The Brewers of Canada Pavilion

Comprising of more than 50 members, The Brewers Association of Canada presented an elegant pavilion at Expo 67, located on Île-Sainte-Hélène between the pavilions of China and Vermont.

Constructed of concrete, wood and glass, the complex was made up of 3 circular buildings, recalling the curves of a beer barrel.  In them were housed the 3 main sections of the pavilion: the 'La Brasserie' restaurant and terraced beer garden in the first, a historical exhibit and miniature theater in the second, kitchen and service installations in the third.

Beer was the drink of choice in the air-conditioned, 400-seat restaurant, and there were 67 kinds to choose from.  The menu featured an imaginative cross-Canada selection of dishes based on recipes using beer instead of wine: Saskatchewan beef (boeuf bourguignon, but made with beer), Quebec tourtière with an aromatic touch of beer, Yukon salmon trout in beer sauce, beer-infused Manitoba pork chops, Acadian ham, Alberta steaks, etc...

In the historical section, beer drinkers from prehistoric times to modern day were discussed, including ancient beer-drinking cultures such as Greeks and Romans, Gauls and Teutons. Visitors were explained the art of beer-brewing: how barley could be blended with wheat, how ale could be flavored with ginger or hops, etc.  The exhibits all sought to show the good life in Canada, relating the story of Canadian beer to that of Expo 67's overall theme 'Man and his World'.

For children, a circular, 200-seat puppet theatre featured daily performances by the world-famous Canadian Puppet Theatre. Some 50 puppets presented a story called 'Fun Fantasy', a humorous tour of Canada.  The 15-minute bilingual show was performed continuously from 10am to 9:30pm.  

Every visitor to the pavilion was offered a free souvenir book in English or French, featuring unusual entertainment ideas and food recipes using beer.

Am I the only one to find the inclusion of children's activities in a pavilion that was essentially a large Brasserie a bit... awkward?

The official Expo 67 guide book promised that a visit to the Brewers pavilion would provide "relaxation and enjoyment for the whole family". This evidently meant keeping children occupied while parents were at the bar.

  
'The Children's Theatre', 1968

It gets even better in 1968.

The following year for Man and His World, the pavilion was altogether re-baptized 'The Children's Theatre'.  Upon reading the mindful description (above), one would hardly know that the pavilion's original vocation was that of a beer garden...!

According to the guide, children could "cultivate [their] personality and self confidence" through live theatre.  All while Mummy and Daddy cultivated theirs through, *ahem*, the wonders of beer...!

images: (1) expo67.ncf.ca
(2) personal collection (The Expo 67 Memorial Album)
(3 and 4) personal collection (Man and His World 1968 guide)

The Biosphere, 1968

Flags of the city of Montreal flew in the foreground of the Biosphere.

In 1968, the U.S. pavilion became the Biosphere.

The interior of the 20-storey geodesic dome built for Expo 67 was transformed into an giant parkland and aviary for Man and His World 68.

The basic structure that housed the U.S. display remained: the space frame shell covered with a "skin" of curved acrylic panels, the platforms at various levels reached by stairs and escalators, as well as the Minirail that ran right through the middle. A plaque inside the pavilion's entrance read:

"This building, the United States pavilion at

Expo 67, is a gift of the American people to
the City of Montreal. It was presented by
Leonard H. Marks, Director of the U.S.
Information Agency, to Mr. Jean Drapeau,
Mayor of Montreal, on the 20th of July,
1967, as a symbol of warm friendship
between Canada and the United States."

The pavilion's platforms had been made into a series of gardens, promenades and lookouts. The Sun Garden was done in a Moorish style, while the Classic Garden had a french influence complete with trimmed shrubbery and distinguished fountains.

Birds of all sorts were featured in the Biosphere, including some tropical specimens. Birds of prey such as hawks, owls and eagles could be seen in the pavilion's upper level. A large lagoon near the main entrance featured game birds and water fowl. Near it, a majestic 50-foot elm was just one of the many trees placed throughout the Biosphere to serve as perches for its feathered inhabitants (in total some 600 birds of 150 species).

The pavilion's theatre showed 2 films from the National Film Board: one discussed the migration of wild geese while the other provided an intimate glimpse of wildlife in Quebec.

Multicolored fabric kites were suspended from the curved interior of the structure, in place of the space capsule parachutes that had been on display during Expo 67.

One of the Biosphere's formal gardens.

The longest escalator in the world took visitors to the summit of the Biosphere.

Flamingos were just one of many exotic breeds of birds on display.

Fountains added to the serene atmosphere of the Biosphere.

A Man and His World guide who made friends with a budgie.

images: personal collection

Expo 67 Through the Eyes of Lillian Seymour

This is an amazing collection of vintage vacation photos I came across while surfing the internet.

Taken by an elderly Lillian Seymour, an abandoned scrapbook of these photos was recently found on the streets in Cambridge, Massachusets. Included in the set are photos of the New York World's Fair in 1964, Expo 67, and Expo's 1968 follow-up: Man and His World.

Not much is known about Lillian Seymour, and this mystery intrigues me.

These photos are amazingly sophisticated for a little old lady on vacation...!

Of course, Lillian would never see the invention of the internet. I can't help but wonder, though, what she would say if she knew her pictures would one day be seen all across the world...

photo: www.flickr.com/photos/ninecormorants