Expo 67 was cool!

I was too young to attend Expo 67, but I have always thought that it must have been really thrilling to experience. It's been said that the World Fair was Canada's coming of age. It was cool to go to Montreal during that summer of love to celebrate Canada's Centennial and view those great monuments of futuristic grandeur.

And grand they were - from the geodesic dome of the US Pavilion to Canada's Katimavik inverted pyramid, from the seemingly origami-inspired Ontario Pavilion to the replica Buddhist shrine of the Thailand Pavilion, the exhibits on those human-made islands were anything but plain and ordinary.

The theme of Expo was Man And His World / Terre Des Hommes. [Sexist terms were pretty much standard back then.] Sub-themes were Man the Explorer, Man the Producer, Man in the Community and Man the Provider. There was the cool Habitat housing development and the Mini Rail train system.

I recently watched a neat DVD called Expo 67: Back to the Future, part of CBC's Canadian Experience series. There are some interesting reminiscences of people who were there. It's available from the CBC Shop.

A couple of cool web sites can help you relive - or learn about for the first time, perhaps - the experience of Expo. Expo 67 - Montreal World's Fair features some articles and maps. Even more comprehensive is Expo 67 in Montreal - A photo collection about Canada's Centennial Celebration! It's full of photos of exhibits, memorabilia and other stuff. There are also some audio files.

Some of the audio stuff includes:

• CA-NA-DA - the anthem by Bobby Gimby (in English and French)
• A Place To Stand - a presentation about the Ontario Pavilion
• The Sounds of Expo 67
• Hey Friend, Say Friend / Un Jour, Un Jour (the official Expo song, in English and French)
• links to items from the CBC Archives

The memorabilia section is very extensive, featuring such items as:

• Alcan Dolphin Show Ticket
• Auto Parking Ticket Receipt
• Autostade ticket for Rodeo show
• Blue + Red Expo Shooters
• Blue and White Sadler Mug
• Boy Scout Patch
• Canadian Pacific Airlines Travel Bag
• Canadian Pavilion Medallion
• Centennial Mug
• Centennial Pin
• Ceramic Tile
• Expo 67 Coin Letter Opener
• Expo 67 Edukit Booklet
• Expo 67 Pencil
• Expo 67 pin-back button
• Expo Charm
• Expo Drinking Glass
• Expo Glass Dishes
• Expo Medallions
• Expo Passport
• Expo Pennant
• Expo Postcard
• Expo Scarf
• Expo Stamps
• Expo Tote Bag
• Fire King Mug
• First Day Issue: USA Postcard
• First-day cover issue: Canada Centennial 1867-1967
• First-day cover issue: France
• First-day cover issue: United Nations
• Fisher Pocket Lighter
• Hostess Brooch Pin
• Laterna Magika tickets
• Match Cover Collection
• Multiple view serving tray
• Ontario Medallion
• Rendez-Vous Expo Medallion
• Royal Darwood Cup + Saucer
• Sadler Mug
• Shallow Triangular Bowl
• Super 8 Films on Expo
• The Official Commemorative Medallion
• Ticket stub for teenage quiz show: "Reach For The Top"
• USA Lighter
• USA Tray

The pages detailing pavilions and themes have info on:

• Africa
• Air Canada
• Alcan
• Algeria
• Arab Nations
• Atlantic Provinces
• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Brewers
• Britain
• Burma
• Canada
• Canadian National
• Canadian Pacific - Cominco
• Canadian Pulp & Paper
• Ceylon
• Chatelaine House
• China
• Christian
• Cuba
• Czechoslovakia
• DuPont of Canada
• Economic Progress
• Ethiopia
• European Communities
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Guyana / Barbados
• Gyrotron
• Habitat
• Haiti
• Hélène de Champlain
• India
• Indians of Canada
• International Scout Centre
• Iran
• Israel
• Italy
• Jamaica
• Japan
• Judaism
• Kaleidoscope
• Kodak
• Korea
• Kuwait
• Labyrinth
• Man and Health
• Man and Music
• Man the Creator
• Man the Explorer
• Man the Producer
• Man the Provider
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Monaco
• Morocco
• Netherlands
• OECD
• Olympic House
• Ontario
• Polymer
• Québec
• Scandinavia
• Sermons from Science
• State of Maine
• State of New York
• State of Vermont
• Steel
• Switzerland
• Telephone
• Thailand
• Trinidad & Tobago and Grenada
• Tunisia
• USSR
• United Nations
• United States
• Venezuela
• Western Provinces
• Yugoslavia