Features opfeatures@gmail.com Looking Back at Expo 86 The transportation exposition that paved the way for Vancouver Kevin Welsh, OP Features Editor With the 2010 Winter Olympics looming on the horizon, those of us that have forgotten Vancouver wasn’t always considered a world-class city perhaps should be forgiven. After all, Vancouver hasn’t always been considered a city with the infrastructure and corporate clout to host major international events like the Olympics, next year’s FIFA Youth World Cup, or historic summit meetings of recent years past. Indeed, there was once a time when Vancouver was considered to be little more than a fledgling *burb on the west coast—in 1979, ABC sports commentator once referred to Vancouver on national American television as a “village.” Vancouver’s transformation from “village” to world- class metropolis can be boiled down to a myriad of deci- sions. However, we’re fast approaching the twentieth anniversary of the event that many believe firmly put Vancouver on the world map was the “successful” hosting of a major, international event that, ironically, ran a deficit of $311 million dollars: the 1986 World Exposition—more commonly known as Expo 86. It’s difficult to believe that, before the wheels of Expo 86 were set in motion, Vancouver had no modern, world- class sporting and convention centre and an outdated pub- lic transportation system. Yet preparations for Expo 86 took care of both of those shortcomings. In fact, Vancouver came out of Expo with more than a few con- vention centres, concert halls, and tourist attractions. The 1986 exposition was largely held a 173-acre parcel of land on False Creek. Up until the late 1970s, the land, a former Canadian Pacific Railways yard, was little more than an industrial wasteland. In 1980, British Columbia Legislature passed the Transpo 86 Corporation Act, which set aside the land for development into an exposition site. Originally, the fair was to be called Transpo 86, as it was always intend to have a transportation theme. When organ- izers realized the scope of their endeavour, and recognized the attention and interest it was drawing from countries actoss the world, it became clear that the event would, indeed, be a world’s fair. The_official title of the fair was “Transportation and Communication: World in Motion.” The theme was chosen to honour the city’s role in connecting all major Canadian cities by rail, as well as Vancouver's status as a major port city and the role of communication in transportation. The fair opened on, May 2, 1986 and ran through to October 13, 1986. A total of 54 nations, nine provinces or territories, three states, and numerous corporations spon- sored pavilions. By the time the event opened, the main expo site covered 165 acres, while the Canadian pavilion, not located on the main grounds, covered six acres. Among some of the more memorable displays was Highway 86, a gigantic sculpture of a wavy highway, com- plete with nearly every vehicle imaginable. As well, UFO H20, a large UFO spouting water, was a hit with the kids. But more important to Vancouver was the construction of facilities and systems that would become of staple of our infrastructure and help facilitate our growth as a city. BC Place—our resident 60,000-seat domed behemoth, opened in 1983 primarily as a home for the Canadian Football League Lions and the North American Soccer League Whitecaps—was put to good use for Expo’s open- ing ceremonies. As well, the Plaza of Nations still hosts concerts today, while Science World has become a major interactive educational centre. However, the most fundamental contribution that Expo helped bring to the city was the erection of the SkyTrain, an elevated rapid transit system that continues to be expanded. The SkyTrain connected the Expo grounds to the Canadian pavilion, Canada Place, which has become a major downtown convention centre complete with inter- national cruise ship docks. The international attention that Expo 86 garnered greatly surpassed anything that the organizers had hoped for. By the time the fair closed its’ doors, over 22-million visitors had passed through its gates. Despite expenditures of $802 million and revenues of $491 million (for a deficit of well over $300 million), Expo 86 was considered a great success. Many of Expo’s attractions were auctioned off to buy- ers from around the world. Personally, I came across offi- cial “Expo 86” park benches while in Honolulu, Hawaii. The China Gate, originally part of the Chinese pavilion, was donated to the City of Vancouver, and now resides in Chinatown on Pender Street. The Monorail is now located Participating US States: 3 at Alton Towers Theme Park in England, while the much ballyhooed roller coaster, “The Scream Machine” is now the “Ninja” at Six Flags St. Louis. Among some of the more perplexing displays of spent money, the “World’s Largest Flag Pole” now resides in Surrey, while the “World’s Largest Ice Hockey Stick” is now in Duncan. And, of course, there was McDonald’s floating restaurant, “McBarge,” which was last seen rusting away peacefully in Burrard Inlet. ; The Expo grounds themselves were sold to the Concord Pacific Development Corporation for a fraction of the original cost in a move that proved contentious and extremely controversial. Part of the reason for the outcry was that the grounds needed extensive work before Expo could be constructed, due to high levels of industrial waste. For years, the Expo grounds sat unused. Today, howev- er, the western two-thirds of the grounds have been devel- oped into parks and high-rise condominiums in what many consider to be one of the most successful urban develop- ments in Canadian history, while the eastern portion was used for Vancouver’s Molson Indy race until it was can- celled in 2004. Expo 86 remains, to date, the largest event ever hosted in British Columbia and is viewed by many as marking not only Vancouver’s Centennial anniversary but our transition into a world-class city. Certainly, without Expo it would have been difficult to imagine Vancouver attracting major international summits, the attention of the American- focused Molson Indy and National Basketball Association, the FIFA Youth World Cup(the second largest world soc- cer tournament), or the 2010 Winter Olympics. Expo 86 Facts & Figures Official Theme: ‘Transportation and Communication , Sub Theme: A Celebration of Ingenuity Total Attendance: 22,111,578 Operating Dates: May 2 to Geiaber 13, 1986 Mascot: Expo Biaic (a life-sized robot) Participating Nations: 54 Participating Provinces & Territories: 9