Part 1-Montreal's Expo 67 Was A Landmark Moment in Canadian History | Australian Reacts | AussieTash

[@cheesyrider6914]

And a few years later Montreal had the 76' Summer Olympics

[@reneedevry4361]

My family was living in Montreal at that time. 1000's of people opened their homes to visitors. My father could speak 5 languages so we slept in the basement while the 3 bedrooms were set up for foreign visitors like a B&B. We had mostly German and Dutch visitors but a Japanese couple as well. My mom made me memorize some basic words in all these languages but I was only 7 years old. I mostly remember how nice the people were, the candy they gave us and the Dutch couple that treated us kids to LaRonde for the day. The whole city got together to focus on being as friendly and welcoming as possible. 😊

[@aussietashreacts]

cool story, cheers for sharing :)

[@peterzimmer9549]

…and don’t forget, in 1967 our flag was only two years old. A great time to make the world aware of it.

[@rockygonnadz74]

Wow, that's right. Excellent point! 👍

[@sachospunn3809]

LOL, you reminded me when I went to see the movie "Pennies From Heaven" back in the early eighties. It was set in 1934 and there's a classroom scene with flags of the world on one wall. I almost fell out of my seat when there was a maple leaf flag for Canada!

[@gordongoudie-fq8qg]

In 1967 I was 15/16 ,had a season youth pass $20. I went over 50 times. It changed my life with views on the world .

[@GoWestYoungMan]

Crazy how even 56 years later so much of it still looks futuristic and out of this world.

[@dbradx]

I wasn't born until 1968, but my parents and my older sisters went to Expo and were absolutely amazed. They often talked about not only how wonderful the fair was but how wonderful the effect was on Canada, as the whole country got swept up in the spirit, and so many travelled to the fair when it opened. My Mom often said that it was a magical summer, with the country feeling united and optimistic about the future. Also notable was that the traditional tension between Québec and the rest of English Canada was put on the back burner in favour of coming together to have a party.

[@april_boyle]

Let’s not forget 4 years to build with MONTREAL WINTERS! An unbelievable feat, if I could go back and explore one Canadian event this would be it. 🇨🇦 🎉

[@andreraymond6860]

I turned three at Expo 67. My family lived in Saskatchewan where I was born. My parents, both french Canadians from out west, rented an RV trailer and drove from Prince Albert Saskatchewan to Montreal for Expo that summer, with seven kids in tow aged 3 to 14. I turned 3 during that July vacation. I have an indelible memory of the American pavillion with the Astronaut suit hanging from the ceiling over the escalator. I don't remember much more than that and the RV trailer. But my brother and five older sisters tell me stories...

[@rockygonnadz74]

Just imagine. Expo '67 drew 54 million visitors (about 2.5 times Canada's population at the time). The large dome was the US pavilion and is now the Montreal biosphere. In 1976 a fire burned away the acrylic shell, but the steel trusses were intact. Environment Canada bought the property in 1990 and built enclosed exhibit buildings within the bubble frame.

[@dougwilson4537]

I believe that is still the Largest Geodesic Dome ever built. It was a bit weird, to ride from outside, to inside the building... and inside it was HUGE!.😳

[@joellafrechette4011]

Salut Rocky. Expo '67 was magical and exciting. It's fun to look back and remember what was popular then. You seem to be quite a music buff. Do you know the number 1 song from 1967? Hint: It's a lulu, lol: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4XEoaJ3areEr9E

[@rockygonnadz74]

@@dougwilson4537 B'ys, as spheres go I wouldn't doubt it. Some domes claim to be bigger but they aren't a full sphere, more like a pan of half-popped Jiffy Pop.

[@rockygonnadz74]

@@joellafrechette4011 My jeez, t'anks fer the memory! I had a right wicked crush on her back in the day. I always thought that the way she covered three notes with "sir-ir-ir" made "Ca-na-da" work too!

[@jayvoorhees2931]

Expo 86 was massive as well. It changed Vancouver forever

[@howardhales6325]

I was 6 when all this was happening and we lived a long way from Montreal, but I still remember the excitement of it all. Everywhere you looked there were reminders, from t-shirts to coffee mugs to souvenir pens. It was a national phenomenon. Has anyone mentioned that Montreal's baseball team was named for this event?

[@philpaine3068]

I remember the Australian Pavillion. It was pretty cool. I've just found a description of it on an old website: Australia had just became the third nation, behind Russia and the USA, to launch a satellite into orbit. Its pavilion at Expo 67 presented us as a sophisticated and significant player in the space arena and highlighted our other accomplishments in science, fine arts, exploration, agriculture and industry. The pavilion was designed by government architect James Maccormick. From the outside it was a typical modernist structure that resembled a floating glass box. Four individual roofs funnelled into the building to form gothic-like piers of Tasmanian blackwood. Inside, the piers reached up to ribbed vaulted archways, emphasising a circular motif that carried throughout the building, right down to the internal displays. Acclaimed Australian architect Robin Boyd designed the internal spaces and exhibits. Underpinned by a space-age aesthetic, Boyd’s designs included curved white display stands with clear plastic domes that mimicked a flying saucer. Scattered throughout the pavilion, these displays featured typically Australian items including models of Canberra, the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme and the radio telescope at Parkes - the world’s largest fully steerable dish telescope at the time. Avant-garde talking chairs designed by Grant and Mary Featherston were grouped strategically around each display. Once seated, visitors enjoyed verbal explanations of the exhibits from noted Australians, delivered through speakers hidden in the wing-backed headrest. The Australia Pavilion at Expo 67 presented Australia as a sophisticated and innovative nation. The country’s leading role in new technologies was explained through the informative displays, and pavilion’s modernist, space-inspired aesthetic reinforced the message that Australia was a nation looking to the future.

[@sab4336]

At the end of a school year our school planned a trip to Montreal Expos67 a 150kms trip that took at that time 2 1/2 hours now i can do it in an hour and half. I was 11 then, our class went to La Ronde to try the rides, a girl i knew was scare to try Le Gyrotron so i hold her hand for the whole ride and the end of the ride she gave me my first kiss ever, i was in heaven 🥰. I'm 67 now and still remember Expos67 because it opened my eyes to the world, i'm glad that my parents had the curiosity and also the means to take me there almost every weekend that summer of 67. Still have my passport. Thanks for reacting to my favorite city Montréal.

[@aussietashreacts]

an awesome memory, cheers for sharing :)

[@keats65poems50]

I was there with my family in July '67- overwhelming as an 11 year old - and what I noticed was that there so many languages spoken, among so many people, from so many different countries as you walked around - a big part of the experience - and the different national pavilions - each expressing a cultural-national emphasis

[@WilSevigny]

Hey Tash! I was born in Montreal in 1967. My birth was the only thing that broke my father's pledge to attend Expo 67 every single day it was open. He only took one day off on my birthday. I had pins and crests and other momentos given to me as a newborn when our family attended. I don't remember actually going when I was that young, however, they venue stayed open for many years after 1967, and I have many fond memories of visiting the pavilions when I was younger, as well as going to LaRonde (the amusement park side) for many decades afterwards. I have a tattoo on my right shoulder with the Centennial crest of Canada for 1967, and the Stylized Maple leaf used for Canada's 150th anniversary on my left shoulder. My parents recently moved homes to downsize, and my mom found some of the gifts I had received from Expo '67 and gave them to me just last month. I wish I could send you some pictures of them. It is truly an amazing place still.

[@gordieparenteau6555]

Even all these decades later, it's still baffling how they were able to pull all this off in such a short period of time.

[@robertpearson8798]

I'm still amazed that they managed to pull this off.

[@andreraymond6860]

La Ronde (the amusement park) is still there. When we moved to Montréal in 1971, it became part of my childhood. It was taken over from the city by Six Flags a couple of decades ago. They hiked the prices, but kept the park open.

[@gordonwaddington792]

I was 7 years old in 1967. My parents drove 2,850 miles from Vancouver to Montreal, with three small children in the car (3, 6 and 7); it took us a week to get there. Looking back, I can only respect them for their patience!

[@Lakeshore14]

Wow. This is so great to see. I was there along with my family. I was 20 at the time and remember it well. It was spectacular. We sll kept saying we couldn't believe the islands were man made. Everything was beautiful. It was so amazing to explore the cultures of so many different countries at their pavilions. So many people, such beautiful surroundings, the friendliness of the Quebec people, the fantastic food, etc etc. All these years later I often think of how great that time was. Grateful that my Dad took many many home movies and we took so many pictures. It was magical. Thank uou Aussie Tash for shoeing this and bringing back wonderful memories. ❤

[@tarablack3309]

I was 10 living outside of Montreal. It was and is an amazing memory. It was like a Disney land of the future. Always will remember the song from ontario. They had to find a way to get rid of tonnes of fill from the newly dug metro. I loved my passport. I had all the stamps.

[@canadianmike626]

To get the fill for the island, they used the spoils from the new subway that was being built. It was an amazing idea.

[@danielleduplantis9449]

And also the build of the132 highway

[@Lava1964]

Indeed. It was absolutely brilliant.

[@singtweetypie]

This is wonderful to watch and loved hearing Gordon Lightfoot singing a capella! Consider the fact that Montreal, being further north than a city like Toronto, is colder, has more snow, and that many months of those years were spent working in winter weather, and the feat of hitting the tight deadline becomes even more impressive. At that time, Canada, especially Montreal and Toronto, had a lot of Italian labourers who not only are artisans, but also possess an incredible work ethic, and it's more understandable how they pulled it off. My family went to Expo and it was wonderful. I remember being fascinated with the Japanese pavilion and their cultural dance and dress. I remember singing the song “Canada” by The Young Canada Singers, as everyone was singing the catchy tune. This video with the tune has some good shots of Expo: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5uXfY14atSUqKM

[@aussietashreacts]

will have a listen, cheers

[@charlyW34]

Tash... I was seven. That alone should tell you volumes. Everything was wondrous. Going below ground to catch a train! More people in one place than I could imagine. Tremendous humidity compared to western Canada. Fantastic and gigantic structures, a 360 degree cinema, seeing "snow cones" for the first time and waiting on line for nearly an hour to get one. Bizarre seeming "steel drum" music that hypnotically drew you in. The geodesic dome as designed by Buckminster Fuller choc full of space ships and astronomical wonderment. The silly but deeply personal "passports" where you would get a stamp for each pavilion visited. I was mesmerized by the Ethiopian tower. And just off the official site...the nearly impossibly futuristic Habitat 67, a very out of this world apartment complex. Some memories have faded, other suppressed, such as being ill for the first 2 days, but the whole experience was that of a true life "willie wonka" adventure on a GRAND scale.

[@Ottawajames]

You might be surprised (or maybe not) that there's a heritage minute about Expo 67... Montreal even got a Major League Baseball team after it called the Montreal Expos.... They went under about 20 years ago now though.

[@Lava1964]

My father went to Expo '67 twice. Montreal was a six-hour car trip from our home. My mom permitted him to go there with his work buddies for a weekend. He was so impressed by Expo that he returned to Montreal a few weeks later with my mom. I was just three years old and my sister was one, so we stayed home with our grandparents.

[@artpreston7102]

The brewery pavilion had steins for 50 cents. a boon for a 17yr old. That and girls from all over the world. [ The first time I ever said " so many girls, so little time."

[@terryomalley1974]

Nice! 50 cents for a pint! That was dangerous, lol.

[@carolmurphy7572]

😂😂 That sounds like some wonderful memories were made!

[@strangerhere426]

At the age of 14, I remember our trip down the 401 to Montreal from Toronto. I really didn't know what to expect. When we arrived it was more than I could have ever imagined. The size of the crowds, the futuristic buildings, the mono rails, and the shear size of Expo left me in awe. Of course we just had to visit the Canadian pavilion which did not disappoint. To this day, it has to be one of the most incredible experiences I've had. It was the world's introduction to IMAX. It was breathtaking. From the view from inside the beaver aircraft taking a little dive to get a better view of our magnificent country to the highlight for me which was a hockey game between the Montreal Canadians and the Toronto Maple Leafs. IMAX placed you standing at center ice watching the game. It was surreal to say the least. Johnny Bower in net in one end and Gump Worsley at the other. It was shot from a live game at the Forum in Montreal. Truly spectacular for its time.

[@BobSmith-fu1nn]

I went to Expo 67 twice. I still have memories of the 360' movie in the Bell Pavilion (the Mounties charging the audience from all sides) and the movie in the Ontario pavilion....I remember the Australian pavilion had chairs with built in speakers in the headrest to watch their show

[@piratecat5113]

Drapeau was behind this, the subway and later the Olympics in 1976, Montreal had a pharaonic mayor :) Expected 12 millions then 35 and ended up with 50! Not much remain today beside La Ronde, the sphere, a few sculptors but the Islands are a great escape from downtown.

[@randallcaldwell4611]

Tash! I called my wife Julie into the den to watch your reaction to Expo 67. She was only 7-1/2 years old at the time but she was there! Her biggest memory is of the train/subway. She had a stamped passport that was completely stamped! Her family visited every Pavilion and got there passports stamped. It is so sad that none of those passports can be found now, nearly 50 years later, but I want to thank you for your reaction to to this video and putting a smile on both our faces.😀😀🇨🇦

[@aussietashreacts]

glad you are enjoying the videos with your family

[@andistudlik2952]

Thank you for this video! I’m loving how it has everyone sharing their memories 💕 I was born in 68 in Montreal and grew up with the remaining buildings, know the highways and metro well of course. But to hear how families from BC, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan all drove to Montreal for this is truly heart-warming.

[@evelynproulx1853]

Thank you so much to react to this! Expo 67 was such a beautiful and gigantic exposition for the time! It was indeed quite impressive that we succeeded in making this project a reality in only four years and even then, don't forget that we have winters here and that it lasts a long while... so those four years were less than that to make it possible... I remember having a passport but it got lost over time... I was only 7 years old but I remember it pretty well. I must have gone there 6-7 times maybe with my family. We went there by car but I lived merely an hour from Montréal so it was not a big journey to get there. I remember once going with my grand-mother, we took the train to get to Montreal and then the subway (métro) to get to Expo. That was special for the kid I was at the time. :-) Looking forward for part 2.

[@aussietashreacts]

no problem Evelyn, glad you enjoyed it :)

[@moedube2942]

I was 12 years old and had my season's passport. I spent my summer visiting that fair. It was a cultural marvel and was awed by all the wonderful exhibits. I still have in my possession this souvenir with all the pavilions' stamps inside.

[@andrewgodfrey3447]

I was there with my Mother and sister.13 at the time and never thought it would be possible. My parents must have sacrificed a lot to make this happen . One of the greatest experiences of my life. Travelled by train from a small town in Nova Scotia. Over night trip. Stayed with My Mother’s sister . She worked for Bell so we got vip passes to their pavillion. One of the best.

[@douglasj.mccann347]

Yes. I lived in Montreal at the time and I still have my Expo67 passport. The passport was purchased a year in advance and cost $50 (equal to an average weekly wage in 1967) as a season ticket. Other less expensive passports could be purchased (daily, weekly, monthly), and there were senior and child options as well. The fair only lasted 6 months, but the Mayor offered the exhibitors the opportunity to forgo the cost of dismantling their pavilions by handing them over to the city. Most countries/provinces agreed. The fair continued for another 5 years under the banner "Man and his world". Those who had restaurants in their pavilions, simply opened a main restaurant in downtown Montreal, and operated a seasonal restaurant on the islands in the summer. (examples were Japan, Germany, India, etc.).

[@David_C_83]

Being from Montreal, even if I'm a baby of the 80s, Expo 67 has always had a special place in the history of my city in my heart. If I had to choose to travel in time for a single event this would be it. I only know it from vintage film like this and obviously for what's left of it today, like the island, Habitat 67, a handful of pavilion buildings but I think that nothing compares to what it must've been to have been there back in the day. I feel like this is one of those major events that placed Canada and Montreal on the map, the whole world suddenly knew we existed and what we were capable of. In turn, a prelude to the Summer Olympics of 76.

[@sheilakearney3434]

Our grade 8 class went to Expo 67. Being from a small country school outside Kingston, Ontario, this was the first big trip for almost all of us. It was an exciting trip to be sure.

[@laurag.2148]

My mother took us to the Expo 67. All 4 of us were teenagers and drove my mother nuts. It was an amazing exhibition!

[@MaxineDavid-ph4fd]

I was in a family who were really financially challenged, living on the east coast, when my parents heard about Expo '67 being planned for Montreal. They were full of adventure and decided to take us there (two parents, five kids). My Dad sold his '57 Chev and bought a Ford station wagon, and built a tent-trailer to haul behind it. We had bank accounts opened and were told to start saving money, about two years ahead of time. When we finally reached the beginning of our trip I had saved a total of $18. We had the trip of a life-time, camping all the way there and back. Seeing the Montreal skyline for the first time just blew my mind. I was 9 years old at the time. Walked through the gates of Expo '67 to be exposed to almost every culture in the world as millions of people from all over the world came to see it. The Beatles had just released their new album at the time - Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. So it seemed like it became the soundtrack for Expo '67 as the music was playing in the background. We walked around listening to 'Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds' or 'With a Little Help From My Friends.' It was also in the middle of the 'space race' between USA and USSR. Their paviions were side-by-side with all kinds of space stuff in them. The Soviets had a rocket that had been in outer space. The French pavilion looked like a giant spaceship just landed on planet earth. The pavilion for Trinidad and Tobago had a steel drum band playing Caribbean music. The pavilion from Atlantic Canada had a boat-building section where they actually built a sailing ship for folks to see how it's done. The British Pavilion had a 3D Union Jack on top of what looked like a mountain. Israel had two pavilions - one to showcase the nation, the other to showcase the Jewish faith when they wouldn't allow a synagogue to function in the first one. The Australian pavilion had kangaroos in a pen out back, a boomerang throwing demonstration, and a wood-chopping contest between Canada, USA and Australia. Then there was La Ronde technicolour amusement park - mind-boggling. Lots of rides like the ferris wheel, a gorgeous carousel, and a 'flume' ride with people going in big artificial logs floating down a stream that had a waterfall. What a mind-boggling experience for a nine-year-old kid from New Brunswick. Changed my life permanently to meet so many people from so many cultures around the world.

[@stephenoconnor8257]

I was born just a few kilometres from there. My mom brought me there. I never forgot how thrilled I was. I grew up with all the highways and the Metro to ride downtown. I grew up in Montréal. What an exciting city. Thanks for showing.

[@aussietashreacts]

Thanks for sharing!

[@philipmitchelmore3974]

The only Expo I was alive for was Expo 86 in Vancouver

[@MrNormaltoo]

when our party of fifteen year olds would set off for montreal our first destination to regroup was the Australian Pavilion. They had some real nice chairs with speakers in them and that's where we'd wait. People from all over the world, and 1967 itself made this something special. What a great time!

[@terryomalley1974]

Expo 67 represented Montreal and Canada at their finest hour. I was just a wee tot of three living in Montreal at the time, so my memories of Expo are pretty fuzzy. But, I did know that it must have been a big deal, because we had friends and relatives from all over Canada and the US staying at our house whole they came to town to visit Expo. There isn't much that remains from Expo 67 nowadays, but there is La Ronde, a huge amusement park and the former US Pavillion is now a massive biodome with all sorts of exotic vegetation from all over the world.

[@djdissi]

Born and grew up in Montreal and yes, totally remember Expo 67. I was almost 5 then, and I'm telling you it was the most magical time, and you could feel the vibe throughout the city. You may think that's simply from the perspective of a wide-eyed child, but many who are older will tell you, at the time, Montreal was THE place to be.

[@yvesgaudreau2532]

I was born in 1967, so I have no memory of Expo 67. My parents visited Expo 67 very frequently and I saw my parents Expo 67 passport. They are filled with stamp of pavilions they visited. 😊

[@DiscoverMontréal]

Amazing reaction Tash 😍Thanks for reacting! For videos that feature French, click CC and you'll get English subtitles!

[@michaelconnors8767]

I turned 13 in April of 1967. My mother bought me a season's passport to Expo and I spent the entire summer there. It was amazing and so futuristic. First time I used a push button (pay)phone was at Expo 67. The Canadian pavilion's Theatre In The Round that put you in the centre of a 360 degree movie that felt so realistic people would sway to imagined movement. The Ontario pavilion where the seats moved through 5 different theatres. The USSR and American pavilions directly across from each other. Taking the brand new Metro (subway) to get there. Just so, so much!! Everyone felt connected. It was a magical experience. Any time I look at film footage of Expo, I try to see myself. I was there every day, so I'm sure there's film of me somewhere. (Still haven't seen any.) The last day was incredibly poignant, with everyone both celebrating and happy, yet feeling such a sense of loss. The city reopened the site the following year, but it just wasn't the same. I still have my Expo 67 passport with every page full of stamps and memories.

[@tshrinivas]

I was 28 when I arrived in Montreal as an immigrant from India via UK and Germany in October 1965. I remember reading in the Montreal Star, the local English newspaper, a daily column about the Expo67 that started in April 1966. Not surprisingly, I was at the Expo67 on the first day when it opened in April 12, 1967. I had bought the "Passport" to the exhibition for $35 and visited the site almost daily till it closed in October 1967.

[@stephaniec3619]

I wasn’t even born when this was being built or opened to the public. My father however, went to expo ‘67. He said it was amazing and the first time that he had tried foreign food. He loved it.

[@anne12876]

The opening day was my mom’s 9th birthday. She went there with her family for opening day. She came back with her cousin to Expo every day of Summer ‘67. This sparked her desire to travel and to know the world. She was also very impressed by the 360° cinema and the Swiss pavillon.

[@delphi-moochymaker62]

Memories. We took the train from Toronto to Montreal to visit Expo 67. I was 5 years old. I still remember the "Man and his world" exhibit and riding the monorail.

[@Shamacanada]

My uncle on my mother's side, emigrated to Canada in 1967 landing by ship in Halifax. Taking the train to Alberta where the rest of the family was, he stopped on the way to visit the Montreal expo. Later he told me how much of a revelation the expo was to a new emigrant to Canada, and was responsible for him choosing a career in Canada's foreign service. Great vid!

[@SteveSchildroth]

I was in Senior Public school. We were offered the opportunity to take a train to Montreal. We went, lived in a dormitory and were provided with a boxed lunch and were transported by school bus to the Expo Site every day. What a great experience! Subsidised by the Canadian government. Best time ever....

[@dougwilson4537]

It was an amazing event! My dad drove the family up from Nova Scotia, to stay in Montreal with my grandmother. Two days to get there, then 10 whole days to visit everything in Expo and in the city. My grandmothers apartment was a lovely, big old building on Queen Mary. A short walk to the Metro station, then to Expo. I was just 8 at the time, so I can't recall all the pavillions, but I certainly remember La Ronde amusement park. The Flume was my favourite ride. Went on it several times. (think of a roller coaster, but you are in a log, in a water trough, with dips, drops, and curves!) FUN!🤪😃 Oh... and I still have my Expo Passport. I got the blue one, with a lot, but not all the pavillion stamps.😊

[@aussietashreacts]

you still have your expo passport, that is very cool :)

[@dougwilson4537]

@@aussietashreacts I also still have two (2) Centennial Dollar Bills. These were issued by the government, are legal tender, but I don't think very many were ever actually spent.😁 All of us kids got the Centennial coin collection, in a display case. I'm sure lots of other have those also.

[@timtwoface]

Being raised in Vancouver in the 80s, I was lucky enough to have Expo 86 during my life time - a lot of my first memories come from that fair. My parents were raised in Montreal and were fortunate enough to have Expo 67 in their youth - I wish I could go back and time and see it live. What a momentous occasion for Canada. I was also aware that the next World's Fair / Expo after Vancouver was Expo 88 in Brisbane; did you happen to visit that back in the day? I plan on visiting those old Expo lands when I'm in Brissie this July!

[@peterzimmer9549]

They played a small snippet of it in the video, but you really should listen to the full “Canada”, or “The Centennial Song”. This was the Expo theme song, and was played constantly everywhere in 1967. It became an audio earwig that nobody could stop humming.

[@carolmurphy7572]

I was only 8 years old, living in Newfoundland, but I remember it well! And the stylized Maple Leaf that was the symbol of the Centennial celebrations!

[@carlopaolucci6570]

Thank you for the beautiful memories Tash. Wonderful time in Montreal's history.

[@danielleduplantis9449]

I was 8 yrs old back then...was living on the south shore of the Island....we ( my family ) were watching the construction of expo 67. We went to expo when it opened

[@carolmurphy7572]

What a wonderful video! I'm Canadian and I don't remember ever seeing this. I was 8 years old in 1967 and I remember seeing Expo '67 advertising on tv and in newspapers (remember newspapers?😅), and I clearly remember the Canada Centennial song (which was a constant during that summer), and the stylized Maple Leaf Centennial symbol. Unfortunately, travel wasn't in the budget for our family of 12, but I remember watching it on our black-and-white tv! 😂

[@aussietashreacts]

glad you enjoyed it :)

[@pjperdue1293]

Oh I loved Expo 67 as a kid of 8! And best of all? In 2017 the National Post newspaper did a whole retrospective on it. One page had a black and white photo for the top half: hippes in the foreground, a huge crowd in the background. I took out a magnifying glass and... I found my mom, my dad, my sister and me. What are the odds? I bought an 8x10 print from the paper and I have it framed. 🥰

[@barbarae-b507]

I remember going to the Expo 67 it was a terrific experience and a wonderful place. I was fascinated by the brain surgery exhibit where they showed surgery on awake patients. I remember seeing the treatment of Parkinson’s. I also remember the centennial penny. We stayed at the Salvation Army’s Camp Lachine outside of Montreal and spent at least 2 days there. I also remember getting sick and they called in a doctor who gave us shots.

[@carolmurphy7572]

I had forgotten about the Centennial Penny! Thanks for bringing back that memory!😊

[@gregduck7455]

I was a 9 year old elementary school boy in Edmonton, Alberta when Expo 67 was happening. Every week on CBC TV there was a " This Week At Expo " half hour show about what was going on at the fair. I remember how much Expo 67 meant to every one I knew, not only adults but kids my age. I was so jealous that my teenage cousin Andrea got to go to Expo 67, her high school group had chartered a sleeping car to take them from Edmonton to Montreal on one of the Canadian National Railways transcon trains. In 1967, Canadian National had three daily trains on the Vancouver to Montreal route. Sad to think that in our future year of 2023 that successor Via Rail only operates twice a week passenger service on the CN line. My Dad went to Montreal on a business trip & he had a day or two to attend Expo 67. Dad brought me back an Expo 67 shoulder tote bag, I loved that, I used it to take my lunch to school for the next couple of years. Speaking of school, we were taught about Expo 67 & received Expo colouring books & brochures. Where my Dad had his dry cleaning done, I remember the cardboard inserts in his white dress shirts had Expo 67 logos & the flags of each Canadian province & territories printed on them. When Dad unwrapped his freshly pressed & starched white shirts from the cardboard, myself & my younger brother could hardly wait to nab that cardboard & colour the Expo logo & flags. Expo 67 was not only a huge thing for Canada, but 1967 was also the 100th anniversary of Confederation. I love your video. Will watch part two soon. Cheers.

[@christophermerlot3366]

The sculpture at 21.45 is called Trois Disques is by Alexander Calder. It is still there behind the art gallery.

[@michaellee7985]

1 was there with my family , I was 8 years old at the time . I still have great memories of that day . We lived ( and still do ) 2 hours west of Montreal on the banks of the St. Lawerance River 1000.islands region. The country pavilions and the food were most memorable. Love your channel, keep it going❤

[@andywood5699]

We were from Toronto but my cousins lived in Montreal and we stayed at my Aunts' house. We went over a few days. I was seven but I remember well the buildings, the monorail and the crowds. Every building was a different country.

[@wilfbentley6738]

The man-made island(s) solved 2 problems in Montreal: 1. a venue for the Exposition 2. what to do with the debris generated by digging tunnels for Montreal's subway system. That's how it got done! That's where the materials came from. I was 12 in 1967 and went to see Expo with my parents and siblings. We made trips to PEI as a family annually (to see family), so a trip to Montreal was "de rigeur", probably took 4 or 5 hours. I don't remember much of the exhibits in the Expo, just pavilions for many countries.

[@scottnewton9060]

My family traveled. by car from Toronto to Montreal for Expo67. We stayed with my mother's sister and her family in Lachine. My job, being 12 years old, was to take care of my younger brother and sister. We and our cousins spent most of our time in the amusement park. I did go with my parents to see the Canadian Pavillion. There was a screen that wrapped around the entire room so stuff was coming at you from every direction, which I found really cool. We tried to get into the US Pavillion but the wait time was too long. My parents and my aunt and uncle saw a lot more of Expo67 than we kids did but then again we really enjoyed the rides in the amusement park. I also remember that it was very hot that summer and being a redhead, I ended up with a bad sunburn. Overall we had a good time and I was glad that we went.

[@aussietashreacts]

cheers for sharing :)

[@barrylangille3523]

Wow. I was 11 that year and while we knew about the expo being built I certainly didn't understand the logistics and what an accomplishment it was. My sister and I travelled with our grandmother to Dorval, outside Montreal proper, to visit our aunt (her daughter) and her family, and to see Expo 67. It was Canada's birthday party! I remember being on the Expo Express and you can imagine I loved the Minirail. Yes, I had a passport. No idea what happened to it. Well, it's been 56 years. I remember the Russian pavilion, particularly, probably because there were live sturgeon in there. It really was too much for an 11 year old to take in. We only had a couple of days at the site too. I wish I could have been old enough to appreciate it, and I wish we could have spent at least a month exploring all the pavilions. Even so, it's hard to describe the feeling that Canadians had with the country's centennial being celebrated in such a massive way, with the whole world coming to the party. It was wonderful being a child too, and not having the cynicism that would mar it if I was just a little older. But there was a real sense of optimism that prevailed then that it would be nice to get back. People didn't think things were perfect, or that everything was going to be all roses, but there was a feeling that improvement was possible, and the world could get better. If you think that way, it's a lot more likely you can make it happen.

[@WBCRO]

Great comment! Did you learn to sing “Canada” at school? I think my older sisters did (we live in NB) but aim was only four years old and have no real memories of the event.

[@barrylangille3523]

@@WBCRO that song was everywhere! Of course we learned it but I don't think it was in school.

[@jean-marcvien3988]

Going to the Expo was like being teleported 100 years in the futur. All together the site was the size of a small city. Most country pavillon had a restaurant serving their own delicacies and outside musical performance. There was also a significant amount of thematic pavillon related to sciences, space, technology, transport, arts and so on. It was an absolutly amasing experience and one day was definitly not enough. My mom and dad went once a week or so, to try all the different restaurants and international food (it was their night off). Expo reopened for a few more years in its entirety (closed in winter) and then was shrinked down year after year until closing for good. Are still there the islands, one of wich supports the "circuit Gilles Villeneuve" formula one racetrack and the "casino de Montréal" in the previous pavillon de la France and pavillon du Québec (when no race, you can bike on the track, a very quiet place since in the middle of the river). The other island kept 'La ronde" (a amusement park now owned by Six Flag), a huge park (there even before expo) and the biosphere (former USA pavillon). I have spend a fair share of my teen years traveling back and forth from that futur. An other 40 ish years and the rest of the world might see it too!

[@aussietashreacts]

cheers for sharing. stay tuned for part 2

[@CanadaJ8810]

Nice watching this with you today! I learned so much about beautiful Montreal, a place I really love.

[@jackbassett9365]

I was 13 at the time. I loved the whole thing. I loved the Australian Pavilion. It was excellent.

[@Mydogdoesthethinkin]

It's funny to me that Gordon Lightfoot outlasted 90% of the buildings on that Island. They used Montreal Mob concrete .The last of the tram line was demolished fairly recently .It's just a big park now.

[@rockygonnadz74]

Oh my jeez, I had a mouthful of oatmeal when I read your Lightfoot comment. Guess what's now slowly slidin' down my computer screen? :)

[@Mydogdoesthethinkin]

@@rockygonnadz74 Sorry Chum,just glad it didn't go down the wrong way.I was always taught chew your food well so you don't choke ,and I always thought how do you chew oatmeal?

[@PAUL-ob7mh]

I've been there at the age of 9 with my family - for 2 days. It was absolutely stunning. One of the best moment of my life. I still have my passport. The islands still exist. Notre-Dame Island is now where the Canadian Grand Prix F1 Race is held every year.

[@celiakobric3224]

I was 10 in 67. I went to expo67 almost every day for 5 weeks. It was amazing! I remember it well.

[@TheCzar41]

I was just over 2 years old, yet I still remember walking in through the main gates, and riding the monorail.

[@daveroberts936]

I went to expo as a boy scout from ontario. I was 14 years old. I remember being in all the pavilions. The German, British, USSR, Ethiopian, Australian, American, and all the rest. I was staying at the home of another Boy Scout in Lachine. One day I was touring Expo with my companion from Lachine when we became separated. I was lost! At 14 years old, away from home for the first time in my life, unable to speak the local language, I put my training as a boy scout to use and found my way back to Lachine to my host. I remember the relief of my hosts. I think they must have been in contact with my father in ontario and reported that I was lost, and then that I had been found. I remember the passport. I remember having every one of the pavilions stamped. One of my greatest regrets in my life was losing that passport! Certain experiences I had at that historical event, I can recall as if it were yesterday!

[@fredklein3829]

I was a newborn baby when this opened and am always linked to it. The Seekers were there to represent Australia and performed at the Expo site.

[@kathyludgate9487]

The 60's and 70's were the best! I went to Expo 67 on a school trip on a bus full of excited kids...lol.

[@sueshow401]

Remembered so hot. Coke cost 25 cents versus the norm 10 cents. Loved the Bell Canada building which had a movie screen all around you to experience flying in a n bi plane, on board a ship in rough seas..a picture phone...really enjoyed thise snow cones.

[@melodychapman9185]

Good morning Tash☕️That was amazing as a Canadian I have never seen this footage.. The passport, so cool.. impressive is an understatement lol that was incredible, enjoyed watching this! Have a great day🌹

[@aussietashreacts]

stay tuned for part 2

[@CanadianCookinginUSA_Eh]

I wasnt born yet when all this went on, but my husband was was young enough to remember it as a wee child!! Ha. My parents in-law talked about it as an amazing family vacation then. Gosh. 🥰🇨🇦🥰🇨🇦🥰

[@bbcblibberbroadcastingcorp2651]

I remember being on site just before it opened. Just before my 3rd birthday. Saw Rolf Harris. Can't remember which building. I fell asleep. After one of Harris's jokes when the audience had finished laughing and there was a pause, I woke and laughed aloud. Harris remarked from the stage: "At least somebody gets my jokes," or words to that effect. Later he invited my embarrassed parents to the dressing room where he said I was a cute kid.

[@carlop.7182]

Unfortunately, I was born 5 years after the Expo, so I missed it. I heard about it and saw pics from my parents, they had their first few dates there in '67. Today, a few buildings still remain, but the city converted the place in a big park for citizens. Many rocks show there in summer--to keep part of the Expo's spirit. The casino & F1 car race track are there as well. The video is typical Montreal--in 2 languages. The Expo put Montreal on the map--after this event, the world knew about it.

[@patprescott1818]

Thanks for sharing this ❤I never seen this before and I'm Canadian ✌🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

[@Amkontos]

I was born in Montreal and was 7 yrs old when my parents took us to Expo 67... we had a passport that would get stamped in every different country pavillion we would visit... I still have my stamped passport :D Some of it still stands :)

[@albertcollins5894]

Hi Tash I was to younge to remember but heard about it when I got older our youngest sibling sister in our family was born that year and ironically most Toronto Maple Leafs fan one of original six of the NHL hockey won the iconic Stanley Cup and haven't won it since. We definitely showed the world and opened Canada 🇨🇦 to what we're capable of with the Expo. The McDonald- Cartier Freeway, known as the 401 they mentioned it on video it's the busiest highway in North America spands from Montreal Quebec to the Windsor Ontario and Detroit Michigan border. Couple other suggestions regarding amusement is check out Canada Wonderland they're putting new ride in starting this year, and another one was former Ontario Place in Toronto.

[@aussietashreacts]

cheers for the suggestions :)

[@christophermerlot3366]

BTW the geodesic dome was designed by Buckminster Fuller who did a panel discussion with English poet WH Auden. Being 1967 they smoked a lot of cigarettes indoors.

[@pvdogs2]

We went to Expo 67 for a few days on a school trip. We had a great time!

[@aussietashreacts]

So cool!

[@Caperhere]

That dome was quite something for 1967. Gordon Lightfoot was commissioned to write The Canadian Railroad Trilogy, a song that has endured.

[@robertcartier5088]

I was only 8 when my parents and I drove the 60km to the big city for Expo67... Being from a small town, the scale of it blew my little mind! I remember speaking to a little girl my age on a video-telephone, turns out she was only a few feet away, but the tech was groundbreaking, at the time! Of course, I'd seen Star Trek on TV, a few months earlier, so I was already familiar with the overall concept of audio/video communications, but it was still quite surreal to experience it myself! I don't remember much else from that day, but that short exchange stuck with me. I've returned many times to the site since, as part of one of the islands remained an amusement park (La Ronde) and I took my daughter there every summer in the '90s. In 1993, on the other island, two pavilion buildings were converted into Quebec's first real casino, the largest in Canada... Le Casino de Montréal!

[@GaryLorenz-t7c]

Tasha here is the list of Countries Globally Worldwide with their very own pavilions were at the (1967) Montreal Expo (67) in Quebec, Canada which are' Africa: Algeria, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mauritius, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, and Upper Volta. Asia: Burma, Ceylon, China (Taiwan), Korea, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, Thailand and the United Arab Republic. Australia. Europe: Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, the USSR, and Yugoslavia. South America & Caribbean: Barbados, Cuba, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. North America: Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Absent countries included the People's Republic of China, Spain, South Africa (banned from BIE-sanctioned events due to its apartheid policy), and many countries of South America. The most popular display of the exposition was the soaring Soviet Union pavilion, which attracted about 13 million visitors. Rounding out the top five pavilions (by attendance) were: Canada (11 million visitors), the United States (9 million), France (8.5 million), and Czechoslovakia (8 million). of course.

[@aussietashreacts]

Cheers

[@JonInCanada1]

I was a young boy when my family went and it was fantastic. The buildings were so futuristic it felt like you were in a sci-fi movie. My favourite ride was a seated monorail, rather like a slow moving roller coaster, that took you inside the Man The Explorer pavilions. The US pavilion was impressive as well as all the fanciful designs and artworks. Because we lived in Montreal at the time, we went several times because you couldn't possibly experience it in one or two days. A great moment in Quebec and Canadian achievement.

[@DavidQuaile]

Canada was 100 and I was 6! Mostly I remember how exciting it was and for me the US Space program displays in the USA Pavilion (the geodesic dome)!

[@dennisdwyer6500]

We lived in Ottawa and the High School I went to stated that we, the whole school, would go to Expo 67. Ottawa is 150 kms from Montreal. I did not know this back story though.

[@rejeanbourque1522]

From St-Georges de Beauce (4hrs of Montréal) I was 4 y old, so I have just some little souvenir when with my parents we visited the Expo. And yes it was very big and important for Québec at that time and in the futur. Bonjour. By the way 55 millions of peoples visited the place, a record.

[@andreraymond6860]

I have often worked on Île Jean Drapeau, one of the Expo 67 island sites. One of the groundsmen told me a story one day. When building this completely artificial eco system, the planners encountered a problem. The plants and trees were not growing as well as they hoped. They were told that this was partly because the island lacked indiginous animals that could loosen the earth and help the eco-system thrive. So they imported hundreds or thousands of ground hogs and let them loose. This created another problem. Now there were burrows everywhere and people were breaking their ankles in all the holes in the ground because the ground hogs were thriving. They had no natural predators. So the planners imported hundreds of foxes to hunt the ground hogs. To this day you can see many foxes roaming the idland adn many ground hogs lurking about. Every time I see one or the other it reminds me that the island is a completely fabricated eco system. Every tree and blade of grass, every insect and animal was brought there by human design. It's really remarkable.

[@markastoforoff7838]

Thank you for doing this video. I wasn't alive during Expo 67 but it is a shining example of what Canada is capable of. 9 years later Montreal hosted the Summer Olympics and it was a disaster, Canada hosted the Olympics for the first time and we failed to win a single gold medal. It also took decades for Montreal to pay off the debt of those Olympics. Bruce Jenner now Kaitlyn Jenner won the decathlon at those Olympics, but the darling of that Olympics was a girl named Nadia Comăneci. She was a Romanian gymnast who was the first ever to score a perfect 10 in gymnastics at the Olympics, she was only 14 at the time. Calgary hosted the Winter Olympics in 1988 and again we failed to win a gold medal (Canada's women did win a gold medal in curling but it wasn't an official sport so it didn't count, plus watching curling is almost as exciting as watching paint dry but a fun game to play, sweep sweep), but we tried for a third time in Vancouver hosting an Olympics competition and we broke records, most medals of any country ever in a Winter Olympics, and we won Gold in Hockey on our own soil!!!!!

[@WBCRO]

Fellow Canadian here. 👋🏻 Did you mean that the Montreal Olympics were an all-around disaster or just that Canada’s medal standing was a disaster? I was thirteen that year so I don’t have a detailed memory of it all other than about Nadia, my new-found idol.

[@mikenixon6654]

I was nine, Mom & Dad my two younger sisters. Luckily my Moms sister and her family lived in Pointe Clair. I can still remember bits and pieces. I also got spend the next two summers there to give my mom a break!!

[@Highlander-s5p]

I was there , the islands were created from the soil and rocks of the new subway system that was also being built for the Expo

[@Bloodwulf999]

Really enjoy these videos, not old enought to remember the Expo, but old enough to know about it. Only a few buildings are left as most were demolished for the 1976 Olympics. Check out Montreal's Olympic Stadium if you like modern architecture. The Us Pavillion, the dome you saw, is still there and is Montreal's Biosphère. The French Pavillion was turned into a Casino.

[@Caperhere]

My parents were there. I still have a bit of film they took while they were there. Ten hour trip from Moncton, New Brunswick ( east coast of Canada). I’m surprised it was in April, because it’s still pretty cold then.