Expo 86

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For other uses, see Expo 86 (disambiguation).

The Expo 86 logo

The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo '86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from May 2 until October 13, 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) which was the most successful world's fair in world history, attracting some 50 million people at a time when Canada's population was only 20 million.

1 History
2 Entertainment and famous visitors
3 Facts and figures
4 Legacy
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Background

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.

In 1978, Sam Bawlf (then BC Minister of Recreation and Conservation) proposed an exposition as to celebrate Vancouver's Centennial year (1986). The proposal was submitted in June 1979 for a fair that was to be called Transpo 86. In 1980, the British Columbia Legislature passed the Transpo 86 Corporation Act, paving the way for the fair.

The fair was awarded to Vancouver by the B.I.E. in November 1980. The name is officially changed to 'Expo 86' by Ambassador and Commissioner General Patrick Reid in October 1981.

By the end of 1981 Expo 86 Corporation was established as a nonprofit agency responsible in the planning and operation of the fair. Local business tycoon, Jim Pattison is appointed as CEO, and would eventually also become the president of the corporation. Chief architect was Bruno Freschi, Creative Director being Ron Woodall, and with Bob Smith responsible for the production and design.

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.

Construction started in October 1983, but work was disrupted by labour disputes for 5 months in 1985. Expo Centre opened May 2, 1985 as a preview centre for the fair.

The final cost of the fair ended up being CDN $8 million under budget.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] The Fair

Expo '86 was opened by Prince Charles, Princess Diana and Prime Minister Brian Mulroney on May 2, 1986. It 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.

[edit] Pavilions

Canadian Provincial and Territorial Pavilions: Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, 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) - containing rare treasures from the life of the pharaoh
- Great Norwegian Explorers (Norway)
- Pavilion of Promise
- Roundhouse - A renovated 100-year-old railway roundhouse contained various historical locomotives.
- Expo Centre.

US States: California, Oregon, and Washington.

Outdoor exhibits: Air Plaza, Land Plaza, Marine Plaza, Folklife,

- Highway 86 - was a unique sculpture/exhibit that was a 217m 4 lane concrete highway that contained various modes of transportation (cars, mopeds, bikes, etc) that were frozen in time. All the real vehicles were painted a shade of light grey, and mounted in place. It was designed by 'S.I.T.E. Projects' of New York.
- UFO H2O - was a UFO inspired children's water playground.

Theatres: Labatt's Expo Theatre, Kodak Pacific Bowl, Xerox International Theatre.

Corporate/NGO pavilions: Air Canada, BCTV (Television Network), Canadian National,

- General Motors - Had one of the more popular exhibits in its pavilion: "Spirit Lodge" a live show augmented with holographic effects and other special effects. It was produced by Bob Rogers and created with the assistance of the Kwagulth Native reserve in Alert Bay (British Columbia).
- Via Rail Exhibit,
- United Nations.
- Canadian Pacific - The pavilion's main feature was the film: "Rainbow War"
- Telecom Canada - Featured a Circle-Vision 360° movie: "Portraits of Canada - Images du Canada"

[edit] Entertainment and famous visitors

Royalty: Prince Charles, Princess Diana (whose fainting spell triggered pregnancy rumours), Crown Prince Harald & Crown Princess Sonja of Norway

Prime Minister: Brian Mulroney (Canada) Margaret Thatcher (United Kingdom) Pierre Trudeau (former Prime Minister - Canada)

Vice-President: George Bush United States

Concerts: Einstürzende Neubauten, Harry Belafonte, Anne Murray, Billy Ocean, Bruce Cockburn, Miles Davis, Wynton Marsalis, 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 (opening for Rockin' Ronnie Hawkins), Peter Allen, Sheena Easton, Trooper, Bryan Adams, Kurt Cobain & Krist Novoselic (not as performers)^{[citation needed]}, World Drums concert (led by John Wyre), The Romaniacs, Shannon Gunn, Skywalk, Kent-Meridian Jazz Ensemble, Tangerine Dream, Youssou N'Dour

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 Part II)

Oceanographer: Jacques Cousteau of France

[edit] 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^{[citation needed]}
Expenditures : $802,000,000^{[citation needed]}
Deficit : $311,000,000^{[citation needed]}
(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 Vancouver's SkyTrain.
Total Expo Site Size: 700,000 m² (173 acres)

54 Official Participating Nations: 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, and Yugoslavia.

[edit] 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.

[edit] State of Expo 86 attractions

The event forever changed the face of the region. Some of the lasting physical contributions of Expo '86 to the city of Vancouver include:

Science World - an interactive educational centre. It opened May 2, 1985 as the Expo Centre. The OMNIMAX cinema remains.
SkyTrain - an elevated rapid transit system, which continues to be expanded.
Canada Place The Canada Government pavilion is now a major downtown convention centre and cruise ship docks.
Plaza of Nations - one of the last remaining buildings from the fair, now scheduled to be demolished.
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. Can be seen when riding the West Coast Express.
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 roller coaster - now The 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.
Site Furniture - all sorts of brightly painted remnants were relocated to the PNE on East Hastings Street, as well as other parks and public areas in Greater Vancouver.

[edit] Reunions

A group of former Expo '86 employees conducted a 20th anniversary reunion for Expo participants on May 2, 2006 at the Plaza of Nations site.

A group of former BC Pavilion employees celebrated the 20th anniversary of the close of Expo 86 at a reunion [1] on October 13, 2006 at the former Expo Centre (now renamed the Telus World of Science).

[edit] 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 Peter Toigo were accused of influence peddling in the sale.

[edit] References in popular culture

Indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie has a song named "Expo '86" on their album Transatlanticism.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

List of performers at Expo '86

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[edit] External links

Preceded by Expo '85 Tsukuba Japan	World Expositions 1986	Succeeded by Expo '88

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