Expo 86
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The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo '86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada during the year of 1986. The fair, the theme of which was "Transportation and Communication: World in Motion - World in Touch", coincided with Vancouver's centennial and was held on the north shore of False Creek. It was the second time that Canada held a World's Fair, the first being Expo '67 in Montreal (during the Canadian Centennial).
Up until the late 1970s, the 173 acre (0.7 km²) site on False Creek where Expo was staged was a former CPR rail yard and an industrial wasteland. However, in 1980, the British Columbia Legislature passed the Transpo 86 Corporation Act, paving the way for the fair. Expo 86 was originally called Transpo 86, until it became clear that the event would be a world exposition. The transportation theme reflected the city's role in connecting Canada by rail, its status as a major port and transportation hub, and the role of transportation in communications. Communication and transportation have long been linked in Canadian studies, reaching back to early fur trade and railroad communication works by Harold Innis.
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Format
Expo '86 opened on May 2, 1986 and featured pavilions from 54 nations and numerous corporations. Expo's participants were given the opportunity to design their own pavilion or opt for the less expensive Expo module. Each module was approximately two-and-a-half stories high and had the floor space equal to a third of a city block. The design was such that any number of the square modules could be placed together in a variety of shapes. The roof design allowed the interior exhibit space to be uninterrupted by pillars.
This World's Fair was categorised as a "Class II" or Specialised Exhibition, reflecting its specific emphases on transportation and communications.
Facts and figures
Official theme: "Transportation and Communication"
Sub theme: "A Celebration of Ingenuity."
Total attendance Number: 22 111 578
Operating dates: May 2 1986 to October 13 1986
Chief architect: Bruno Freschi
Official mascot: Expo Ernie - a lifesized robot.
Revenues: $ 491 000 000
Expenditures : $ 802 000 000
Deficit : $311 000 000
(Note: all amounts are in Canadian funds and are not adjusted for inflation)
Main Expo site size: 670,000 m³, (165 acres).
Canadian Pavilion size: 24,000 m³ (6 acres), 4.5 km away from the main site connected by the Vancouver SkyTrain.
Total Expo site size: 700,000 m² (173 acres)
54 Official participating nations (2/3rds of the World's population represented): Antigua et Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, China, Cook island, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Dominica, Fiji, France, Germany, Grenada, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kenya, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Monserrat, Nauru, Norway, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Romania, St. Kitts/Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, Tonga, United Kingdom, U.S.A., USSR, Vanuatu, Western Samoa, Yugoslavia.
Expo looking back web site http://www.greatervancouverparks.com/EXPO86.html
Pavilions
Canadian Provincial and Territorial pavilions: Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and Yukon and Northwest Territories
Country pavilions: Australia, Barbados, Belgium, Britain, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Eastern Caribbean, European Community, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Ivory coast, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, South Pacific, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, U.S.S.R., United States of America, and Yugoslavia
Other pavilions and exhibits: Great Hall of Ramses II (Egypt), Great Norwegian Explorers (Norway), Pavilion of Promise, Roundhouse, Expo Centre
US States: California, Oregon, and Washington
Outdoor exhibits: Air Plaza, Land Plaza, Marine Plaza, Highway 86, UFO H2O, Folklife
Theatres: Labatt's Expo Theatre, Kodak Pacific Bowl, Xerox International Theatre
Corporate/NGO Pavilions: Air Canada, BCTV (Television Network), Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, General Motors, Via Rail Exhibit, United Nations
Entertainment and famous visitors
Royalty: Prince Charles, Princess Diana Crown Prince Harald & Crown Princess Sonja of Norway
Prime Minister: Brian Mulroney (Canada) Margaret Thatcher (Great Britain) Pierre Trudeau (former Prime Minister - Canada)
Vice-President: George Bush United States
List of entertainers to perform at Expo:
Concerts: Harry Belafonte, Anne Murray, Billy Ocean, Bruce Cockburn, The Eurythmics, Julio Iglesias, Amy Grant, Loverboy, A-ha, Liberace, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Gowan, Parachute Club, Joan Baez with Don McLean, Kenny Loggins, Lou Rawls & The Fifth Dimension, Honeymoon Suite, Kim Mitchell, Johnny Cash, Depeche Mode, Joe Jackson, George Thorogood, Smokey Robinson, George Benson, John Denver, The Manhattan Transfer, The Beach Boys, Air Supply, Peter Paul & Mary, The Temptations, René Simard, k.d. lang, Peter Allen, Sheena Easton, Trooper, Bryan Adams,
The "Festival of Independent Recording Artists", a concert series promoting local bands, was cancelled on the first night after a performance by Slow devolved into a riot.
Comedians: Bill Cosby, Bob Newhart, Bob Hope, Red Skelton, Joan Rivers, Howie Mandel and George Burns
Dance: Mikhail Baryshnikov
Directors: Norman Jewison, George Cosmatos (Rambo: First Blood)
Oceanographer: Jacques Cousteau of France
Legacy
In all, 22 million people attended the expo and, despite a deficit of $311 million CAD, it was considered a tremendous success. It remains to date the biggest event in British Columbia history and is viewed by many as the transition of Vancouver from a sleepy provincial backwater to a city with some global clout. It marked a strong boost to tourism for the province.
Many have also seen the fair as being at least partially responsible for the re-election of the Social Credit party for its final term as a provincial government.
Today, the western two-thirds of the site have been developed into parks and high rise condominiums; the eastern portion was used for the annual Molson Indy race, until it was cancelled in late 2004. Future plans call for the eastern third of the site to be developed into parkland and condominiums. The western third of the site is presently owned by the real estate investment firm Concord Pacific, which has its primary shareholder the Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing. The redevelopment took longer than expected, but is one of the most successful urban developments in Canadian history.
State of Expo 86 attractions
The event forever changed the face of region. Some of the lasting physical contributions of Expo '86 to the city of Vancouver include:
- Science World- an interactive educational centre.
- SkyTrain- an elevated rapid transit system, which continues to be expanded.
- Canada Place - a major downtown convention centre and cruise ship docks.
- Plaza of Nations - one of the last remaining buildings from the fair.
- BC Place - All purpose sports stadium (primarily for the BC Lions), home of the opening event for Expo '86
After the fair closed many of the attractions were auctioned off to buyers from all around the world. Here's just a brief list of what happened some of the more populuar and iconic elements of the event. The dispersed Expo '86 attractions include:
- Monorail - now located at Alton Towers Theme Park in England
- Floating McDonald's (aka "McBarge") - is now abandoned and rusting away in the waters of Burrard Inlet, Burnaby
- China Gate - donated by the Chinese Government to the City of Vancouver and is now located on Pender Street in Vancouver's Chinatown
- World's largest ice hockey stick - now in Duncan, British Columbia at the local hockey rink
- World's largest Flag Pole - now in Surrey, British Columbia at Flag Motors]]
- Scream Machine rollercoaster is now Ninja at Six Flags St. Louis
- Inukshuk - once used at the Northwest Territories Pavillion, it is now used as a landmark on English Bay beach. It is also now doubling as the official logo for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Reunion
A group of former Expo '86 employees have scheduled a 20th anniversary reunion for Expo participants on 2 May 2006 at the Plaza of Nations site. Visit the website at www.expo86reunion.com for more up to date information.
Scandal
In 1988, the site was sold to the Concord Pacific development corporation for a fraction of the original cost, a move that proved to be extremely controversial. Premier William Vander Zalm and his friend, the late Peter Toigo were accused of influence peddling in the sale.
See also
- Expo '67 in Montreal
- Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto
- Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver
External links
- Expo Museum article on Expo 86
- Canadian Encyclopedia article on Expo 86
- Canadian Heritage site on expos
- Hansard transcript from BC Legislature's passing of the Transpo 86 Act in 1980.
- A 'Look Back' on EXPO 86 - over 140 web pages of images
- False Creek Urban Heritage Trail Guidebook (from New City Institute; refers to area of Expo '86 site)
- Expo '86 reunion