Ringing in Canada's Centennial
In 1967, Canada celebrated its centennial on the international stage. Moscow had originally won the bid to host the 1967 world exposition, but bowed out in late 1962. Montreal stepped up to host, despite the tight construction deadline. With less than 5 years to build over 100 pavilions showcasing countries, regions, industry, arts, culture, and technology, many people did not believe that the exposition would be ready in time. Montreal proved them wrong. On April 27, 1967, Expo 67 opened as scheduled and ran for 6 months. It attracted the participation of 120 governments, with 62 countries choosing to build pavilions, more than any previous world exposition. Expo 67 was the best-attended world fair since Paris 1900, with more than 50 million people attending from around the globe. The fair fostered national pride and created a unified picture of Canadian identity. |