Expo 86 - Vancouver, Canada

JDP ECON

WORLD'S FAIR DECISION MODEL

Check out More about the World's Fair Decision Model

The Vancouver Games: A Spectacular Choice

Vancouver 2010 Book

It Came True!

Buy the Book that Explains Why Vancouver Was Gong to Host One of the Best Olympics Ever and Did! And One of the Reasons, Expo 86!

Great Souvenir about the Games for Years to Come

FAIR REVUE HEADLINES

Philadelphia Inquirer -
"Vancouver is Ready for Fair Crowd" "A glittering new Expo 86 reinvents the world's fair."

U.S.A. Today -
"Vancouver Glittering for Sparkling Fair" "Expo 86: It's a lot better than just fair."

New York Times -
"Vancouver Unwraps
Its World's Fair" "Royal Couple Open Vancouver Fair" "Vancouver Struggles as it Celebrates" "A 'World in Motion,' a Wait in Line - The rush is already on at Vancouver's popular Expo 86, and summer's still to come"

PUBLICATIONS & GUIDEBOOKS

Expo 86 Guidebook Vancouver

Expo 86, Washington State Guidebook

Vancouver's Expo 86 Accommodations Guidebook

A variety of publications were put out by the province of British Columbia, the Expo Authority, as well as individual participants.

Custom Search

Vancouver Expo 86 logo

EXPO 67 -

For info about Canada's 1st World's Fair held in Montreal.

EXPO 86, The Expo Site

For a Look Back on EXPO '86 - A 140 Page Website covering different aspects of the World's Fair.

RELIVE IT ALL
CHECK IT OUT!

Vancouver Expo 86
British Columbia, Canada, 1986 - Expo 1986

World's Fair Decision Model

Top Ranked
SPECIAL CATEGORY
WORLD EXPO IN HISTORY

EXPO TIMELINE

1978 ... British Columbia initiative to host Expo '86 began with Centennial fair proposal.
June 1979 ... Bureau of International Exhibition sanction filed for by British Columbia.
November 26, 1980 ... Executive Committee of Bureau of International Exhibitions awards right to Vancouver, Canada to host Expo '86. Requirements of a Specialized Category World Expo - focus on single aspect of human endeavor, "Transportation & Communication." Host country builds and leases pavilion to international participants.
June 1981 ... Canada issues diplomatic invitations for nations to participate.
February 1984 - 30 international participants committed, including China, USSR, and Mexico. 1st normal meeting of College of Commissioners.
November 1984 ... Construction forges on, eventually to be 200 structures..
February 1985 ... General Motors pavilion announced, also appointed official supplier of transportation.
March 1985 ... A first for World Expositions with year early Expo Centre building opening as prevue with three major exhibits. International participation reaches 36 with Barbados announcement.
April 1985 ... 100,000th visitor to Display Centre
August 1985 ... Hong Kong announced as 42nd international participant. 500,000 people attend Expo Centre.
November 1985 ... Expo Centre prevue draws 664,134, over double projection.
January 1986 ... Announcement of ticket sales boom, over 60% of tickets now pre-sold.
February 1986 ... 10 million tickets pre-sold, 73% of budgeted projection.
March 1986 ... 54th international participant announced when Nauru and Malaysia join roster.
April 1986 ... 13 million tickets pre-sold. Expected attendance now raised to 17 million.
May 2, 1986 - OPENING DAY.
May 13, 1986 - Attendance already over one million.
July 7, 1986 - 7 million visitor mark topped.
August - 10 millionth visitor clicks through the gates followed close behind by the passing of the 13.75 budgeted attendance figure on August 20.
October 13, 1986 - EXPO CLOSING DAY. Accomplishments noted - 15 million pre-sold tickets. United States, U.S.S.R. & China participate together for the first time at a North American exposition.

Expo 86, why Vancouver Hosted One of the
Best Olympics Ever. Buy the Book that Explains Why.

The Vancouver Games: A Spectacular Choice

Expo Tidbits

    * The Prince & Princess of Wales (Prince Charles & Princess Diana) along with Prime Minister Brian Mulroney & British Columbia Premier Bill Bennett participated in the Opening Ceremonies at 60,000 seat B.C. Place Stadium.
    * 158 structures were constructed or re-utilized on site, enclosing 140,000 sq. meters. There was also seating on site for 10,000.
    * There were 52 restaurants, 11 inside international pavilions. Total seating in restaurants 10,000.
    * Largest single day attendance 341,806 on Sunday October 12.
    * Residuals to be directly after the exposition ... Canada Place to be used as Vancouver Convention & Docking Center. Expo Center. Roundhouse. BC Place.
    * Disney's two part Sunday movie "Earth Star Voyager", partially filmed inside Soviet Pavilion built for Expo '86. This was only the beginning of the burgeoning film industry in British Columbia.

Theme Pavilions, Plazas, and Sculptures
Three Theme Pavilions

    * Roundhouse "Golden Age of Ingenuity"
    * Legacy building Expo Centre "future pavilion" 17 story future pavilion, featuring a five hundred seat OMNIMAX Theatre with the film "A Freedom to Move," a Futures Theater, Design 2000, and an exhibit of futuristic vehicles. The legacy building, now the Vancouver Science World, was originally opened a year early as a preview to Expo 86.
    * The third theme pavilion was the Great Hall of Ramses II, an exhibit of ancient Egyptian artifacts from Ramses II.

Besides the three theme pavilions, there were three Theme Plazas (Marine, Air, and Land) and five Theme Sculptures (Highway 86, Spirit Catcher, Rowingbridge, Locomotive People #4, UFO H20.)

Amusement Rides

    * Space Tower
    * Cariboo Log Chute
    * Looping Starship
    * Scream Machine
    * 1907 Toboggan Co. Carrousel

Free On-Site Transportation

    * Monorail - 3.3mls. 7 stations, 20 min. ride.
    * Canadian Pacific Air Lines Skyride, 5 min. ride.
    * Air Canada Skyride, 5 minute ride.
    * Soule SK System, 30 second ride, 427' from France.
    * HSST, 2 minute ride behind Japan.
    * Intra Site ferries between East-Centre-West Ports.
    * Intergate bus shuttle.
    * Intersite Skytrain

Entertainment Venues

A variety of Entertainment venues were situated around the site, including:

    * The Barn, 400 seats
    * The Big House, 300 seats
    * The Common
    * Expo Theatre, 4000 seats
    * Xerox Int'l Theatre, 1500 seats
    * Kodak Pacific Bowl, 3000 seats
    * Plaza of National, 2500 seats with 1000 standing
    * Bandstands operated by EXPO 86: European Plaza Bandstand, Expo Centre Bandstand.
    * Pacific Station, 650-700 seats (privately operated)
    * Waves, 250 seats (privately operated)
    * Flying Club, 200 seats (privately operated)
    * Unicorn, 320 seats (privately operated)

Expo Zones (By Color)

Purple - East Gate, Expo Centre, Yukon, People's Republic of China, Northwest Territories, Folklife Festival.

Red - SkyTrain Stadium Station, Scream Machine, Canada Pavilion, Canada Portal, Saskatchewan, Looping Starship, HSST, Japan, Yugoslavia, Romania, Pavilion of Promise, Australia, Land Plaza, Canadian National, HIGHWAY 86, Ontario, Kenya, Pakistan, Senegal, First Aid & Security.

Blue - BC Pavilion Complex, Plaza of Nations, B.C., Expo Theatre, 1907 Philadelphia Toboggan Co. Carousel.Ã‘

Pink - USSR, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, Peru, Sri Lanka, Norwegian Explorers, Indonesia, Singapore, Phillipines, Brunei Darussalem, Thailand, Child's Play, Saudi Arabia, Air Plaza, Org. of Eastern Caribbean States (Antigua & Barbuda, Grenada, Commonwealth of Dominica, Montserrat, St. Kitts/Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia), Mexico, South Pacific (Fiji, W. Samoa, Cook Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Nauru.)

Green - Canadian Pacific, Roundhouse, First Aid & Security, American Express, Hong Kong, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Air Canada, Alberta, Quebec, United Nations, Italy, Britain, Spain, Belgium, EEC, France, Germany, Barbados, Norway, Costa Rica, Marine Plaza.

Yellow - Space Tower, Cariboo Log Chute,Republic of Korea, Telecom Canada, BCTV, West Gate, Old Salts Shipyard, Kodak Pacific Bowl, Great Hall of Ramses II, California, Washington, Oregon, U.S., Xeros International Theatre,Cote d'Ivoire, General Motors, Cuba.

EXPOcheck Reports

Expo Reports
Now Available

Shanghai's Expo 2010 and other ExpoCheck Reports
on upcoming and past events

EXPOcheck Facts and Figures - Expo 2010 Sample

Average Case Scenario Estimate per WFDM - 50,577,000
Comparative History Node Estimate (Case 2, Kunming 1999) per WFDM - 89,729,000
Population Modifing Factor, Metro Region - 0.574

EXPOCHECK

QUICK LIST INFO

Dates open

May 2, 1986 to

October 13, 1986

Total Attendance

22,111,578

Total Budget
(Expo Authority Capital & Operating) ...
CDN$802 million
(US$590 million)

Total actual revenues
(Expo Authority)
... CDN$369 million
... deficit of CDN$337 million (US$253 million)
(Paid off by provincial lottery).

Lower expenditures than budgeted by
CDN$94 million.

Site acreage
173 acres
(2 sites, False creek 165 acres & Burrard inlet 6 acres) Sites connected by free Skytrain line (4 minutes)

Sanction
B.I.E. Special
Category Expo.

Theme
World in Motion,
World in Touch

International participation
51 nations
2 colonies
2 international organizations

State/provincial
participants ... 12
Corporate/domestic participants ... 9

Vancouver Expo 1986 Ticket

Cost of daily ticket
CDN$20, US$15

THOSE IN CHARGE

* Ambassador & Commissioner General - Patrick Reid

* Chairman & President, Expo '86 - Jim Pattison

LEGACIES

* Science World in the former Expo Centre

* B.C. Pavilion Complex
* Roundhouse
* Convention Center in the former Canada Pavilion on Burrard Inlet

* False Creek promenade.