08.18.

The lift hill will rise above Dragon Fyre and drop at an 80 degree angle, going through a series of curves, camelbacks, and a barrel roll as it edges out towards the front gate and returns back into the park. At a cost of $28 million US, the ride will certainly make an impact on the skyline as guests arrive. With three trains in service at eight cars holding four seats each, a total of 32 passengers per train will be carried.

The L-shape layout of Leviathan at Canada's Wonderland. Image courtesy of Cedar Fair Entertainment Company.

Much of the over three minutes of ride time will be spent on the massive lift hill which may break world records for holding the longest drop of any non-launched complete-circuit roller coaster. This is due to a trench in the parking lot which allows the track to dip below ground level, offering maximum freefall.  

Since acquiring the park from Paramount in 2006, Cedar Fair Entertainment Company has added two attractions over 230 feet, allowing Canada’s Wonderland to grasp third place for the most roller coasters at a single park with an impressive sixteen.

Behemoth, Leviathan and Windseeker: Three attractions added since 2008. Image courtesy of Cedar Fair Entertainment Company.

Canada’s Wonderland has the highest attendance for any seasonal park in North America and if the investment continues, the park should become even more popular.  

To view many additional images, drop by UrbanToronto's dataBase listing for Leviathan below, or see the official Leviathan website for video, or to join the discussion, please visit the project thread in the UrbanToronto forums linked below.

Will you ride Leviathan next year? Are you happy with the coming addition to the park? Leave a comment below to let us know your thoughts.