Stats and Stories from the 1986 World Exposition

STATS AND STORIES
FROM THE
1986 WORLD EXPOSITION

HELD IN VANCOUVER FROM MAY 2nd to OCTOBER 13th

oct. 10/86

AMUSEMENT RIDES:

• There were five amusement rides at Expo. No question that the Scream Machine with its spiral turns was the most popular. Riders on the Scream Machine averaged between 15 000 - 15 500 per day

Other Rides:

• Looping Starship: average of 4900 riders per day
• Space Tower:
  • Space Drop:  average of 7000 riders per day
  • Observatron: average of 4000 riders per day
• Cariboo Log Shute: average of 6100 riders per day
• Carrousel: average of 3600 riders per day

AMUSEMENT AREAS:

The Child's Play area attracted some 2500 young people daily.

ANIMALS

• Expo has had all types of visitors, including: raccoons, budgies, dalmatians, a sea lion, cats, skunks and even seagulls and Canada Geese on site.
• One day a security guard noticed a couple of raccoons taking fish out of the pond in front of B.C. Pavilion Discovery Building shortly before opening time. He decided the raccoons would probably sit in a tree and stay out of harms way until closing time. They did and when the site closed at 2 a.m. the raccoons went back to their fishing hole.
• The case of Sunny the sea lion, who spent days on the Expo site -- near Highway 86, the boom boats off the B.C. Pavilion dock and, for one entire day, sunned himself on the east port ferry dock.
• One dog was treated at first aid after it had chewed through the kennel wires and lacerated its gums. After treatment, it was sent to the vet.
• The two Kennels on site have logged in 4,300 dogs, cats, birds, raccoons and even expensive showdogs.
• Kennels average about 30 to 40 animals in each kennel every day.
• Animals stay from four hours to overnight (when owners forget they've brought their pet in!)
• Animals' beds, blankets and favourite toys are brought in and people usually spend an average of half an hour chatting with attendants.

COMMUNITY PROGRAM

• There were 96 EXPO 86 Community Committees across the province promoting Expo and their own towns and cities.
• B.C. Invites the World netted 1.5 million invitations sent from British Columbians to people all over the world to visit Expo.
• The Christmas before opening, one Expo employee, who wanted to get as far away from Expo as possible, was walking in a small village in Sri Lanka one day when a storekeeper brought out his "B.C. Invites the World" invitation from Premier Bennett.
• 1,986 Balloons were launched in September of 1985 to kick off the BCIW program. During the latter months of Expo these balloons, which included 3-Day passes to Expo, were still being found. A diver found one in the North Sea off the coast of England; another was found in northern Ontario by someone's pet pug (dog).

EMPLOYMENT

• Just prior to opening Expo had received 48,000 applications (April 25) As of end of the Exposition approximately 62,000 applications received.
• As of May 2, Expo had anywhere from 15,000 to 17,000 people working on the Exposition site.
• Average turnover of staff during the operational period of Expo was about 70 per cent -- 29,000 people. (While 70 percent seems high for a normal business operation, this figure was in fact lower than other World Expositions. New Orleans and Knoxville had over 100 %)
• Actual employee i.d. cards handed out numbered in excess of 37,000 (these are people who needed site access on a regular basis such as customs officials, police, suppliers, anyone who had business on site)
• Expo employment covered such a broad spectrum that application forms often included 40-page resumes, including such things as how the individual breaks up their day i.e. time spent walking the dog, magazine read.
• Most determined applicants were those trying to get into Security.

ENTERTAINMENT

• 43,000 performances on Expo site throughout the five and a half months of Expo.
• 350,000 people saw Royal Bank/EXPO 86 World Festival events.
• 104 of 106 World Festival events sold out.
• 430,000 people saw Expo Theatre events.
• 142 performances at Expo Theatre, 45 completely sold out, many more came within a few hundred of selling out.
• 18,000 - 20,000 people a day went through Folklife.
• half million people saw free performances at Xerox Theatre.
• about 6.5 million saw a variety of events at the Kodak Pacific Bowl -- RCMP Musical Ride, Kaifung Motorcycle Thrill Team from the People's Republic of China, many of the 14 Specialized Periods events, Peruvian Walking Horses, Canada Day, Tribute to Premier Bill Bennett.
• more than 800 performers and 150 groups took part in the Exposition's Street Entertainment program. One of the most popular was the audience participation-oriented Sak Theatre Company from Orlando, Florida.
• Expo has featured the largest and longest running Street Entertainment program in the world. Expo has inspired many other Theme Parks, including EXPO 88 in Brisbane, after which to model their programs.
• more than 2,000 Amateur and Heritage groups from across North America, Europe and Japan performed at Expo -- Nearly 80,000 amateurs. (Marching high-school bands to Dixieland Bands, ethnic and folkloric troupes.)
• one of the more popular street entertainers was Carolyn Sadowska who appeared as Queen Elizabeth II -- complete with familiar handbag. Sadowska, a Vancouver Island resident, has been doing her impersonation for a number of years.
• on site, visitors have been treated to talents of: the world's greatest highwire artist (Philippe Petit), who walked across a wire suspended across the lagoon near the Xerox Theatre; B.C.'s own horse-drawn theatre company, The Caravan; international groups from places as diverse as Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia; one of world's only birch bark biters and Expo's smallest pavilion with Fred Garbo, who did acts from his own garbage can (he even has his own pavilion stamp).

ENTERTAINMENT

• Mark Wenzel, one of the more popular street entertainers, could entertain 5,000 people at the drop of a hat. Mime artist who mimicked people heading for their seats in the Kodak Bowl.
• At least eight couples got married on site: 6 Shinto weddings, involving couples chosen in an international competition. (Also underwater wedding, wedding at the European Community)
• The unofficial award for the most unusual performance on site went to Urban Sax, which involved some 50 saxophonists plus numerous other dancers, native groups, and bagpipers at the Plaza of Nations. About 15,000 people sat on cement ground to watch this 90-minute performance which climaxed in oozing foam and suds among the audience. Group arrived amidst fireworks and lights on barge -- left same way.
• La Scala, world's greatest opera company, created an operatic first by performing Verdi's I Lombardi in a hockey arena.
• Another first: 98.5% of the 39,000 La Scala tickets sold out.
• Performers' services often went out of their way to ensure everyone got to the stage on time. For instance, opera star Placido Domingo was mistakenly booked to arrive in Vancouver 1/2 hour after show was scheduled to start. Expo Chairman Jim Pattison came to rescue by sending private Lear jet to pick Domingo up in Seattle. Performer services manager Mark Porteous jumped in a limosine and went to airport to pick him up. Domingo warmed up vocal chords in limo on way to show and opening night audience was never the wiser.
• The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, which came with an entourage of 490 people, had to be accommodated in 8 hotels. It took 11 buses to move them to and fro. Did manage to seat them all for dinner every night at the Hotel Vancouver.
• An international incident was narrowly avoided between the Chinese Beijing People's Art Theatre and the Russian Kirov Ballet when the Chinese performers were held over for an extra week. It was necessary to find accommodation for the Chinese, who were moved out of the hotel to make room for the Russian Ballet Company. Having spent one night in the UBC student residence, the Russians were keen to move into their hotel rooms, which were currently being occupied by the Chinese. The Chinese had until noon to move out, but the Russians were on their buses well before noon. To this day, the Russians are not aware that Stanley Park was not enroute to their hotel.
• Baryshnikov, without a doubt was one of the highlights of the Expo Theatre season. But what few people knew was that the famed dancer was not only suffering from back problems, but also experienced an injury during his final performance. His partner caught him in the eye with her elbow so that when he came off stage, his eye was actually bleeding. Again, the audience never knew.

FIRST AID

• staff of 200 serviced the Exposition's Safety/Emergency Services -- first aid attendants, ambulance drivers, registered nurses and emergency medical assistants on site.
• 80,000 people treated: most common injury dealt with the skin -- cuts, scrapes.
• 25% of those treated had headaches, 20% blisters.
• 34% of those referred to hospital had limb problems -- breaks, sprains & strains.
• 16% sent to hospital needed stitches and 13% had cardiac problems.
• 23% of those treated were under 18, 77% were over 18 (average age was 31 years old).
• busiest day: they treated 887 people (total attendance for that day was 168,000).
• slowest day: 181 people treated.
• Fridays were the busiest days.
• most injuries on any one ride was the Cariboo Log Chute (minor bumps and scrapes).
• 31% of the patients from the U.S., 41% from Greater Vancouver, 2% off shore. (These percentages did fit the predictions Expo made before opening.)
• as of October 8, four deaths on site: little girl killed shortly after opening at Canada Pavilion, one 65-year-old woman from California (cardiac arrest), a man in late 40s who appeared to have suffered some neurological disorder and a 67-year-old who collapsed on site (not sure of cause).
• Corporate program with London Drugs so successful, many visitors of site thought the first aid stations also served as drug stores. Would get quite upset when they found out Expo didn't stock batteries (for hearing aids) and other items.
• First aid attendants were jacks-of-all-trades. They often found themselves fixing artificial limbs, jammed cameras and strollers.
• Staff often went out of their way to provide a helping hand. Many times when people would miss the last bus home to Surrey, White Rock or Cultus Lake, first aid staff would drive them home. (Cultus Lake is over an hour drive from Vancouver.)

FIRST AID

• everywhere there's a souvenir and it especially held true for the first aid stations. Among the items gone missing over the course of Expo were 100 ice packs. To replace the ice packs, staff reverted to packages of frozen vegetables. Phones went missing as did over 50 blankets, stethoscopes, scissors and 200 thermometers.
• some visitors to Expo would bring their own dialysis equipment with them and simply drop into the first aid centre for treatment.
• blister treatment was one of the most used and most appreciated by visitors. An inert gel sheeting made from water and polyethylene oxide provided the cool, soothing relief.
• at least one child/teenager out of every school group would end up in first aid. Flu, chicken pox and the measles were common. Usually the sick child would end up staying overnight at Expo as their accommodations were usually in high school gyms, hostels or in church basements.
• innovation was the name of the game at first aid. When visitors came into first aid on rainy days, they could even get their socks dried in the "sock dryer." It was quite simple, really: Take one cardboard box, include some metal splints inside (to hang socks over), close box up tight. Cut a vent in one side and a round hole in the other. Then take a hair dryer, plug it in, insert into box and turn it on. Drying Time: 20 minutes.
• another innovation: When the expensive cervical collars were gone, first aid started using rolled up disposable diapers for support until patients could be transferred to hospital.
• because first aid was operational 24 hours a day, it was often the dropping off point. Lost and found turned over a 10-year-old boy when it closed up for the night (about 11:30 p.m.). The child had been separated from his parents since 10:30 a.m..
• it didn't matter to first aid whether their patients had four legs or two -- one day a dog had tried to bite his way through the kennel's wire fence. Canine was in pretty rough condition when aid arrived. They treated the dog for lacerated gums and then sent it to a local vet.
• Expo received the most headlines for any one ailment when the "red blotch" started turning up on visitors' legs. A common ailment at many world's fairs, the rash was caused from walking and standing too long in one spot. Small capillaries would burst. Blotch was at its worst on hot, sunny days. By Fair's end, there were still complaints of the rash, but it seems once people found out what it was, the complaints died down.
• another common complaint was friction burns on inner legs. Seems those who wore their jeans too tight and did a lot of walking were the worst affected.

FOOD FACTS

• 4.2 million hot dogs were eaten at EXPO 86. If they were stretched end to end, they'd cover the distance from Vancouver to Seattle and back again.
• 7.5 million hamburgers were gobbled up or the equivalent of 3,000 head of cattle (using all edible parts) were served.
• enough cotton candy was sold to fill the entire building of B.C. Pavilion's Discovery Building.
• if you put all the popcorn popped on site it would fill both the Discovery and Challenge buildings of the B.C. Pavilion Complex.
• 8 million ice cream products were scooped up.
• 1/4 million pounds of coffee was brewed.
• Guests went through 2 million gallons of pop, juice and milk.
• 1.2 million gallons of beer was sold or the equivalent of 1 gallon for every man, woman and child in Vancouver.
• 3,500 tons of potatoes were baked, fried or hashed out.
• at least 1 peanut butter and jam sandwich -- (favorite of the Chairman)
• Boston Pizza, one of the Exposition's major corporate participants, has estimated that if they laid all the submarine sandwiches sold, end to end, they would reach from Dover, England to Calais, France. And, if they put all the slices of pizza end to end, they would stretch from Calgary to Edmonton.
• Alberta Pavilion served up 56,000 buffalo burgers.
• Japan Restaurant uses about 750 pairs of chopsticks a day -- 123,750 pairs during Expo.
• Every day the NWT Restaurant, Icicles, serves 300-400 muskox burgers and over the course of Expo has gone through 40 tons of the furry ox-like animal. They've also gone through about three and a half tons of 10,000 year-old glacier ice in their drinks, 12 tons of arctic char, 12 tons of reindeer, 7 tons of whitefish and their sales are over $2 million -- right on target, they say.
• British pub says they've given away enough of their menus that if they put them end to end would equal nine and a half miles -- circumnavigating the entire site. And the honest patrons to this pub have lifted 6,000 ashtrays.

FOOD FACTS

• Tortilla suppliers for Ole Cantina have to run an extra shift just to supply them.
• Unicorn Pub averages 65 kegs of beer, 6,500 pints and 13,000 ounces a day. Tally that one up: 10,725 kegs, over 1 million pints and more than 21 million ounces.

GROUNDS CREW:

• 550 people work as grounds crew on site -- 50% men, 50% women, average age is 23.
• about 60,000 large garbage bags a day are filled.
• every day about 65 tons of garbage is taken to the dump. Six forklifts load two trucks which make runs to the dump continuously from 12 midnight to 7:30 a.m.
• on Oct. 4, Expo's 228,749 visitors (highest to date) generated 150 tons of garbage. It took until 8 a.m. the next day to remove.
• Grounds Services go through 120 litres of hand soap every day on the site. (Same as filling up your car's gas tank three times a day.)
• 1,000 rolls of paper towel on site every day. With 550 feet per roll that's 1/2 million feet of paper towelling used every day.
• visitors go through 3,120 rolls of toilet paper every day.
• to date, sweepers have gone through 600 pans and 1500 brooms. They estimate they sweep up a cigarette butt just about every 30 seconds.
• 1,600 garbage cans on the site.
• Plaza of Nations takes the "dirty broom" award for having the most refuse to take care of.
• cleanest spot on the site is the Folklife area.
• long arm of the grounds crew doesn't stop at the shoreline. The one Marine patrol boat is charged with keeping False Creek clean. One day they managed to land something more than garbage in their 30' long fishnet. Seems it snagged on something. When they pulled it up had a scuba diver on its end. Apparently one of the RCMP divers during one of the top-level security visits.
• this department is committed to having the site cleaner on closing day than it was on opening. Looks like they've lived up to their commitment.
• a 4-person "Swat team" clean-up crew can move from one end of site to the other with response time of 4 minutes. They are often called in to help with major problems inside a pavilion or to assist an area filled with extra grime.

GUEST RELATIONS:

• the three Expo theme pavilions have attracted record numbers of visitors. The Expo Centre (counting pre-opening in 1985) has seen 3 million people go through; the Great Hall of Ramses II has an attendance of 2 million and the Roundhouse has recorded 1.9 million.
• 210 guest relations staff are supplemented by 3,000 volunteers. This area is the highest user of the Expo volunteer core.
• a few pavilions went on a ticketing system so people wouldn't have to stand in line all day. But the lines for getting tickets were often quite long and many didn't know what they were standing in line for. And at opening, when many run for tickets, they often don't know why or where they are running to.
• the site was often very confusing, even to many staff. One newly hired teenager was so lost that he went to work for rides for four days when supposed to be working at admissions.
• one 68-year-old guest relations staffer was so enthusiastic he even put his own information binder together.
• as a practical joke someone installed a bathtub on Highway 86 -- it was noticed by Guest Relations as the grey colour didn't quite match. About noon, the addition was removed.

LOST AND/OR FOUND:

(Numbers used include items both lost and the items found.)

• during Exposition about 32,000 items had been reported lost and or found.
• over half of articles turned in were reunited with owners.
• most turned-in item was keys -- 5,294 keys or sets of.
• 2,300 cameras, from cheapest to most expensive
• 2,190 wallets, 995 purses and 909 carrying cases, knapsacks and men's attache cases
• 1,384 eyeglasses, 18 hearing aids
• 4,394 Season Passes to Expo
• inquiry letters on items lost have come from Florida, New York and Alaska. We have returned items to guests in Dallas, Seattle and Toronto.
• Lost Animals: 1 seagull, 1 beaver, 1 dove and 1 skunk (not defumed). All animals were turned over to SPCA.
• After Expo closes, unclaimed articles will be auctioned off: among the bargains might be: jackets, coats, swimsuits, lingerie (women's underpants & nightie), belts, watches, rings (expensive), necklaces, gold chains and sunglasses, musical instruments (violin bow, symbols, set of drums). There's also rosary, elephant tusk, prayer book, wheelchair, license plate, microphone, cigarette case, power drill, crutches, half a Canadian flag. Dentures, partials, ortho appliances and a variety of retainers, sony walkmans, white cane, one black leather boot, five-chime aluminum whistle, industrial hearing protector, bike seat, wooden walking cane with a duck head handle, black fur jacket, pocket knife with a pearl handle, suitcases.
• largest amount of money turned in was $1500 cash at the end of September. Other huge amounts -- $600, $900 and numerous travellers cheques. Most of the money turned in was returned to its original owners.

LOST KIDS AND ADULTS

• 4,721 lost/found persons. 4,134 of them were children and well over 3/4 were male. 587 were adults. All except one 59-year-old male were reunited with family/friends.
• every adult has a "the time I got lost when I was a child story." Here's a few unusual ones:
• A nine-year-old boy who had just come off a plane from Korea, was turned into Expo after a complicated set of circumstances. Apparently he got off the plane with his father and boarded a bus headed for the Grayline Station in Vancouver. The boy was sound asleep when father got off to get luggage. The boy woke up and thought his dad had gotten onto another bus parked next to one he was in. This bus was headed for Expo. The boy, who could not speak a word of English, was crying and another passenger on the bus turned child into Guest Relations on the site. At this point, the Expo staff didn't realize boy was on site by himself. Believed parent must be on site somewhere. It's by sheer luck Expo found out boy speaks Mandarin Chinese (staff member at lost and found spoke Mandarin Chinese). Expo contacted City Police and Site Security. Story was still unclear as the boy says father was on the bus with him -- he was, but not the second bus. About four hours later, city police got report of missing child from father and the two were eventually reunited.
• Another lost story involved an eight-year old boy. When the father came in to claim his child, the boy was so mad at his dad for losing him, he refused to recognize father. Had to get security involved before kid came clean.
• Most lost kids at one time were 13 at the West Gate. They totally took over and terrorized staff and volunteer scout and guide.
• One lost child sent to first aid as wouldn't stop crying.
• Youngest (and cutest) lost child was 3-years-old. Fell asleep on floor and slept away the time.

ODDS & ENDS

• Visitors stories never cease to delight and amaze . . . Expo Chairman Jim Pattison ran into a 71-year-old woman on the site end of September who said she'd been on the site 66 times.
• On average, there were 20 - 30 requests a day to use Expo name or logo. Some were fairly normal, some bordered on the very bizarre -- take the case of the lady who ran a poodle grooming salon. She wanted to clip her poodle like the 86 logo. Her plans called for an extensive advertising campaign, featuring the newly clipped poodle, of course. Expo allowed her to clip the poodle, but wouldn't allow her to advertise it.
• Speaking of grooming -- one hairdresser called wanting to do hairdo in shape of 86 logo -- again Expo allowed the isolated incident.
• Expo received many strange requests over its run. Did you hear about the Oregon group that wanted to leap-frog across the site. Apparently they had leap-frogged from Oregon to Vancouver and now wanted to enter the East Gate and leap-frog over to their Pavilion. Request denied!
• Another fellow wanted to drag a 12-foot cross around site. He planned to bless each pavilion along the way. This was not allowed as Expo is an interdenominational site.
• There were many ways to get to Expo and Expo saw its fair share of swimmers. When an Ontario teenager wanted to swim from Canada Pavilion around English Bay into Expo there were a few things to sort out first. She was planning to swim the exact same route as the Native War Canoe Races. Solution: Expo bumped her swim forward a half hour, moved the races back half hour and slightly changed their routes.
• French swimmers received great attention for their feat of swimming the Fraser River from Prince George to Expo site. And, number of Vancouver area media caused quite a stir when they followed them through Hell's Gate in a raft. Rumour has it all their eyes were closed.

ODDS AND ENDS

• stanchions were the most sought-after item at Fair from pavilions. Used to control the flow in popular pavilions, some of the smaller pavilions thought if they had the precious stanchions they too would attract people. They were often taken in the dead of night, repainted and would then reappear in the morning outside one of the pavilions on site. Expo formed its own Stanchion Squads and often were successful in recovering the treasured posts.
• Canada Customs processed 2,878,204 more travellers into the Vancouver area during May, June, July, August and September 1986 than the identical period last year. This represents a 61 % increase.
• Of 165 Expo days, 123 were without rain. (NB: through October 6.)
• Kodak estimates that if there was one camera for every two people on site, about 10 million cameras were at Expo. If each shot two rolls of film, there were about 1/2 billion photos taken throughout the Exposition. (This isn't taking into account what was shot of Vancouver and other parts around British Columbia.)

QUESTIONS -- OR "I DON'T BELIEVE THEY ASKED THAT

• Two rather overweight ladies from the southern U.S. asked about the iceberg. Guest Relations couldn't resist the opportunity to joke a bit and told them it already sailed out of False Creek. One said to the other: "I told you we should have come sooner!"
• Dad, do I have to line up twice to see Ramses II?
• What colour is the red zone?
• Going through Ramses, one person heard to exclaim: "I just love antiques."
• What time does the Canada Pavilion set sail?
• I'm on the pill, will the fog in the Futures Theatre do anything to me?
• One guest pointing to B.C. Place Stadium: "Is that the U.S. pavilion?"
• Does the Canadian flag come in any other colours but red and white?
• Visitors to the Roundhouse have often inquired as to which train the giant wheel came from.
• Are these passports real?
• Does the Golden Hinde float?
• Is this Canadian money good off site?

SECURITY

• Crime on the site is approximately 30 % less than projected before Expo opened.
• Believed thefts would be higher at the end of the Exposition, in fact the highest incidents were in June and July. There has been a decrease ever since.
• As of Oct. 8: 606 occurances of general theft reported during the Exposition. This included everything from stealing posters off the walls in Studio 86, to calculators, money, flower vases, flags off flag poles.
• A couple of well-endowed statues from the South Pacific were taken during the opening weeks.
• Disturbances next biggest occurance at 433. (as of Oct. 8)
• Unauthorized entry accounted for 157 occurances (as of Oct. 8). These gate crashers were really quite welcome in the beginning as they showed Expo where it needed to reinforce the fence.
• There were only 79 reports of pickpockets (as of Oct. 8). Most of these occured in the first two to three months of the fair. Crime usually occured outside the main gates. City police caught the two teams working the gate and after they were apprehended, the number of incidents dropped right off.
• Many a football fan tried to get into the site after the game when the Expo gates had closed. One jumped onto the roof of a building from the Cambie Street bridge. Didn't get very far as when he landed, he broke his ankle and had to be taken to emergency.
• One intoxicated person kicked out a window in monorail. When he was looking out the window to see if anyone was coming after him, the train moved and he hit his head on a monorail post and knocked himself out. Security had no trouble arresting culprit.
• One fellow trying to jump over fence into the site caught his finger on the razor wire. His finger had caught and to avoid it being ripped off, he had to stand on his tip toes, awaiting help. About 15 minutes later a guard came by and when asked what happened, the fellow had the nerve to say he was just walking by and had somehow slipped. The fence is seven feet high. (Wire was cut and fencejumper was taken to hospital.)
• A guard on his way to work decided he'd take a shortcut by jumping the fence. He hurt his knee on landing and then applied for workman's compensation because he had been injured on site. (Not accepted.)
• One major robbery on site. About 12:30 a.m., an employee (female) from Boston Pizza was making a night deposit. She was on the service road when two men came up behind her and took $15,000 in cash and receipts. The thiefs threw bags over fence and escaped. Vancouver City Police and Police dogs responded, but the two men got away.

SECURITY

• Only one incident with national days on site. It was with USSR when one protestor came towards the stage during the official ceremony. He was removed from the site. Also during the day, protesters threw pamphlets from the monorail. Protestors also infiltrated the lineup and shouted various slogans. As one was removed by security, another would replace. Whole incident lasted perhaps 1/2 hour.
• Pin trading was brutal -- and dangerous -- as one security guard found out. During the final days of the fair, an Expo guard responded to a call. When he got there, the two men pulled out their knives and robbed him of his collar pins and hat badge. They didn't even ask for the wallet.
• Before opening, many were putting in long hours. About 3 a.m. one morning, Jim Pattison was leaving the site when security said they were in the process of chasing some intruders. Pattison pitched in to help and with security guards walking beside his car, chased intruders off the site and into a demolition site across the street. The guards and Pattison were so diligent that the intruders were eventually caught.

TRANSPORTATION AT EXPO:

• by closing day more than half the Expo visitors will have ridden the monorail -- 11 million. This is more than combined number of passengers carried by Edmonton and Calgary LRT systems per day (70,000 a day)

FERRIES:

• Seven ferries transported an average of 25,000 a day or about 4.1 million in total

SKYRIDES

Collectively, the east and west skyrides carried approximately 60 000 people daily -- or about 10 million in total.

VIP HOSTS AND HOSTESSES

• average age 25 - 28 of VIP Hosting Staff
• Part of this services' biggest reward comes in the thank you notes received from around the world -- Mel Brooks & Anne Bancroft, chairman of Ford Motor Company, Chairman of Metro Golden Mayer and Paramount, Chairman of Boeing, various CEOs and Presidents of major North American corporations, Japan, dignitaries from almost every participating country, Prime Ministers and royalty.
• hosting staff spoke 20 languages; most were tri-lingual.
• Mila Mulroney's sister was one of VIP hostesses: Ivana Pivnicki, in mid-20s. She spoke Yugoslavian, French and English.

WARDROBE FACTS AND FIGURES:

• 25 staff members fitted some 8,000 people at Expo.
• 150 pieces of clothing -- uniforms -- that require dry cleaning go out every two days (Expo contracts cleaning out)
• 10,000 people have worn EXPO 86 uniforms.
• no mirrors in dressing rooms was to save time and, after first few days, mothers weren't allowed in dressing rooms.
• hats & jackets are the most replaced item -- hot trade item as people wanted something really authentic. Many kids offered money for jackets and hats were often taken from the person while he/she wearing it.
• Expo's uniforms used about 104 000 metres of fabric.

COMMENTS FROM PAUL CREIGHTON:

• Veteran of six World's Fairs: Seattle 1962, San Antinoio, Texas in 1986, Spokane in 1974, Knoxville in 1982, New Orleans in 1984.
• During EXPO 86 in Vancouver, Paul Creighton served as Assistant to Chairman Jim Pattison. As closing day approached Expo recorded a few of his comments on the 1986 World Exposition:

"Perhaps the most-asked question is what makes the fair work? My answer has always been: A plus A plus A equals A. (Attitude, ambience and atmosphere equals attendance.)"

"EXPO 86 matched up the theme park philosophy and balanced it with an exposition/pavilion philosophy. Visitors can have an enjoyable experience even if they don't go inside a pavilion and they can have an equally enjoyable experience if they don't go outside a pavilion."

"The balancing of Expo is like the three legs on a milking stool. It needed: adequate financing, good participation and solid management. Like the milking stool, if one part is missing it can't stand up. Expo stood up superbly."

"The money we spent on marketing and promotions in my opinion bought one and a half months worth of attendance. People believed what we said and went. The first one and a half months sold the fair. People came and then went home and told their friends and relatives to come. And, if Expo didn't have the quality and the quantity it had, that word of mouth could have gone the other way. New Orleans and Knoxville went the other way."

"The number of emergency medical incidents in relation to attendance very was very low. I believe it's because the stress level is so low at this fair. People are enjoying themselves, they're relaxed. And the low number of medical incidents reflects this fact. There's enough visual content so there's always something to see and enjoy. The street entertainment is a very big part of it."

"Another reason its so successful is that we've had unbelievable weather over the 165 day run. I've never seen a fair anywhere that experienced the amount of ideal weather conditions that EXPO 86 did, not even Seattle and Spokane."

"Response from the media in general was that it was a great show. All media at some point in time make a choice on whether they are for or against it. They went for it and the main reason is that Expo didn't give media solid reasons why it wasn't good. The management of Expo conducted themselves in such a manner they could not be criticized for what was being done."

"This Exposition did their homework well -- it was well researched and well targeted. Also their grass roots program of getting the smaller communities across the province to understand what was going on and to enlist their support made a big difference."

INTERNATIONALS -- more to come by closing day, Oct. 13

CANADA PAVILION:

• By closing day, Canada Pavilion will have had about 4.9 million visitors through its doors.
• CN 3-D IMAX theatre's attendance by closing day will be about 1.7 million with Teleglobe recording 821,000 and the Amiga Theatre 250,000
• A group of orange-robed swamis who arrived at the CN IMAX theatre one day caused some concern. Their religion dictated that they could not sit near nor look at a female. If not adhered to, the swamis would have to fast for days. The supervisor at theatre took it all in stride and managed not to violate their sanctity.
• Lineups really got to some at Expo. One day, outside the Prow restaurant, two 70 year olds got so disgruntled they started beating up on each other with their canes. Finally stopped when it was pointed out to them they were not setting a good example.
• Pin trading and tickets for the theatres at Canada Pavilion had people calling in willing to trade just about anything for these two items.
• The RCMP officers -- in full-dress red serge -- roaming on the Canada Pavilion's West Promenade say they smile into a camera lens about 200 times a day. Sometimes it even goes up to 100 times an hour. One officer said he much preferred being shot this way than the alternative.
• Alfred Sung designed the uniforms worn by hosting staff at the Canada Pavilion and the Pan Pacific Hotel washes them. On average, 150 items are carted to the hotel laundry each day. The women's shoes are kept in top shape by being re-dyed when they start to look a little worn -- that usually happens about every two weeks.
• The giant Canadian flag at the Canada Portal (12 x 24 metres) takes 6 people to raise it. Four are stationed at the Crow's Nest part way up the pole and another two at the base. Whole flag-raising process takes 90 minutes.
• No one knows exactly how many romances have sprung up in the ranks at the Canada Pavilion since opening, but we do know one of at least one that resulted in a walk down the aisle for a pavilion receptionist and an electronics expert in the Amiga Studio Theatre. Seems the two met while rushing to watch the pavilion's opening night fireworks on May 1. Because it was such a wet night, they both needed a hot drink afterwards....