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Up until the late 1970s, the 173 acre (0.7 km²) site on False Creek where Expo was staged was a former CPR rail yard and an industrial wasteland. However, in 1980, the British Columbia Legislature passed the Transpo 86 Corporation Act, paving the way for the fair. Expo 86 was originally called Transpo 86, until it became clear that the event would be a world exposition. The transportation theme reflected the city's role in connecting Canada by rail, its status as a major port and transportation hub, and the role of transportation in communications. Communication and transportation have long been linked in Canadian studies, reaching back to early fur trade and railroad communication works by Harold Innis.
Expo '86 opened on May 2, 1986 and featured pavilions from 54 nations and numerous corporations. Expo's participants were given the opportunity to design their own pavilion or opt for the less expensive Expo module. Each module was approximately two-and-a-half stories high and had the floor space equal to a third of a city block. The design was such that any number of the square modules could be placed together in a variety of shapes. The roof design allowed the interior exhibit space to be uninterrupted by pillars.
In all, 22 million people attended the expo and, despite a deficit of $311 million CAD, it was considered a tremendous success. It remains to date the biggest event in BC history and is viewed by many as the transition of Vancouver from a sleepy provincial backwater to a city with some global clout. It marked a strong boost to tourism for BC.
Many have also seen the fair has being at least partially responsible for the re-election of Social Credit for the final term.
Today, the western two-thirds of the site have been developed into parks and high rise condominiums; the eastern portion is used for the annual Molson Indy race. Future plans call for the eastern third of the site to be developed into parkland and condominiums. The eastern third of the site is presently owned by the real estate investment firm Concord Pacific, which has its primary shareholder the Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing The redevelopment took longer than expected, but is one of the most successful urban developments in Canadian history.
Other lasting contributions of Expo '86 are the Science World education center and the SkyTrain elevated rapid transitRapid transit describes a type of urban rail transportation, generally including subway and elevated lines in the U. Metros in most other countries, and U-Bahnen in Germany. Originally, the term rapid transit was used beginning in the 1800s to describe ne system, as well as Canada Place and the Plaza of Nations .
In 19881988 is a leap year starting on Friday (click on link for calendar). Events January January 2 Georgia celebrates its bicentennial statehood. January 9 Connecticut celebrates its bicentennial statehood. January 26 Australia celebrates its bicentennial day., the site was sold to the Pan Pacific development corporation for a fraction of the original cost, a move that proved to be extremely controversial. Premier William Vander ZalmBill Vander Zalm (center) inspects construction at Whistler Village Wilhelmus Nicholaas Theodore Marie Vander Zalm commonly known as Bill Vander Zalm (born 1934) became British Columbia's 28th Premier in 1986. He was succeeded as Premier of B. by Rita Joh and his friend, the late Peter Toigo were accused of influence peddling in the sale.