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rinkrat
04-30-2006, 03:13 PM
Tuesday May 2 is the twentieth anniversary of Expo 86 in Vancouver.Just wondering if any of you came to Vancouver for the fair,or have any stories.I moved to Vancouver in 86 and got a job cooking at 86 Street and another booth.
Here's a website with lots of pictures and videos.

http://www.greatervancouverparks.com/EXPO86_theSite.html

CHtoo
04-30-2006, 03:58 PM
Brought my family to Expo86. Drove through the States and took the Anacortes ferry to the Island; then after a week went to Van. for Expo. We took the southern route as we thought the #1 would be packed. Duh never heard of the "other" highway (and darned if I'm going to try a spell it's name) :laugh:

rinkrat
04-30-2006, 04:18 PM
Coquihalla? LOL ;)
I believe they built that highway to be done before Expo,to help move traffic to Vancouver!

Squig
04-30-2006, 05:16 PM
Stuck it out for a few years then had to leave the rat race.

Practically lived at Expo tho - it was a hoot!! Never forget the Scream Machine... Expo theatre.... and of course 86th street. There was some great shows - the avalanche one was cool. What was the Irish Rovers bar called?...many a crazy night there.

rinkrat
04-30-2006, 06:31 PM
What was the Irish Rovers bar called?...many a crazy night there.
Was it "the Unicorn"? seems about right.Used to go there for Lions pre-game...

dondo
04-30-2006, 07:59 PM
bought a full pass a year before for about $40 and it was the best investment... The only way to do expo was in dribs and drabs.. a few hours ere and there. Went whenever I felt like it and that was good.

I'll always remember the pavilion for Yugoslavia and thinking what a gorgeous country, with mountains and crystal clear water, and fantastic vistas.. and then later the whole Bosnia/Croatia civil war tearing it apart... tragic.

Triton
04-30-2006, 09:25 PM
Ok I'm going on a limb to be ripped for this one but,what is expo86?

rinkrat
04-30-2006, 10:28 PM
Ok I'm going on a limb to be ripped for this one but,what is expo86?
http://www.greatervancouverparks.com/EXPO86_theSite.html

dondo
04-30-2006, 11:31 PM
Ok I'm going on a limb to be ripped for this one but,what is expo86?

what WAS Expo86 :thumb:

It was a World Exposition in Vancouver in 1986, with separate pavilions from each country showing their best sides (politcally. geographically, culturally yada yada), through multi-media demos, museum type displays, etc. We also had ethically based restaurants and bars and during that time Vancouver wasn't allowed to serve import beer on tap, but Expo was kind a separate state for its time and import draft was available on tap.. mmmm..

Also live shows and the best fireworks every night (although the fireworks competitions that we now have in the summer now are better - at the time it was spectacularrrrrrrr), etc, etc... refer to link in above post.

and yes it was the Unicorn :D

amisk
05-01-2006, 09:15 PM
I was working at a place on Great Northern Way and every day the concord would do a fly by and rattle all the windows..What a sight that was..every night..lower and raise the nose cone,fireworks every night,that got pretty boring after awhile. It was a great show in all and Jimmy Pattison was the C.E.O. which he was paid $1.00 and I guess he sold the rights to Expo Ernie (the robot)to some carlot up on Scott road...I dunno!!!

N.W. Bruin
05-02-2006, 09:29 PM
I believe it was only $89 and than increased as the fair got closer and doubled in price. I got a three day pass from work as a prize and went for three full days over a couple weekends and just had the time of my life. Ended up buying a couple more three day passes and took in all the buildings and lots of the stuff going on that I could. Really with the season pass I likely would have gone thirty days easy and done things in a more slower pace.

As a bonus the '86 Memorial Cup was awarded to the City of Vancouver because of Vancouver hosting Expo 86 (for the second time in nine seasons) on behalf of the second Bruins who were to be the host team (this was after the host team was included for the first time about three seasons before). The league thought it would be awesome for the players ect to be part of the Expo experience. But that quickly disappeared with skyrocketing hotel costs. Bruins pulled out and league decided to award the host team rights based on best record at Dec 1/85 (two months into the season) as long as the rink was large enough (5,000 capacity). So Portland got the right to host it back to back for the Dub.