The
1967 International and Universal Exposition, or
Expo 67 as it was commonly known, was the first First Category exhibition approved by the Bureau of International Exhibition in the Americas. It was held in
MontrealMontreal is the second-largest city in Canada and the largest city in the province of Quebec. Originally called Ville-Marie , the city takes its present name from Mont-Royal, the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city, whose name was also initially given to the island on which the...
, Quebec,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, from April 28 to October 29, 1967. It was considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the
20th centuryThe 20th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1901 and ended on December 31, 2000, according to the Gregorian calendar.The British Empire, the Russian Empire, the German Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire dissolved in the first half of the century, with all but the...
, with over 50 million visitors and 62 nations participating. It also set the single-day attendance record for a world's fair with 569,000 visitors on its third day.
Expo 67 was Canada's main celebration during its
centennial yearThe Canadian Centennial was a year long celebration held in 1967 when Canada celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation. Celebrations occurred throughout the year but culminated on Dominion Day, July 1. 1967 coins were different from previous years' issues, with animals on each...
. The fair was originally intended to be held in
MoscowMoscow is the capital and the largest city of Russia. It is also the largest metropolitan area in Europe, and ranks among the largest urban areas in the world. Moscow is a major political, economic, cultural, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the world, a...
, to help the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
celebrate the 50th anniversary of the
Russian RevolutionThe Russian Revolution is the collective term for the series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. In the first revolution of February 1917 the Czar was deposed and replaced by a Provisional government...
but, for various reasons, the Soviets decided to cancel, and Canada was awarded it in the fall of 1962.
The project was not originally overwhelmingly supported in Canada. It took the determination of Montreal's mayor, and a new team of managers, to guide it past political, physical and temporal hurdles. Defying even 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 lived on as an exhibition called
Man and His World, open during the summer months from 1968 until 1981. 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. Many Canadians from that time still regard it as one of the country's finest cultural achievements.
Background
The idea of hosting the 1967 World Exhibition dates back to 1956. But it was in 1958 when Conservative Senator Mark Drouin pushed the idea of hosting a World Exhibition to celebrate Canada's centennial during his speech at the Brussels Exhibition. Initially it was offered to
TorontoToronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America...
but politicians there rejected the idea. However,
MontrealMontreal is the second-largest city in Canada and the largest city in the province of Quebec. Originally called Ville-Marie , the city takes its present name from Mont-Royal, the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city, whose name was also initially given to the island on which the...
's mayor Sarto Fournier backed the proposal, allowing Canada to make a bid to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE). At the BIE's May 5, 1960 meeting in
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Moscow was awarded the fair after five rounds of voting that eliminated Austria's and then Canada's bids. In April 1962, the Soviets scrapped plans to host the fair due to financial constraints and concerns about travelers bringing western ideas and customs to the Soviet public. Montreal's new mayor,
Jean DrapeauJean Drapeau, CC, GOQ was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as mayor of Montreal from 1954 to 1957 and 1960 to 1986...
, lobbied the Canadian government to try again for the fair, which they did. On November 13, 1962, the BIE changed the location of the World Exhibition to Canada, and Expo 67 went on to become the third-best attended of all BIE-sanctioned
world expositions, as of 2008 (after
Osakawas a World's Fair held in Suita, Osaka, Japan between March 15 and September 13, 1970. The theme of the Expo was "Progress and Harmony for Mankind." In Japanese Expo '70 is often referred to as Ōsaka Banpaku...
and
ParisThe Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a world's fair held in Paris, France, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate development into the next. The style that was universally present in the Exposition was Art Nouveau....
).
Several sites were proposed as the main Expo grounds. One location that was considered was
Mount RoyalMount Royal is a mountain in the city of Montreal, immediately north of downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the city to which it gave its name.The mountain is part of the Monteregian Hills situated between the Laurentians and the Appalachians...
Park, to the north of the downtown core. But it was Drapeau's idea to create new islands in the St. Lawrence river, along with enlarging Île Sainte-Hélène. The choice also prevented land speculation, and overcame opposition from Montreal's surrounding municipalities.
Key people
Expo didn't get off to a smooth start when, in 1963, many top organizing committee officials resigned. One of the reasons for the resignations was that a computer program predicted that the event couldn't possibly be constructed in time. Another, more likely, reason for the mass resignations was the fact that on April 22, 1963, the federal
LiberalThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is a major political party in Canada. The party sits between the centre-left and centre of the Canadian political spectrum. The party currently forms the Official Opposition in the Parliament of Canada since the 2006 federal election...
government of Prime Minister Lester Pearson was sworn in. This meant that former Prime Minister
John DiefenbakerJohn George Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC, FRSC, FRSA was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 21, 1957 to April 22, 1963...
's
ConservativeThe Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and a centrist stance on social issues....
government appointees on the
Canadian Corporation for the 1967 World Exhibition board of directors were likely forced to resign.
Pierre DupuyPierre Dupuy, CC was a Canadian diplomat. His most noted achievement was as the Commissioner General of Expo 67.- Early life :Dupuy was born in Montreal, in 1896...
, a diplomat, was named Commissioner General, after Diefenbaker appointee Paul Bienvenu resigned from the post in 1963. One of the main responsibilities of the Commissioner General was to attract other nations to build pavilions at Expo. Dupuy would spend most of 1964 and 1965 soliciting 125 countries, spending more time abroad than in Canada.. Dupuy's 'right-hand' man was
Robert Fletcher ShawRobert Fletcher Shaw, CC was a Canadian businessman, academic, civil servant and deputy commissioner general of the Universal and International Exhibition of 1967....
, the deputy commissioner general and vice-president of the fair's corporation. He also replaced another Diefenbaker appointee, C.F. Carsley, on the board of the Canadian Corporation for the 1967 World Exhibition. Shaw was a professional engineer and builder, and he was in charge when Dupuy was away. Dupuy hired Andrew Kniewasser as the general manager. The management group was called
Les Durs - the tough guys - and they were in charge of creating, building and managing Expo. They were Jean-Claude Delorme, legal counsel and secretary of the Corporation, Dale Rediker, director of finances, Colonel Edward Churchill, director of Installations, Philippe de Gaspé Beaubien, director of Operations, dubbed "the mayor of Expo, Pierre de Bellefeuille, director of Exhibitors and Yves Jasmin, director of Information, Advertising and Publir Relations. ref Yves Jasmin.
As historian
Pierre BertonPierre Francis De Marigny Berton, CC, O.Ont was a noted Canadian author of non-fiction, especially Canadiana and Canadian history, and was a well-known television personality and journalist....
put it, the cooperation between Canada's French and English speaking communities "was the secret of Expo's success–'the
QuébécoisQuebec is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking identity and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
flair, the English-Canadian pragmatism.'" However, Berton also points out that this is an over-simplification of national stereotypes. Arguably Expo did, for a short period anyway, bridge the '
Two SolitudesThe term Two Solitudes may refer to:* Two Solitudes by Hugh MacLennan*Two Solitudes , 1978 motion picture written and directed by Lionel Chetwynd, based on the 1945 novel...
.'
Montebello conference produces theme
In May 1963, a group of prominent Canadian thinkers including Alan Jarvis, director of the
National Gallery of CanadaThe National Gallery of Canada , located in the capital city Ottawa, Ontario, is one of Canada's premier art galleries.The Gallery is housed in a glass and granite building on Sussex Drive with a notable view of the Canadian Parliament buildings on Parliament Hill. The acclaimed structure was...
, novelists
Hugh MacLennanJohn Hugh MacLennan, CC, CQ was a Canadian author and professor of English at McGill University. He won five Governor General's Awards and a Royal Bank Award.-Family and childhood:...
and
Gabrielle RoyGabrielle Roy, CC, FRSC was a French Canadian author.Born in Saint Boniface , Manitoba, Roy was educated at Saint Joseph's Academy...
, J. Tuzo Wilson, geophysicist, and Claude Robillard, town planner, met for three days at the
Seigneury ClubThe Château Montebello is a hotel and resort complex in Montebello, Quebec, Canada. The setting for the retreat is of forested wildlife sanctuary and 70 lakes on the shore of the Ottawa River, between Ottawa and Montreal.-Construction:...
in
Montebello, QuebecMontebello is a municipality located in the Papineau Regional County Municipality of Western Quebec . As of the 2001 census, there were 1,039 permanent residents. The village has a total area of , and is located at the eastern edge of Canada's National Capital Region.The village is world famous for...
. The theme,
Man and His World, was based on the 1939 book entitled
Terre des Hommes (translated as
Wind, Sand and StarsWind, Sand and Stars is a memoir by Antoine de Saint Exupéry published in 1939. It was translated from the French by Lewis Galantiere....
) by
Antoine de Saint-ExupéryAntoine de Saint Exupéry was a French writer and aviator. He is best remembered for his novella The Little Prince, and for his books about aviation adventures, including Night Flight and Wind, Sand and Stars....
. In Roy's introduction to the Expo 67 corporation's book, entitled
Terre des Hommes/Man and His World, she elucidates the theme:
The organizers also created seventeen theme elements for Man and his World:
- Du Pont Auditorium of Canada: The philosophy and scientific content of theme exhibits were presented and emphasized in this 372 seat hall.
- Habitat 67
- Labyrinth
- Man and his Health
- Man in the Community
- Man the Explorer: Man, his Planet and Space; Man and Life; Man and the Oceans; Man and the Polar Regions
- Man the Creator: The Gallery of Fine Arts; Contemporary Sculpture; Industrial Design; Photography.
- Man the Producer: Resources for Man; Man in Control; Progress.
- Man the Provider
Construction begins
Construction started on August 13, 1963, when Prime Minister
Lester B. PearsonLester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, PC, OM, CC, OBE was a Canadian statesman, diplomat and politician who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis...
pulled a lever that signalled a front-end loader to dump the first batch of fill to enlarge
Île Sainte-Hélène. The 25 million tons of fill needed to construct the islands was coming from the
Montreal metroThe Montreal Metro is a rubber-tired metro system, and the main form of public transportation underground in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada....
's excavations, a public works project that was already under construction before Expo was awarded to Montreal. Expo's initial period of construction mainly centred on enlarging Île Ste-Hélène and creating the
artificial islandAn artificial island is an island that has been constructed by humans rather than formed by natural means. They are created by expanding existing islets, construction on existing reefs, or amalgamating several natural islets into a bigger island....
of
Île Notre-DameÎle Notre-Dame is an artificial island built in 10 months from 15 million tons of rock excavated for the Montreal Metro in 1965. It was created for Expo 67 to celebrate Canada's centennial. The island is part of the city of Montreal and forms part of the Hochelaga Archipelago...
. While construction continued, the land rising out of Montreal harbour was not owned by the Expo Corporation yet. After the final mounds of earth completed the islands, the grounds that would hold the fair were officially transferred from the City of Montreal to the corporation on June 20, 1964. This gave Colonel Churchill only 1042 days to have everything built and functioning for opening day. To get Expo built in time, Churchill used the then new project management tool known as the
critical path methodThe critical path method or critical path analysis, is a mathematically based algorithm for scheduling a set of project activities...
(CPM). On April 28, 1967, opening day, everything was ready, with one exception: Habitat 67, which was then displayed as a work in progress.
Building and enlarging the islands, along with the new
Concorde BridgeThe Concordia Bridge carries Avenue Pierre-Dupuy across the St. Lawrence River between the main island of Montreal and Parc Jean-Drapeau on Saint Helen's Island...
built to connect them with the site-specific mass transit system known as the
Montreal Expo ExpressThe Expo Express was a rapid transit system consisting of four stations and a 5.7-kilometre route. Built for Montreal’s Expo 67 and costing around $18 million, the trains carried 1,000 passengers each and average wait time of five minutes.After Expo 67, the cars were sold to the City of Montreal...
, plus a boat pier, cost more than the
Saint Lawrence SeawayThe St. Lawrence Seaway is the common name for a system of canals that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the North American Great Lakes, as far as Lake Superior. Legally it extends from Montreal to Lake Erie, including the Welland Canal and the locks at Sault Ste....
project did only five years earlier: this was even before any buildings or infrastructure were constructed. With the initial phase of construction completed, it is easy to see why the budget for the exhibition was going to be larger than anyone expected. In the fall of 1963, Expo's general manager, Andrew Kniewasser, presented the master plan and the preliminary budget of $167 million for construction: it would balloon to over $439 million by 1967. The plan and budget narrowly passed a vote in Pearson's federal cabinet, passing by one vote, and then it was officially submitted on December 23, 1963.
Logo
The logo was designed by Montreal artist Julien Hébert. The basic unit of the logo is an ancient symbol of man. Two of the symbols (pictograms of 'man') are linked as to represent friendship. The icon was repeated in a circular arrangement to represent 'friendship around the world'. The logotype is lower-case bold-face,
OptimaOptima is a humanist sans-serif typeface designed by Hermann Zapf between 1952-1955 for the D. Stempel AG foundry, Frankfurt, Germany.-Characteristics:...
font. It did not enjoy unanimous support from federal politicians, as some of them tried to kill it with a motion in the
Canadian House of CommonsThe House of Commons is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate.
The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament .
Members are elected by simple...
.
Theme songs
The official Expo 67 theme song was composed by
Stephane VenneStéphane Venne is a French-Canadian songwriter and composer. He also worked as head of production for the Canadian arm of Barclay Records and as a radio station executive....
and was titled: "Hey Friend, Say Friend / Un Jour, Un Jour". Complaints were made about the suitability of the song as lyrics mention neither Montreal nor Expo 67. The song was selected from an international competition. Over 2,200 entries from 35 countries were made.
But the song that most Canadians associate with Expo was written by
Bobby GimbyBobby Gimby, CM was a Canadian orchestra leader, trumpeter, and singer/songwriter.-Biography:He was born Robert Stead Gimby in Cabri, Saskatchewan where he played in a boys' band. He was a member of the popular radio show The Happy Gang...
, a veteran commercial jingle writer who composed the popular Centennial tune "
Ca-na-da"Ca-na-da", or "The Centennial Song" was written by Bobby Gimby in 1967 to celebrate Canada's centennial and Expo 67, and was commissioned by the Centennial Commission...
", which went on to sell over 500,000 copies. Gimby earned the name the "Pied Piper of Canada". The music for "Ca-na-da" was arranged by Ben McPeek, who also created the music played in the Canadian Pulp and Paper Industry pavilion. In 1971, Gimby granted all future royalties to
the Boy Scouts of CanadaScouts Canada is a Canadian Scouting association that, in affiliation with the French-language Association des Scouts du Canada, is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement...
.
The theme song
Something to Sing About"Something to Sing About" is a patriotic song written by folk singer Oscar Brand that sings the praises of the many different regions of Canada...
, used for the Canadian pavilion, was initially written for a 1963 television special.
The Ontario pavilion also had its own theme song: "
A Place to Stand, A Place to GrowA Place to Stand, A Place to Grow was an unofficial anthem of the Canadian province of Ontario. The song was written as the signature tune for a movie of the same name that was featured at the Expo 67 Ontario pavilion....
", which has evolved to become the unofficial theme song for the province.
Expo opens
Official opening ceremonies were held on Thursday afternoon, April 27, 1967. The ceremonies were an invitation-only event, held at Place des Nations. Governor General of Canada
Roland MichenerDaniel Roland Michener was a Canadian lawyer, politician, and diplomat who, until 14 January 1974, served as the Governor General of Canada. He was appointed as such by Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, on the recommendation of then Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, to replace Georges...
proclaimed the exhibition open after the Expo flame was ignited by Prime Minister Pearson. On hand were over 7,000 media and invited guests including 53 heads of state. Over 1000 reporters covered the event, broadcast in NTSC Colour, live via satellite, to a worldwide audience of over 700,000,000 viewers and listeners.
Expo 67 officially opened to the public on the morning of Friday, April 28, 1967, with a
space ageThe Space Age is a contemporary period encompassing the activities related to the Space Race, space exploration, space technology, and the cultural developments influenced by these events...
style countdown. A capacity crowd at Place d'Accueil participated in the atomic clock-controlled countdown that ended when the exhibition opened precisely at 9:30 a.m. An estimated crowd of between 310,000 and 335,000 visitors showed up for opening day, as opposed to the expected crowd of 200,000. The first person through the Expo gates at
Place d'Accueil was Al Carter, a 41-year-old jazz drummer from
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
, who was recognized for his accomplishment by Expo 67's director of operations Philippe de Gaspé Beaubien. Beaubien presented Carter with a gold watch for his feat.
On opening day, there was considerable comment on the uniform of the hostesses from the UK Pavilion. The dresses had been designed to the then new minidress style, introduced in the previous year by
Mary QuantMary Quant, OBE, FCSD is a British fashion designer, one of the many designers who took credit for inventing the miniskirt and hot pants. Born to Welsh parents, Quant studied illustration at Goldsmiths College before taking a career with a couture milliner...
. By the middle of the summer, nearly every other pavilion had raised the hem of the uniforms of their hostesses. Canadian women were quick to take to the liberated style of the
miniskirtA miniskirt, sometimes hyphenated as mini-skirt, is a skirt with a hemline well above the knees – generally no longer than below the buttocks...
.
Entertainment, Ed Sullivan Show, and VIPs
A notable feature of Expo 67 was the World Festival of Art and Entertainment, featuring art galleries, opera, ballet and theatre companies, alongside orchestras, jazz groups, famous Canadian pop musicians and other cultural attractions. Many pavilions had music and performance stages, where visitors could find free concerts and shows. Most of the featured entertainment took place in the following venues:
La Place des Artsright|frame|View of the Place des Arts esplanade. The Musée d'art contemporain is on the left; behind it is the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, with the Théâtre Maisonneuve on the rightPlace des Arts is a major performing arts centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada....
; Expo Theatre; Place des Nations;
La RondeLa Ronde is an amusement park in Montreal, owned and operated by Six Flags, and is the largest in the province of Quebec and the second largest in Canada after Canada's Wonderland, with about 2.5 million guests in 2006. The park is under a emphyteutic lease, a type of lease which stipulates the...
and
Automotive StadiumThe Autostade was a Canadian football stadium in the Victoriatown neighbourhood of Montreal, Quebec that stood at the north-west corner of the Cité du Havre sector of the Expo 67 site...
.
The
La Ronde amusement parkLa Ronde is an amusement park in Montreal, owned and operated by Six Flags, and is the largest in the province of Quebec and the second largest in Canada after Canada's Wonderland, with about 2.5 million guests in 2006. The park is under a emphyteutic lease, a type of lease which stipulates the...
was always intended to be a lasting legacy of the fair. Most of its rides and booths were permanent. When the Expo fairgrounds closed nightly, at around 10:00 p.m., visitors could still be entertained at La Ronde, which closed at 2:30 a.m.
In addition,
The Ed Sullivan ShowThe Ed Sullivan Show was a popular American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from June 20, 1948 to June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan.-History:...
was broadcast live on May 7 and May 21 from Expo 67. Stars on the shows included America's
The SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, Britain's
Petula ClarkPetula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
and Australia's
The SeekersThe Seekers were a group of Australian folk-influenced popular musicians that was formed in Melbourne in 1962. They were the first Australian popular music group to achieve significant chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States....
.
The fair was visited by many of the most notable people of the day including
Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known informally as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,...
, Lyndon Johnson,
Princess GraceGrace Patricia Kelly was an American film and stage actress and fashion icon who later became Princess Grace of Monaco....
, Jacqueline Kennedy,
Robert F. KennedyRobert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician. He was a younger brother of President John F. Kennedy and acted as one of his advisers during his presidency. From 1961 to 1964, he was the U.S...
,
EthiopiaEthiopia , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country situated in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Sudan to the west, Kenya to the south, Somalia to the east and Djibouti to the northeast. Its size is 1,100,000 km² with an...
's leader
Haile SelassieH.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I , born Tafari Makonnen, was Ethiopia's regent from 1916 to 1930 and Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974...
,
Charles de GaulleCharles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II...
,
Bing CrosbyHarry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American popular singer and actor whose career stretched over more than half a century from 1926 until his death....
,
Harry BelafonteHarold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. , is an American musician, actor and social activist. One of the most successful popular singers in history, he was dubbed the "King of Calypso", a title which he was very reluctant to accept for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an...
,
Maurice ChevalierMaurice Auguste Chevalier was a French actor, singer, and popular entertainer. Chevalier's signature songs included "Louise", "Mimi", and "Valentine". His trademark was a boater hat, which he always wore on stage with his tuxedo.-Early life:He was born in Paris to a house painter father and mother...
,
Maharishi Mahesh YogiMaharishi Mahesh Yogi introduced the Transcendental Meditation technique and related programs and initiatives, including schools and universities with campuses in several countries including India, the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom and China.In approximately 1939, the Maharishi became...
and
Marlene DietrichMarlene Dietrich was a German-born American actress and singer.Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself. In 1920s Berlin, she acted on the stage and in silent films...
. Musicians like
Thelonious MonkThelonious Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer who, according to The Penguin Guide to Jazz, was "one of the giants of American music"...
,
Grateful DeadThe Grateful Dead were an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, jazz, psychedelia, and space rock—and for live performances of long musical...
,
Tiny TimTiny Tim may refer to:* Tiny Tim , a fictional character from A Christmas Carol* Tiny Tim , American musician* Tiny Tim , an anti-ship rocket deployed by the United States Navy at the end of World War II...
, and
Jefferson AirplaneJefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
entertained the crowds.
Problems
Despite its successes, there were problems: FLQ terrorists had initially threatened to disrupt the exhibition, but were inactive during this period. Vietnam war protesters picketed during the opening day, April 28.
American PresidentThe President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition...
Lyndon B. JohnsonLyndon Baines Johnson , served as the 36th President of the United States from 1963 to 1969 after his service as the Vice President of the United States from 1961 to 1963...
's visit became a focus of war protesters. The Cuba pavilion attracted threats that it would be destroyed by anti-Castro forces that never materialized. In June, the Arab-Israeli conflict in the
Middle EastThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, southeastern Europe, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East...
flared up again in the Six Day War, which resulted in
KuwaitThe State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab emirate bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south and Iraq to the north and west. The greatest distance from north to south is 200 km and from east to west 170 km . The name is a diminutive of an Arabic word meaning "fortress built near water." It has a...
pulling out of the fair in protest to the way Western nations dealt with the war. The president of France,
Charles De GaulleCharles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II...
, caused an international incident on July 24 when he addressed thousands at Montreal City Hall by yelling out the now famous words
"Vive Montréal... Vive le Québec ...Vive le Québec Libre!Vive le Québec libre! was a famous and controversial phrase in a speech delivered by French President Charles de Gaulle in Montreal on July 24, 1967....
" He appeared the next day at Expo and received the normal VIP treatment from the Expo staff, as was expected for a head of state, despite his diplomatic
faux pasA faux pas is a violation of accepted social rules . Faux pas vary widely from culture to culture, and what is considered good manners in one culture can be considered a faux pas in another...
. Habitat 67 was not quite completed by opening day, and was displayed as a work-in-progress, which actually made it even more popular.
In September, the most serious problem turned out to be a 30-day transit strike. By the end of July, estimates that Expo would exceed 60 million visitors were predicted, but the strike cut deeply into attendance and revenue figures, just as it was cruising along to its conclusion. Another major problem, beyond the control of Expo's management, was guest accommodation and lodging. Logexpo was created to direct visitors to accommodations in the Montreal area, which usually meant that visitors would stay at the homes of people they were unfamiliar with, rather than traditional hotels or motels. The Montreal populace opened their homes to thousands of guests. Unfortunately for some visitors, they were sometimes sent to less than respectable establishments where operators took full advantage of the tourist trade. Management of Logexpo was refused to Expo and was managed by a Quebec provincial authority. Still, Expo would get most of the blame for directing visitors to these establishments. But overall, a visit to Expo from outside Montreal was still seen as a bargain.
Expo ends
Expo 67 closed on Sunday afternoon, October 29, 1967. On the final day 221,554 visitors added to the more than 50 million (50,306,648) that attended Expo 67 at a time when Canada's population was only 20 million, setting a per-capita record for World Exhibition attendance that still stands.
Starting at 2:00 p.m., Expo Commissioner General mbassador Pierre Dupuy officiated over the medal ceremony, in which participating nations and organizations received gold and silver medallions, as well as the ceremony in which national flags were lowered in the reverse order to which they had been raised, with Canada's flag lowered first and
NigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal Capital Territory. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger...
's lowered last. After Prime Minister Pearson doused the Expo flame, Governor General Michener closed Expo at Place des Nations with the mournful spontaneous farewell: "It is with great regret that I declare that the Universal and International Exhibition of 1967 has come to an official end." All rides and the minirail were shut down by 3:50 p.m., and the Expo grounds closed at 4:00 p.m., with the last
Expo Express trainThe Expo Express was a rapid transit system consisting of four stations and a 5.7-kilometre route. Built for Montreal’s Expo 67 and costing around $18 million, the trains carried 1,000 passengers each and average wait time of five minutes.After Expo 67, the cars were sold to the City of Montreal...
leaving for
Place d'Accueil at that time. A fireworks display, that went on for an hour, was Expo's concluding event.
Expo's financial fortunes did better than expected. Expo was intended to have a deficit, shared between the federal, provincial and municipal levels of government. Significantly better-than-expected attendance revenue reduced the debt to well below the original estimates. The final financial statistics, in 1967 Canadian dollars, were :
Revenues of $221,239,872;
Costs were $431,904,683;
Deficit of $210,664,811.
Pavilions
Expo featured 90 pavilions representing Man and His World themes, from nations, corporations and industries including the
U.S. pavilionThe biosphere is the global sum of all ecosystems. It can also be called the zone of life on Earth. From the broadest biophysiological point of view, the biosphere is the global ecological system integrating all living beings and their relationships, including their interaction with the elements...
, a
geodesic domeA geodesic dome is a spherical or partial-spherical shell structure or lattice shell based on a network of great circles lying on the surface of a sphere. The geodesics intersect to form triangular elements that have local triangular rigidity and also distribute the stress across the entire...
designed by
Buckminster FullerRichard Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller was an American architect, author, designer, inventor, and futurist.Fuller published more than thirty books, inventing and popularizing terms such as "Spaceship Earth", ephemeralization, and synergetics...
. Expo 67 also featured the Habitat 67 housing complex designed by architect
Moshe SafdieMoshe Safdie, CC is an architect and urban designer. He was born in the city of Haifa, British Mandate for Palestine. He moved with his family to Montreal, Canada when he was a teenager.- Career :...
, which is still occupied.
The most popular pavilion was the Soviet Union's exhibit. It attracted about 13 million visitors. Rounding out the top five pavilions, in terms of attendance were: Canada 11 million visitors, the United States 9 million, France 8.5 million, and Czechoslovakia 8 million.
Participating Countries:
- Africa: Algeria, Cameroun, Chad, Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mauritius, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, and Upper Volta
- Asia: Burma, Ceylon, China (Taiwan), Korea, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, Thailand and the United Arab Republic
- Australia
- Caribbean: Barbados, Grenada, Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago
- Europe: Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, the USSR, and Yugoslavia
- Latin America: Guyana, Venezuela
- North America: Canada, Mexico, and the United States
Absent countries included:
- Spain
- South Africa
- The People's Republic of China
- many countries of South America.
Legacy
After 1967, the site struggled for years as a standing collection of international pavilions known as "Man and His World." However, as attendance declined, the physical condition of the site deteriorated, and less and less of it was open to the public. In 1975 the Île Notre-Dame section of the site was completely rebuilt around the new
rowingRowing at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal featured races in 14 events, all held at the rowing basin on Île Notre-Dame. Women's events held at 1000 m debuted ....
and
canoe sprintCanoeing at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada consisted of 11 events, all in canoe sprint, held at the rowing basin on Île Notre-Dame. The canoe slalom events introduced at the previous Games in Munich were not included in the Montreal program though four 500 m events for men were...
(then
flatwater canoeingThis article discusses canoe sprint and canoe marathon, competitive forms of canoeing and kayaking on more or less flat water. Both sports are governed by the International Canoe Federation ....
) basin for Montreal's
1976 Summer OlympicsThe 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976...
. Space for the basin, the boathouses, the changing rooms and other buildings was obtained by demolishing many of the former pavilions and cutting in half the area taken by the artificial lake and the canals. In 1976, a fire destroyed the acrylic outer skin of
Buckminster FullerRichard Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller was an American architect, author, designer, inventor, and futurist.Fuller published more than thirty books, inventing and popularizing terms such as "Spaceship Earth", ephemeralization, and synergetics...
's dome. With the site falling into disrepair it began to resemble ruins of a futuristic city. In the late 1970s, scenes for
Robert AltmanRobert Bernard Altman was an American film director known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective...
's post-apocalyptic ice age film
QuintetQuintet is an post-apocalyptic science fiction film by Robert Altman produced in 1979. It features among others Paul Newman, Brigitte Fossey, Bibi Andersson, Fernando Rey and Vittorio Gassman.-Plot:...
were shot on site, as was the "Greetings from Earth" episode of
Battlestar GalacticaBattlestar Galactica is an American science fiction television series, produced in 1978 by Glen Larson and starring Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict....
, which portrayed it as the ruins of a city left behind after a biological attack. The music video for the song
Ghost Town by
Cheap TrickCheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1974. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
was also shot on this site. Some of the footage showing the United Kingdom pavilion was reused in
Buck RogersBuck Rogers in the 25th Century is an American science fiction adventure television series produced by Universal Studios. The series ran for two seasons between 1979 - 1981, and the feature-length pilot episode for the series was released as a theatrical film several months before the series...
. Minor thematic exhibitions were held at the Atlantic pavilion and Quebec pavilion, until the Montreal Casino was built. The remaining original exhibits of the site closed for good in 1982.
After the
Man and his World exhibition was discontinued, the former site for Expo 67 on
Île Sainte-Hélène and
Île Notre-DameÎle Notre-Dame is an artificial island built in 10 months from 15 million tons of rock excavated for the Montreal Metro in 1965. It was created for Expo 67 to celebrate Canada's centennial. The island is part of the city of Montreal and forms part of the Hochelaga Archipelago...
, has been incorporated into a municipal park run by the city of Montreal. In the year 2000, the park was renamed from
Parc des Îles to
Parc Jean-DrapeauParc Jean-Drapeau is situated to the east of downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in the Saint Lawrence River. Parc Jean-Drapeau (formerly called Parc des Îles) is situated to the east of downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in the Saint Lawrence River. Parc Jean-Drapeau (formerly called Parc des...
, after the mayor that brought the exhibition to Montreal. In 2006, the corporation that runs the park also changed its name from the
Société du parc des Îles to the
Société du parc Jean-Drapeau. Two prominent buildings remaining in use on the Expo grounds are the Buckminster Fuller dome (now operating as an environmental sciences museum called
BiosphèreThe biosphere is the global sum of all ecosystems. It can also be called the zone of life on Earth. From the broadest biophysiological point of view, the biosphere is the global ecological system integrating all living beings and their relationships, including their interaction with the elements...
) and the Habitat 67 residences. Also, the French and Quebec pavilions now form the
Montreal CasinoThe Casino de Montréal is a casino located on the Île Notre-Dame in Montreal. It is the largest casino in Canada, and among the top ten largest in the world....
. La Toundra Hall is part of the surviving structural remains of the Canadian pavilion. It is now a restaurant and special events hall. Another part of the pavilion now serves as the administration building of
Parc Jean-DrapeauParc Jean-Drapeau is situated to the east of downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in the Saint Lawrence River. Parc Jean-Drapeau (formerly called Parc des Îles) is situated to the east of downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in the Saint Lawrence River. Parc Jean-Drapeau (formerly called Parc des...
. Katimavik's distinctive inverted pyramid and much of the rest of the Canadian pavilion were dismantled during the 1970s. The Jamaican pavilion was recently rebuilt, and Place des Nations, where the opening and closing ceremonies were held, also survives. A part of the Korean pavilion remains as a shelter for the bus route that connects with the metro station. Additionally, the former Tunisian Pavilion exists as a City of Montreal/Parc Jean Drapeau administration and logistics center. It is within the vicinity of the Cosmos Bridge, which connects Île Sainte-Hélène to Île Notre-Dame. The bridge linked the two islands and at either end were the American and Soviet Pavilions respectively. Other remaining structures include sculptures, lampposts and landscaping. The
Montreal MetroThe Montreal Metro is a rubber-tired metro system, and the main form of public transportation underground in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada....
subway still has at least one "Man and His World" logo on a station's wall. La Ronde survives and is expanding. In 2001 it was sold to the New York amusement park company
Six FlagsSix Flags, Inc. is the world's largest amusement park corporation based on quantity of properties and the 4th most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 21 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family entertainment centers...
.
The Alcan Aquarium built for the Expo remained in operation for a couple of decades until its closure in 1991. The Expo parking lot was converted into
Victoria STOLportVictoria STOLport
, a short-take off airport for several years.
Another attraction on today's Île Notre-Dame site is the
Circuit Gilles VilleneuveThe Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a street circuit which is the venue for the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix, and is the venue of NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, and, as of 2007, NASCAR Nationwide Series and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series races...
race track that was used for the
Canadian Grand PrixThe Canadian Grand Prix , abbreviated as gpc, is an annual auto race held in Canada starting in 1961. It has been part of the Formula One World Championship since 1967...
. The Olympic basin is used today by many local rowing clubs. A recently built beach on the shores of the remaining artificial lake, has been very popular during the summer months. There are many acres of parkland and cycle paths on both Île Sainte-Hélène and the western tip of Île Notre-Dame. In previous years the site has been used for a number of events such as a BIE sponsored international botanical festival,
Les floralies. The young trees and shrubs planted for Expo 67 are now mature. The plants introduced during the botanical events have flourished also. In the warmest weeks of the summer the two islands are cool, leafy havens compared to the overheated city. In the winter, brave Montrealers skate on the frozen Olympic basin, whipped by the glacial winds coming from the
Saint Lawrence RiverThe Saint Lawrence River is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage of the Great Lakes Basin...
.
In a political and cultural context, Expo 67 was seen as a landmark moment in Canadian history. As the
Montreal StarThe Montreal Star was an English-language Canadian newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It folded in 1979 following an eight-month pressmen's strike....
described it:
"the most staggering Canadian achievement since this vast land was finally linked by a transcontinental railway". In 1969, as a salute to the cultural impact the exhibition had on the city, Montreal's new Major League
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond...
team, the
ExposThe Montreal Expos is the name of a Major League Baseball team that was located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from 1969 until the end of the 2004 season, when the team was moved to Washington, D.C. and became the Washington Nationals....
, was named after the event. 1967 was also the year that invited Expo guest
Charles De GaulleCharles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II...
, on July 24, addressed thousands at Montreal City Hall by yelling out the now famous words:
"Vive Montréal... Vive le Québec ...Vive le Québec Libre!" (See
Vive le Québec libre speechVive le Québec libre! was a famous and controversial phrase in a speech delivered by French President Charles de Gaulle in Montreal on July 24, 1967....
). De Gaulle was rebutted in
OttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada and a municipality within the Province of Ontario. Located in the Ottawa Valley in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, the city lies on the southern banks of the Ottawa River, a major waterway forming the local boundary between the Provinces of Ontario and...
by Prime Minister
Lester B. PearsonLester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, PC, OM, CC, OBE was a Canadian statesman, diplomat and politician who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis...
:
"Canadians do not need to be liberated, Canada will remain united and will reject any effort to destroy her unity". In the years that followed, the tensions between the English and French communities would continue. As a contemporary homage to the fair, satirists
Bowser and BlueGeorge Bowser and Rick Blue, better known as Bowser and Blue, are a musical duo from Quebec, Canada who write and perform comedic songs...
wrote a full-length musical set at Expo 67 called "The Paris of America" which ran for six sold-out weeks at Centaur Theatre in Montreal in April and May 2003. Also, the song "
Purple Toupee-Track listing:# "Purple Toupee"# "Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had A Deal"# "Lady Is A Tramp"# "Birds Fly"The latter three tracks would later be included on Miscellaneous T.-External links:*Purple Toupee EP on This Might Be A Wiki...
" by
They Might Be GiantsThey Might Be Giants is a double Grammy Award-winning American alternative rock band which began as a duo of John Flansburgh and John Linnell, and currently also includes Marty Beller, Dan Miller, and Danny Weinkauf. Formed in 1982, they are best known for an unconventional and experimental style...
contains the line "I shouted out 'Free the Expo 67!'" In the Simpson's episode "She used to be my Girl" (2004), when Homer is trying to convince Marge she led a good life, one of the things he mentions is that she has a "TV tray from Expo 67."
Expo 67 was one of the most successful World Exhibitions and is still regarded fondly by Canadians. Some even consider it to be one of the biggest events of the 20th century. 1967 is often referred to as "the last good year" before economic decline, Quebec sovereigntism (seen as negative from a federalist viewpoint), and political apathy became common. In this way, it has much in common with the 1964-65
New York World's FairNew York World's Fair may refer to:* 1939 New York World's Fair* 1964 New York World's Fair...
. In 2007, a new group,
Expo 17In 2007, a new group, Expo 17, is looking to bring a smaller-scale – BIE sanctioned – exposition to Montreal for the 50th anniversary of Expo 67 and Canada's Sesquicentennial . Expo 17 hopes a new World's Fair will regenerate the spirit of Canada's landmark centennial project.An unofficial 50...
, is looking to bring a smaller-scale –
BIE sanctionedThe Bureau of International Expositions , also known popularly by its acronym the B.I.E., is the governing body of world's fairs .-Founding and purpose:...
– exposition to Montreal for the 50th anniversary of Expo 67 and Canada's Sesquicentennial(2017).
Expo 17In 2007, a new group, Expo 17, is looking to bring a smaller-scale – BIE sanctioned – exposition to Montreal for the 50th anniversary of Expo 67 and Canada's Sesquicentennial . Expo 17 hopes a new World's Fair will regenerate the spirit of Canada's landmark centennial project.An unofficial 50...
hopes a new World's Fair will regenerate the spirit of Canada's landmark centennial project.
See also
- 67 X
The 67 X is a Canadian-built automobile that was designed and manufactured by George Barris for Canada's Expo 67, where they were raffled off in a contest. Only 4 of these vehicles were ever made but they included swiveling seats, a sofa, and even a refrigeration unit, with an overall sleek-looking...
- A Centennial Song
- A Place to Stand, A Place to Grow
A Place to Stand, A Place to Grow was an unofficial anthem of the Canadian province of Ontario. The song was written as the signature tune for a movie of the same name that was featured at the Expo 67 Ontario pavilion....
- Alfa Romeo Montreal
The Alfa Romeo Montreal is a 2+2 coupé automobile produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1970 to 1977.- Concept car:The Alfa Romeo Montreal was introduced as a concept car in 1967 at Expo 67, held in Montreal, Canada . Originally, the concept cars were displayed without any model...
, a concept car first shown during Expo 67 and later mass-produced
- Annual Canadian expos; the Canadian National Exhibition
Canadian National Exhibition , aka The Ex, is an annual event held at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The CNE grew out of an annual late summer fair at a time when Toronto was the centre of a farming community...
and Pacific National ExhibitionThe Pacific National Exhibition is an non profit organization which hosts an annual 17 day summer fair in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It usually begins in mid-to-late August, and ends in early September, usually Labour Day.-History:...
- 1967 in Canada
See also:1966 in Canada,other events of 1967,1968 in Canada and theTimeline of Canadian history.1967 is remembered as one of the most notable years in Canada. It was Canada's centenary and celebrations were held throughout the nation...
- 1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976...
, also held in Montreal, using part of the Expo 67 site.
- Expo
- Expo '86, held in Vancouver
- List of world's fairs
- Montreal Expo Express
The Expo Express was a rapid transit system consisting of four stations and a 5.7-kilometre route. Built for Montreal’s Expo 67 and costing around $18 million, the trains carried 1,000 passengers each and average wait time of five minutes.After Expo 67, the cars were sold to the City of Montreal...
, a mass transit rail system built exclusively to service Expo 67 from Place d'Accueil on la Cité du Havre to Île Notre-Dame.
- Ontario Place
Ontario Place is a multiple use entertainment and seasonal amusement park in Toronto, Ontario, and owned by the Crown in Right of Ontario. Located on the shore of Lake Ontario, just south of Exhibition Place, it is approximately 4 km west of downtown Toronto. Opened on May 22, 1971, it...
, a Toronto park created in the 1970s to mimic Expo 67.
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