Was it Only Fifty Years Ago?

 “Memories warm you up from the inside.

But they also tear you apart.”  

 Harki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore

As we get ready to going into 2017 and Canada’s 150^th birthday I have memories of 50 years ago swirling in my head that need to be shared. 

 

At the end of 1966 we had been married for two years plus and had yet to start our family.  1967 was to be a wonderful year of celebrating Canada’s Centennial of Confederation and we lived in the right city to do that.  Montreal would be hosting Expo ’67, the World Fair it would be Canada’s big party for the centennial April 28^th to October 27th.  

Our passes were ready well before the opening and working downtown gave us a chance to go after work which we did it seems May 6^th for the first time.  We got to enjoy and visit most of the pavilions, counties and other attractions yet not feel rushed as we had plenty of time to go again and again.  Yes we had our favorites but we tried to see and experience as much as we could.  (Found a hand written list in my passport. It has dates and amount of time we spent there -over 44 hours in 7 visits .]

 

That changed in mid-July when my sister and I took our younger siblings and a nephew to the fair. We had packed a lunch of turkey sandwiches which were accidentally dropped off the mini rail while we were going from one area to another. We watched our lunch disappeared among the crowd knowing we would have to now buy lunch.  That and rides for a price on an elephant is what I remember most about that day or was it the cost that seemed to be mounting as the day unfolded  children you know wanting whatever they see… Back to why losing the turkey sandwiches stands out, I love turkey sandwiches and my taste buds were excited every time I thought about our lunch. Didn’t know that day but never got to enjoy what was left of that turkey my sister and I had gone together on so we’d have leftover for sandwiches and soup, all the bits we missed as we were both married and celebrations were at our parents so the leftover turkey for us afterward– this bird was just for us and our hubbies. And what we had been willing to share was lost :0(((  We had plenty of leftover turkey back home but I couldn’t eat it, just looking at it turned my stomach I was soon to find out I was experiencing morning sickness.  Followed shortly by signs that a miscarriage might happen, I was forbidden to travel – our plan to go to Florida with friends was cancelled, still have yet to take that trip south.

My visits to Expo were pretty well nil after that and so was my recording of dates and time spent there. I had another life to prepare for now :D I stayed home and Dick went with our guests to see the fair.

One of the last stamps in my passport is October 7^th in The United States see-through plastic bubble now known as the Biosphere which is about the environment.

 

    A great site to read about Expo 67 back then

   Expo 67  http://expo67.morenciel.com/an/index.php

One of my very favorite pavilions was the Western Provinces. A simulated mine elevator opened at the other side to huge Douglas Firs and a humongous truck and massive trunks of trees, the scent alone had me standing right in a pine forest.   Walking around the exhibition grounds there was a chance of  entertainment popping up up such as the Mexican Mariachi Band or the Fort Henry soldiers with their mascot, David the goat – always try to see David when we visit the fort.

  

Photos are from slides and poor quality  - 

Mariachi band, Fort Henry Guards, David the goat

 

The boutiques were a glimpse into other countries and so were the restaurants .The stacking Russian doll stand out for me as do the delicious smells around the food court.  Habitat 67, the stacked cement complex of dwellings was a marvel of it time but turned out not to be so eventually. 

 

The process  of how the Islands were built up to become Expo 67 were followed closely from start to finish.   A subway was opened and new highways too - some had the lighting system built into the concrete sides, not a great idea for our winters and they were soon replaced. We had a few souvenirs around for several years or until the 76 Montreal Summer Olympics took over.

And what has carried on since 1966? I took driving lessons when I was pregnant and almost made myself sick worrying about where the instructor would make me drive in the dark and city traffic - once along the new highway with those lights in the sides, flashing in my face as I went along; another to cut across 4 lanes of traffic on Decarie Boulevard to make a right turn at the top of an up off ramp. However,  I became a demon behind the wheel once I had that driver's permit in my hands.  Still drive and am proud of my record but am not as brave as once I was.

In the fifty years between Canada’s Centennial and its 150^th We’ve lived on the island of Montreal, had two houses, a few cars and several pets. Have taken a few nice vacations, spent a lot of time in Nova Scotia and learned many new things via the internet for one way, and some hobbies and past times as well. Curling and Golf for my hubby and that too, the golf, is connected to that day the turkey sandwiches were lost at Expo 67. He had gone golfing for the first time with my sister’s husband and the clubs/bag I gave him for his first Father’s Day (think it was).

   In the late winter of 1968 our first son was born and since then parenting our sons and having six grandchildren to love has been a huge part of our lives as family is so precious be they blood , four legged or come through roots. 

AND our main Canadian Centennial project will be 49 before the winter is over. Wonder what we can out do that with for the 150^th?

“Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.” 

                                                                       L.M. Montgomery, The Story Girl