Expo 86
| Expo 86 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication |
|
|---|---|
 Logo of the Expo 86 |
|
| General | |
| Exhibition space | 70 ha |
| Number of visitors | 22,111,578 |
| BIE recognition | Yes |
| participation | |
| countries | 54 countries |
| Place of issue | |
| place | Vancouver |
| terrain | North shore of False Creek Coordinates: 49 ° 17 ′ 19.1 ″ N , 123 ° 6 ′ 40 ″ W
|
| calendar | |
| opening | May 2, 1986 |
| closure | October 13, 1986 |
| Chronological order | |
| predecessor | Expo 75 |
| successor | Expo 92 |
The Expo 86 (officially 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication ) was a world exhibition that took place from May 2 to October 13, 1986 in the Canadian city of Vancouver . The exhibition was celebrated in connection with the 100th anniversary of the founding of Vancouver, the exhibition grounds were on the north bank of False Creek . 54 countries took part and over 22 million visitors were counted. It was the second time Canada had hosted a world exposition after Expo 67 in Montreal , which marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of Canada.
Preparations
By the end of the 1970s, the 0.7 km² site on False Creek , on which the exhibition later took place, was a disused freight yard of the Canadian Pacific Railway and an industrial wasteland. In 1978, Sam Bawlf (then Minister for Recreation and Environmental Protection for the Province of British Columbia) proposed an exhibition to celebrate the city of Vancouver's centenary in 1986. In 1980 the provincial government decided to hold an exhibition called Transpo 86 and chose Vancouver as the venue.
Those responsible changed the name to Expo 86 in October 1981 after it became clear that it would be a world exposition. Transport and communication were set as the exhibition theme. Construction work began in October 1983 but had to be suspended for five months in 1985 due to strikes. Construction costs were $ 8 million lower than originally planned.
exhibition
The exhibition was opened on May 2, 1986 by Prince Charles , Princess Diana and Prime Minister Brian Mulroney . It consisted of pavilions from 54 countries and numerous organizations. The participants were given the opportunity to design their own pavilion or to choose a more cost-effective expo module. This module was designed so that several elements could be put together in any order.
Pavilions
Canadian Provinces and Territories Pavilions: Alberta , British Columbia , Nova Scotia , Ontario , Prince Edward Island , Québec , Saskatchewan , Yukon Territory, and Northwest Territories
Country pavilions: Australia, Barbados, Belgium, Brunei, China, Costa Rica, Germany, Ivory Coast, European Community, France, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Yugoslavia, Canada, Kenya, Cuba, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Eastern Caribbean countries , Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Senegal, Singapore, Soviet Union, Spain, Sri Lanka, South Korea, South Pacific States, Thailand, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and USA
US State Pavilions: California, Oregon, Washington
Pavilions of companies and organizations: Air Canada , BCTV, Canadian National Railway , General Motors (the Spirit Lodge was developed by designer Bob Rogers and indigenous employees from Alert Bay ), VIA Rail , United Nations, Canadian Pacific Railway , Telecom Canada
Other pavilions and exhibitions: Great Hall of Ramses II , Major Norwegian Explorers, Pavilion of Promise, Locomotive Shed with numerous steam locomotives, Expo Center
Theaters: Labatt's Expo Theater, Kodak Pacific Bowl, Xerox International Theater
Famous visitors and performing artists
High nobility: Prince Charles and Princess Diana (United Kingdom), Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja (Norway)
Politicians: Brian Mulroney (Prime Minister of Canada), Margaret Thatcher (Prime Minister of the United Kingdom), Pierre Trudeau (Former Prime Minister of Canada), George Bush ( Vice President of the United States )
Visual artist: Bill Reid
Musicians: 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 , CCMC , John Denver , Manhattan Transfer , Beach Boys , Air Supply , Peter, Paul and Mary , The Temptations , René Simard , Kd lang (opening for Rockin ' Ronnie Hawkins ), Peter Allen , Sheena Easton , Trooper , Bryan Adams , World Drums Concert, The Romaniacs , Shannon Gunn , Skywalk , Kent- Meridian Jazz Ensemble , Tangerine Dream , Youssou N'Dour
Comedians: Bill Cosby , Bob Newhart , Bob Hope , Red Skelton , Joan Rivers , Howie Mandel , George Burns
Dance: Mikhail Baryshnikov
Directors: Norman Jewison , George Cosmatos
Scientist: Jacques Cousteau
After the end of the exhibition
Expo 86 counted a total of 22,111,578 visitors. Despite a deficit of 311 million CAD , the exhibition was a great success. To date, it is the greatest event that ever took place in British Columbia . Vancouver managed to shed its previous image as a boring provincial nest and to become a world-famous metropolis. British Columbia's tourism industry was booming.
Some of the buildings for the exhibition have been preserved and have been transformed into tourist attractions:
- Science World - an interactive education center, opened on May 2, 1985 as the Expo Center
- SkyTrain - driverless rail-bound local transport system, today the backbone of local public transport
- Canada Place - the former Canadian pavilion is now a major convention center and serves as a landing stage for ships
- Plaza of Nations - cultural and entertainment center
- BC Place Stadium - completely covered sports stadium, this is where the opening ceremony of Expo 86 took place
After the exhibition ended, many of the attractions were auctioned off to interested parties from all over the world. For example, the monorail is now in the Alton Towers amusement park in England, the “Chinese Gate” in Vancouver's Chinatown and the “Scream Machine” roller coaster in the Six Flags St. Louis amusement park .
Web links
- Expo Museum
- Expo 86 ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia .
- Expo 1986. Bureau International des Expositions (English). Retrieved March 24, 2017 .
- Review of the Expo 86
- Fan website for Expo 86