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Topic spans: 1962 - 1985
Expo 67: Montreal Welcomes the World
Expo 67 was the most spectacular of Canada's 100th anniversary celebrations. When the Montreal Universal and International Exposition of 1967 opened on April 27, it was a gleaming futuristic spectacle and a dazzling international success. On two giant islands in the St. Lawrence River more than 50 million visitors were presented with a vision of the future.
Aerial photo of Expo 67 from Library and Archives Canada
11 television clips
13 radio clips
A tale of two pavilions
Broadcast Date: April 28, 1967
Two of the biggest Expo pavilions are those of the superpowers: the United States and the Soviet Union. Standing like glowering sentries across the channel from each other, these architectural wonders vie for top spot on Expo visitors' itineraries.The giant ski slope of the USSR pavilion celebrates the theme "Everything in the Name of Man, for the Benefit of Man." The 75-metre geodesic bubble of the U.S. pavilion is a celebration of "Creative America."
A tale of two pavilions
• The 20-storey American pavilion was the busiest at Expo, with more than 5 million visitors. Its six inner floors were dedicated to "the positive use of creative energy" in the United States. The building was designed by architect and philosopher Buckminster Fuller, who dedicated it to his wife Anne as they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at Expo.• In 1976 the acrylic skin of the dome caught fire and burned away. The pavilion was abandoned until June 6, 1995 (World Environment Day) when it reopened as Biosphere, a multimedia museum dedicated to the preservation of the St. Lawrence River ecosystem.
• 1967 was the 50th anniversary of the Soviet state. Their pavilion had large glass and aluminum walls supporting a huge curved roof. The focus was on "Earth, Sea, and Sky." The interior exhibits, dominated by a giant bust of Lenin, celebrated domestic technological progress and the success of their space program.
A tale of two pavilions
Medium: Radio
Program: CBC Radio News Special
Broadcast Date: April 28, 1967
Guest(s): Nicholas Rigeri, Yveshinir Yrushnikov
Reporter: Stan Rantin
Duration: 3:19
Photo: Library and Archives Canada/e000990832
Last updated:
Aug. 14, 2009
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24 clips in this topic . page
Television
4:30
April 28, 1967
Opening day gives way to a sparkling evening at the 1967 world's fair in Montreal.
Radio
13:46
This episode of Expodition highlights Coco the Clown, two puppeteers and a gang of boys who do tricks to pay for a spin on the Gyrotron at Expo 67.
A tale of two pavilions.
The CBC Digital Archives Website.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Last updated: Aug. 14, 2009.
[Page consulted on Feb. 15, 2012.]