Lögberg-Heimskringla - 01.06.1967, Side 17

LÖGBERG-HEIMSKRINGLA, FIMMTUDAGINN 1. JÚNÍ 1967
17
city’s 325th anniversary falls in 1967. The Soviet Union,
hcwever, was awarded the permit.
The new mayor, Jean Drapeau, made many trips to
Paris during this crucial period and when the Soviet
Union relinquished its right to the fair in 1962, he was
on the spot to seize the opportunity for Canada.
Hosting a world exhibition involves tremendous
financial responsibility, though each participating nation
builds its own pavilion and assumes the expense of
transporting and arranging its exhibits. Canada pays
5P percent of the cost, the province of Quebec 37%, the
city of Montreal 12% percent. The city also provides
the site.
Characteristically, Jean Drapeau does not appear to
have consulted many concerning the site. Undoubtedly
many a speculator had his ears to the ground for rumors
of the fair’s proposed locale. But Drapeau kept his own
counsel until his plans were approved by the federal
government. Then it was announced that Expo 67 would
be held in the St. Lawrence River on a small island
owned by the city and used as an amusement park.
Lying close to the harbor, it is called Ue Ste. Helene, so
named by Champlain in honor of his wife.
But the island was small with a grove of trees in the
centre, so it was lengthened at both ends to twice its
former size. And to the south of it a new island was
created. It is nearly the size of Ile Ste. Helene and has
been named Ile Notre Dame. Before this construction
took place, a dyke was built in front of the ship harbor
and named Mackay Pier. It is of a size that accommo-
dates many new buildings, some of them to rernain
there permanently. These places are all connected by
bridges and underground systems.
Constructing the Expo site was a colossal undertaking;
stones and earth from excavations when building the
Montreal underground railroad were used in the con-
struction. It is claimed that construetion of the islands
was less costly than would have been the case had
comparable space been purchased within the city. And
this promises to be the most unique and beautiful ex-
position site ever. Jean Drapeau knew what he was
about.
EXPO 67
A small item about Expo 67 in a recent issue of
Newsweek magazine notes that the executive board of
this fair learned much from mistakes made in the
handling of the New York World Fair of 1964—65. It is
recalled that the New York planner ignored the Bureau
of International Exposition as an obscure three-man
board housed in poor quarters in Paris. Mayor Drapeau on
the other hand, recognized the power and influence of
BIE, accorded it due respect and sought its sanction for a
world exposition in Canada. BIE issued permission for
Expo 67 over its seals and signatures. It was the first
time in its history that the bureau granted its un-
reserved recommendation to an exposition in North
America, and the Newsweek article points to this as an
important inducement to the 70 nations taking part in
Expo 67. Only seven foreign nations were represented
at the New York fair.
It soon became clear to us, the editors who visited
the Expo site on Oct. 17, that if all goes well, many
contributing factors will combine to make the world
exposition in Montreal the greatest, most imaginative
and broadest in scope of all similar expositions that
have so far taken place in the world.
We were first directed to the huge Administration
and Press Pavilion Auditorium on Mackay Pier, where
we were received by members of the Expo executive.
Mr. R. F. Shaw, assistant chairman and other members
of the committee addressed us and explained the nature
of the exposition.
The site is comprised of 1,000 acres on the two is-
lands, Ste. Helene and Notre Dame. Additional build-
ings have been erected on Mackay Pier and in Montreal
to accommodate various entertainments in connection
with Expo. Use is also being made of the St. Lawrence
in preparation for an expected attendance of 35 million
guests.
After the midday meal we were informed that the
chief executive of Expo would speak a few words. This
was unexpected, but here was a man who next to
Mayor Drapeau, can claim credit for inspiring the high
enthusiasm and widespread participation in the exposi-
tion. A powerful personality, Commissioner General
Pierre Dupuy spoke with fire and conviction for an
hour without notes, and completely captured his audi-
ence. He is a former Canadian ambassador to France
and dean of the Diplomatic Corps of Canada.
Mr. Dupuy has visited 105 nations during the last
three years and interviewed their rulers. At the outset
he expected that participation in Expo would not ex-
ceed 30 nations. Now there are 70 and their number may
still increase. This strong support from the nations of
the world, Mr. Dupuy said, was tangible testimony to
the respect and good will Canada had earned by her
traditional role as a power for peace. It was also to focus
international interest on the ideal of world harmony
that the commissioner general has stressed that this
exposition must be something far more than an indus-
trial fair. Its greater function will be to introduce the
Ingibjörg Jónsson, editor of Lögberg Heimskringla. On
the office wall is a picture of her late husband, Einar
Páll Jónsson, poet and edilor of Lögberg, and the stan-
dard of the Icelandic National League.
nations to each other through their history, civilization,
culture and achievements. As said before, the French
are an imaginative people with strong artistic tenden-
cies.
The theme of Expo 67 — “Man and his World”,
seeks to reveal man as the creator, the explorer and
producer. This definition was meant to stir the imagina-
tion of participating nations and encourage exhibits in
tune with theme.
Music is the universal language, remarks Mr. Dupuy,
with joy radiating from his face, for he has made pro-
visions for a major World Festival, to take place mainly
in Place des Arts in the heart of Montreal. It includes
Salle Wilfred Pelltier (formerly La Grande Salle),
famous for its superior accoustics, and with a capacity
for an audience of 3000. Two new theatres are under
construction, one seating 1300, the other 800. These
theatres and auditoriums are all on lease to Expo for 6
months, and an additional theatre has been built on
Mackay Pier at the entrance to Expo.
The many famous opera companies to be featured in-
clude La Scala of Milan, Vienna State Opera, which will
be visiting the Western Hemisphere for the first time.
World renowned artists of the theatre, orchestras and
vocalists will also represent the performing arts of a
number of countries.
Mr. Dupuy and his colleagues travelled to many
parts of the world while contracting with artists to
participate in Expo, and with their governments, which
have undertaken to pay their travelling expenses both
ways with Expo providing food and lodging, as well as
some remuneration for their professional contribution.
An art museum is to be built, where a collection by
150 of the world’s most famous painters will be shown.
This will be a permanent structure, to the lasting profit
and pleasure of the citizens of Montreal. It will almost
certainly become the home of the select and the best
— probably by French-Canadian painters — in time to
come.
One remark of Mr. Dupuy’s stays with me — that
music and all the arts were man’s refuge from the
material and mundane in the everyday way of life. It
seems certain that he is playing an important role in
lifting the Canadian world exposition to a higher plane
tlian that reached by similar fairs elsewhere.
But our bus had arrived, the alotted time was up and
speed was in order for further explorations.
An enormous stadium with 25,000 seats surrounds a
huge sports arena on other side of Mackay Pier, and
this has already been put to use for football and other
sports. In this arena a variety of athletic events will be
performed by champions from near and far, including the
victors in the Pan American games at Winnipeg next
summer.
There is parking space for 12,000 motor vehicles near
the Expo stadium, and another parking ground south of
the St. Lawrence River. Vehicles are not allowed on
the Expo site. Visitors walk over the bridges or travel
by the underground, but once they have purchased
entrance tickets, they are entitled to free transportation
all over the site by Expo Express or Minirail.
Our bus was one of the last permitted to drive over
the site. As we left Mackay Pier en route to the islands,
a strange multi-residence building arrested our attention.
This was Habitat 67. This is a cluster of 158 houses stack-
one on top of the other, so that the entire structure
forms a sort of pyramid. The houses vary from a one-
bedroom to 4-bedroom size. Sufficiently isolated from
one another to provide family privacy, each has a plot of
earth for a small garden, plenty of fresh air and sun-
light. An architect from Israel designed this remarkable
building. If it proves practical, this style of arohitecture
may become the future solution to the housing problems
that beset large cities. Habitat 67 is another permanent
structure, and all its units have already been leased,
with possession to be taken during or after the exposi-
tion.
Now we crossed to Ile Ste. Helene over Concordia
Bridge, another titan of achievement. So constructed as
to make needless the support of pillars, this structure
defies understanding and description by me. The bridge
was opened in 1965, one of three of its kind on this
continent.
A man-made enlargement of the island forms its
westmost point. This is an outdoor auditorium or park "
with raised seats, designed for the observation of na-
tional holidays, and it is hoped that heads of state will
represent their nations at these gala events.
The five Scandinavians countries share a pavilion
near this outdoor auditorium. I will describe this im-
pressive structure with its clean lines later, for I had
a better look at it on our return to Montreal.
There are 50 pavilions, with many of the smaller
nations grouped to share accommodation. These have
been built on both the islands — the largest ones by
Canada, the United States and the Soviet Union. China
is unfortunately not represented.
The Canadian pavilion, on Ile Notre Dame, is de-
signed as an inverted pyramid and has been named
Katimavik, an appropriate Eskimo word meaning Meet-
ing Place. This focal point is surrounded by the pro-
vincial pavilions.
Achievements in space form the central themes of
the American and Soviet Union’s pavilions. The U.S.A.
pavilion is shaped like a giant sphere with a circum-
ference of 200 feet, constructed of glass and plastic. It
is nearly transparent and reflects the colors of the
spectrum. It stands on the south coast of Ue Ste. Helene,
opposite the U.S.S.R. pavilion on the north coast of Ile
Notre Dame — an even larger structure, built at a cost
of nearly 15 million. It resembles a shanty shape but
the roof is concave.
Soviet space men will be in attendance there, and
visitors will touch their feet to surface not unlike that
on the moon. The water between the two pavilions of
these two great powers has been bridged — an ingenious
gesture.
The man-made eastern enlargement of Ue Ste. Helene
has been named Ronde, and designated as a public park,
chiefly for families, young people and children. Model-
led after Disneyland and Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens,
the park contains a lake with small sailing ships. There
is a large marina with space for 250 pleasure boats.
Canals between the pavilions on Ue Notre Dame will
be filled with water for navigation by gondolas and
small craft to transport those who wish to their destina-
tions.
There were more things to see than I can attempt to
describe. Everywhere were crews of workmen digging,
building, moulding and completing. Yet this tremendous
activity and achievement is but a promise of what is
to come when this showcase of human civilization and
achievement comes out officially clothed for summer in
grass, trees and flowers, which have taken root else-
where and are awaiting transplantation on Expo site.
This great world exposition, the triumphant high
point of Canada’s Centennial Celebrations, begins April
28 and ends in October, 1967.
MANIC 5
As readers are aware, one of the first actions of the
Lesage Liberal Party after taking over the Quebec
government in 1960, was to nationalize electric power.
Other provinces, including Manitoba and Ontario, had
set precedents in this field of public ownership decades
earlier. In Quebec this intiative sparked wide spread
enthusiasm for power projects and general electrifica-
tion in the province. On Tuesday, October 18, we were
taken to the largest power dam currently under con-
struction — Manic 5.
We were roused at 6 in the morning and after a hasty
breakfast left Queen’s Hotel, which in recent years has
slipped slightly from its venerable position as the city’s
most elite hotel. After a 15-mile drive to Dorval Air-
port, we boarded a Nordair plane, courtesy of the
Department of Citizenship and Immigration. Four guides
accompanied us on the flight.
We were flown 500 miles into the wilds of Quebec,
and as human habitation beside the rivers disappeared,
massive, evergreen forests stretched to the edge of the
horizon, jewelled at intervals with the sparkle of lakes
and rivers through the almost opaque thickness of the
forests. After about two hours we began to descend to-
ward a field which looked as if the woods had been
scraped away — right down to the basic rock, in places.
We had reached the Manic 5 dam — the largest concrete
dam in the world. We touched down on a small airstrip
a good distance from the dam, and were met by offi-
cials of the project, who drove with us to dormitories
near the power project. Though neat and clean, these
buildings are unpainted, as is the case with other
structures on the location, for they are to be demolished