Expo 17
I've just come across a fascinating website that proposes another world's fair for Montreal in 2017. Celebrating the sesquicentennial of Canadian Confederation (150 years), Expo 17 would revitalize the south west shore of Montreal and breathe new life into the city.
A map of the proposed Expo 17 site.
Expo 17 would be divided into 4 thematic sections:
Earth: Representing human habitation and its relationship with the planet’s ecosystem, the Earth theme would include a sustainable housing exhibition, Habitat 2017, as well as a horticultural exhibition.
Fire: Representing light and energy, the theme of Fire would be a tribute to community and celebration. In honor of this, Expo 17 would invite the nations of the world around a collective hearth.
Water: Bringing life back to the banks of the Saint Lawrence River would be the goal of the exhibition's Water theme.
Air: Old Montreal would be a car-free area for Expo 17's Air theme.
The proposal advocates using advanced modular planning to ensure that every structure and pavilion would be re-used or re-located after Expo. Elements such as La Ronde and the Gilles Villeneuve racetrack have been carefully integrated into the master plan.
Ultimately, Expo 17 would be a chance for Canada to show that it is an innovative nation, with a caring population, acting as active guardians of the planet. Needless to say, the idea of another world exhibition in Montreal gives me goosebumps...
A map of the proposed Expo 17 site.Expo 17 would be divided into 4 thematic sections:
Earth: Representing human habitation and its relationship with the planet’s ecosystem, the Earth theme would include a sustainable housing exhibition, Habitat 2017, as well as a horticultural exhibition.
Fire: Representing light and energy, the theme of Fire would be a tribute to community and celebration. In honor of this, Expo 17 would invite the nations of the world around a collective hearth.
Water: Bringing life back to the banks of the Saint Lawrence River would be the goal of the exhibition's Water theme.
Air: Old Montreal would be a car-free area for Expo 17's Air theme.
The proposal advocates using advanced modular planning to ensure that every structure and pavilion would be re-used or re-located after Expo. Elements such as La Ronde and the Gilles Villeneuve racetrack have been carefully integrated into the master plan.
Ultimately, Expo 17 would be a chance for Canada to show that it is an innovative nation, with a caring population, acting as active guardians of the planet. Needless to say, the idea of another world exhibition in Montreal gives me goosebumps...Expo Lounge fully endorses the Expo 17 proposal!
images: expo17.ca
Labels: expo 17
posted by Jason Stockl @ 5:33 pm
10 Comments:
Bonjour Jason!
I love, love, LOVE your ExpoLounge blog! Excellent writing, classic designs, and fascinating info--I have a hard time believing you never attended Expo! Congrats on your newspaper article, now you are really going to get the visitors.
I was 10 years old when I attended Expo67. It was the best trip ever. My family--various aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins and even Grandma--travelled from Wisconsin to Expo in June, 1967. We had 10 kids, 6 adults, 2 cars. We tent-camped along the way and also got to see places like Niagra Falls, Cape Cod and Quebec City.
I'm reliving the magic by reading your blog and others and checking out some pretty special YouTube movies. Wow, I thought I remembered a lot, but you bring it all back to life. My dad made a really cool 8mm movie of our trip after we got home. Our family watches home movies A LOT and this one is always requested. I will have to prod him into having it transferred digitally and then post it for all to see.
Whenever us cousins get together now, we still reminisce about this trip. So much crazy stuff happened to us along the way. You've inspired me....I'm going to write an essay about it!
I love Montreal. We have relatives there and every 4 years (since 1988) we have a reunion in Sorel, where our ancestors are from. I always look at the magic Expo islands on the way and remember the good times we had.
Thanks again, and I'll be reading you every day!
Right on. I hope the city can get past its having been burned by Olympics debt and think big once again.
Thank you both for your comments!
That is great news Jason, I hope Montreal can pull this off.
This will be sooo cool, and sure sounds interesting. I'll be curious to see it, that's for sure.
Well Puck...
It seems our mayor doesn't want to get into it. "La Presse" newspaper of May 16, 2007 reports that Mayor Gérald Tremblay has decided not to get involved with the Expo 17 project. "Our citizens are more concerned by the state of our infrastructures, our underground systems, our "nids de poule" (potholes) and even the city's cleanliness".
Total lack of vision if you ask me. Then again, we'll probably change mayor twice before we get to 2015 so... I know for whom I won't be voting for come the next municipal elections!! lol! §:c)
Expo 67 was also met with the same negative opposition in it's very earliest stages.
Yves Jasmin's book tells how the Canadian and Montreal press were ruthless, calling Expo 67 a huge mistake, a ridiculous undertaking, etc.
Exhibitions are costly to put on, but their cultural value cannot be measured in dollars and cents.
Mayor Tremblay has no vision. I wish Jean Drapeau was still around.
Now that was a mayor...
Jean Drapeau did a lot of bad things too :) And he didn't have to worry about terrorism for starters.
I think it's a great idea, but celebrating the Canadian confederation in Québec just doesn't sound right nowadays. That's my half French Canadian/Montrealer two cents.
Isn't Alberta loaded with cash? OK, it's not nearly as sexy, but it's more realistic.
But I do love the idea !
Great site,
I went to Expo 67 when I was 11 years old and the euphoric feeling still echoes within me.
Just the thought of having another expo in Montreal in 2017, on the same Islands, is just so wonderful to hope for.
I hope it works and wish and thank the Expo 17 people for their hard work and vision. Bye and Thanks :) !
Yo! We just launched a blog add on to the Expo 17 site. You can see it at http://www.expo17.ca/expovox/
There's still some work in progress, but it's generally ready.
If you want to contribute, use the email address on the site. I'm sure Rick would love to hear from you (or, leave a comment. It'll require approval, and he'll be the one to take care of that.)
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