Canada's Centennial EXpo 1967
- 7 years ago
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Montréal's Expo literally rises from the depths of the St. Lawrence River to give Canada a dazzling one hundredth birthday party.
There was much to celebrate in the year of Canada's Centennial, but its crowning achievement was Expo 67, one of the greatest birthday parties in history. One of the most successful international exhibitions of the 20th Century, Expo 67 gave Montréal the opportunity to show itself as an international city and proved once and for all that Canada had come of age.
But the story of Expo 67 must begin with the fact that it almost didn't happen at all. The Canadian government's application to the International Exhibitions Bureau in Paris for the right to hold a "first-category" exhibition, as this was called, was rejected in favour of the U.S.S.R, which was marking the 50th anniversary of the Communist regime. However, when the staggering costs forced Moscow to withdraw their bid, Canada re-applied and was selected.
The controversy and friction about the fair then began in earnest. Montréal mayor, Jean Drapeau, came up with the idea of enlarging Ile Ste Hélène, an island park in the St. Laurence, and adding another island to become the fair site. His plan was met with skepticism and derision by almost everyone. But Drapeau and his engineers persevered, and began the momentous task of filling the river with 25 million tons of earth to create a magnificent and unique locale.
The choice of the islands in the St. Lawrence River for the location also carried historical significance for Canada. As an important trade route, and the access point for early immigrants, the St. Lawrence symbolizes the link between Canada and the world.
But the real meaning of Expo 67 came from the theme itself, a clear representation of the optimism of the time. "Man and his World" was the official title, and the fair guides explained it in this way: "It will tell the story of man's exploration of the physical world, his drive to discover, understand and produce; of how he assimilates, organizes and uses his knowledge to improve his lot and how, as a social being, he has sought and still seeks to live in peace and harmony with his fellow man."
Expo 67 was a huge success. It changed the world's view of Canada, and more importantly, it changed our view of ourselves. Expo brought us together for the first time in mutual pride and appreciation for our talents and accomplishments.
Canada Expo 67
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67, as it was commonly known, was a general exhibition, Category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It is considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th century with the most attendees to that date and 62 nations participating. It also set the single-day attendance record for a world's fair, with 569,500 visitors on its third day.
Expo 67 was Canada's main celebration during its centennial year. The fair had been intended to be held in Moscow, to help the Soviet Union celebrate the Russian Revolution's 50th anniversary; however, for various reasons, the Soviets decided to cancel, and Canada was awarded it in late 1962.
The project was not well supported in Canada at first. It took the determination of Montreal's mayor, Jean Drapeau, and a new team of managers to guide it past political, physical and temporal hurdles. Defying a computer analysis that said it could not be done, the fair opened on time.
After Expo 67 ended in October 1967, the site and most of the pavilions continued on as an exhibition called Man and His World, open during the summer months from 1968 until 1984. By that time, most of the buildings — which had not been designed to last beyond the original exhibition — had deteriorated and were dismantled. Today, the islands that hosted the world exhibition are mainly used as parkland and for recreational use, with only a few remaining structures from Expo 67 to show that the event was held there.
Montréal's Expo literally rises from the depths of the St. Lawrence River to give Canada a dazzling one hundredth birthday party.
There was much to celebrate in the year of Canada's Centennial, but its crowning achievement was Expo 67, one of the greatest birthday parties in history. One of the most successful international exhibitions of the 20th Century, Expo 67 gave Montréal the opportunity to show itself as an international city and proved once and for all that Canada had come of age.
But the story of Expo 67 must begin with the fact that it almost didn't happen at all. The Canadian government's application to the International Exhibitions Bureau in Paris for the right to hold a "first-category" exhibition, as this was called, was rejected in favour of the U.S.S.R, which was marking the 50th anniversary of the Communist regime. However, when the staggering costs forced Moscow to withdraw their bid, Canada re-applied and was selected.
The controversy and friction about the fair then began in earnest. Montréal mayor, Jean Drapeau, came up with the idea of enlarging Ile Ste Hélène, an island park in the St. Laurence, and adding another island to become the fair site. His plan was met with skepticism and derision by almost everyone. But Drapeau and his engineers persevered, and began the momentous task of filling the river with 25 million tons of earth to create a magnificent and unique locale.
The choice of the islands in the St. Lawrence River for the location also carried historical significance for Canada. As an important trade route, and the access point for early immigrants, the St. Lawrence symbolizes the link between Canada and the world.
But the real meaning of Expo 67 came from the theme itself, a clear representation of the optimism of the time. "Man and his World" was the official title, and the fair guides explained it in this way: "It will tell the story of man's exploration of the physical world, his drive to discover, understand and produce; of how he assimilates, organizes and uses his knowledge to improve his lot and how, as a social being, he has sought and still seeks to live in peace and harmony with his fellow man."
Expo 67 was a huge success. It changed the world's view of Canada, and more importantly, it changed our view of ourselves. Expo brought us together for the first time in mutual pride and appreciation for our talents and accomplishments.
Canada Expo 67
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67, as it was commonly known, was a general exhibition, Category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It is considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th century with the most attendees to that date and 62 nations participating. It also set the single-day attendance record for a world's fair, with 569,500 visitors on its third day.
Expo 67 was Canada's main celebration during its centennial year. The fair had been intended to be held in Moscow, to help the Soviet Union celebrate the Russian Revolution's 50th anniversary; however, for various reasons, the Soviets decided to cancel, and Canada was awarded it in late 1962.
The project was not well supported in Canada at first. It took the determination of Montreal's mayor, Jean Drapeau, and a new team of managers to guide it past political, physical and temporal hurdles. Defying a computer analysis that said it could not be done, the fair opened on time.
After Expo 67 ended in October 1967, the site and most of the pavilions continued on as an exhibition called Man and His World, open during the summer months from 1968 until 1984. By that time, most of the buildings — which had not been designed to last beyond the original exhibition — had deteriorated and were dismantled. Today, the islands that hosted the world exhibition are mainly used as parkland and for recreational use, with only a few remaining structures from Expo 67 to show that the event was held there.