Expo 86

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Britain's Prince Charles and Princess Diana opened Canada's $1.2-billion Expo '86 world's fair today in a spectacular fanfare of fireworks and celebration. Tens of thousands of fair-goers from around the world poured onto the 170-acre site an hour before the official ceremonies, eager to get a glimpse of the royal couple or to claim a spot in line to visit one of the 63 pavilions at Expo '86.

Canada's World's Fair attendance unexpectedly topped 3 million in the opening month of May and organizers hope for 20 million visitors by the time Expo '86 closes in October, instead of the 13 million originally estimated Except for a young girl's fatal accident and Vancouver's notoriously wet climate, the $1.1-billion exposition generally is rated a glittering success so far. Organizers said their new attendance estimate is based on expectations of a summer tourist boom and better weather.

Expo '86 reached its attendance goal of 20 million visitors with 10 days to spare when a couple from Blaine, Wash., walked through the world's fair entrance. Reg Wightman and Carolyn Berrey were greeted Saturday by Jim Pattison, the fair's chairman and president, and Claude Richmond, minister responsible for the world's fair. The American couple were awarded a first-class trip to Brisbane, Australia, for the 1988 world exposition. They were also given a VIP tour of the Expo site.

Leone & Leone Ltd., a San Juan Capistrano public relations firm, won a national award for its eight-month campaign promoting Expo '86, Vancouver's world exposition. The 3 1/2-year-old firm was the only Southern California agency to win the Public Relations Society of America's Silver Anvil Award--one of 37 presented this year. "It's the Academy Award or Emmy of our industry," said C. Michael Leone, chairman, who said the award was in the category of publicity for special events.

Orchestras aren't playing a particularly important role in the Expo 86 World Festival. The biggest symphonic event, no doubt, will take place next week when Riccardo Muti brings his Philadelphians to Canada. Also on the sparse agenda are the Orchestre Symphonique of Montreal under Charles Dutoit (July) and the State Symphony of the Soviet Union under Evgeny Svetlanov (October). For the time being, however, attention is monopolized by the local band.

Long after Vancouver's Expo '86 has gone, cruise passengers to Alaska will continue to enjoy the Canada Pavilion, the immense ocean liner building with steep sailing-ship roofs reminiscent of Sydney's famous Opera House, because it will remain as the city's new cruise ship terminal. So it's only fair that cruise passengers this year are getting some of the best all-inclusive Expo packages as low-priced (sometimes even free) pre- or post-cruise options.

Leone & Leone Ltd., a San Juan Capistrano public relations firm, won a national award for its eight-month campaign promoting Expo '86, Vancouver's world exposition. The 3 1/2-year-old firm was the only Southern California agency to win the Public Relations Society of America's Silver Anvil Award--one of 37 presented this year. "It's the Academy Award or Emmy of our industry," said C. Michael Leone, chairman, who said the award was in the category of publicity for special events.

It was quite a party, six months of everything from opera to Czech food. Expo '86, Canada's latest world fair, is over, and people here wonder if what they feel is satisfaction or a hangover. The fair, which closed two weeks ago, was the child of William Bennett, the former premier of British Columbia, who predicted that it would rejuvenate the province's tottering economy with increased tourism and turn Western Canada into an international center of finance, trade and high technology.

Although Expo '86 in Vancouver lured away many potential visitors from San Diego, the summer was on balance a lucrative one for the city's tourist industry, according to figures released by the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau (ConVis). More than 9.4 million people--an increase of 4.7% from last year--visited San Diego during June, July and August. Visitor spending approached $1.3 billion, a 9.6% jump from 1985.

More than 26,000 Expo 86 employees and volunteers marched arm-in-arm Monday to celebrate the end of the 5 1/2-month world's fair that drew 9 million more visitors than originally predicted. About 50,000 people in the stands at the indoor B.C. Place Stadium, many in tears, watched as leaders of the U.S. and Soviet pavilions joined hands and led the procession onto midfield. On the fair's final day, 138,050 people passed through the turnstiles before the gates closed at 3 p.m.

Expo '86 reached its attendance goal of 20 million visitors with 10 days to spare when a couple from Blaine, Wash., walked through the world's fair entrance. Reg Wightman and Carolyn Berrey were greeted Saturday by Jim Pattison, the fair's chairman and president, and Claude Richmond, minister responsible for the world's fair. The American couple were awarded a first-class trip to Brisbane, Australia, for the 1988 world exposition. They were also given a VIP tour of the Expo site.

Although people are still crowding Expo 86 in British Columbia, relatively few appear to be dining in one of the most unusual restaurants in North America--Quilicum. Downstairs, you enter another world: Carved spirit masks hang on the walls, pebbles and planks form the floor, and low tables set on concrete platforms suggest the interior of a Northwest Indian lodge. The restaurant is small and everything is cooked to order.

Afew weeks ago, I visited Expo '86, the world's fair in Vancouver, British Columbia. Although most exhibitors stuck to the theme of the fair, "transportation and communications," I found a number of exhibits of special interest to PC users. Mostly, however, I saw a lot of trains, buses, airplanes and space capsules. Even though most of the pavilions don't exhibit computers, their use is evident throughout the Expo.

Although people are still crowding Expo 86 in British Columbia, relatively few appear to be dining in one of the most unusual restaurants in North America--Quilicum. Downstairs, you enter another world: Carved spirit masks hang on the walls, pebbles and planks form the floor, and low tables set on concrete platforms suggest the interior of a Northwest Indian lodge. The restaurant is small and everything is cooked to order.

Americans heading for Vancouver, British Columbia and Expo 86 this summer should leave their guns at home. Travelers, either unaware of Canadian gun laws or trying to dodge them, will be turned back at ports of entry or prohibited from entering the country until they dispose of their firearms. "You run into big hassles if you try to take a gun across the line," says Tom Eberhardt, director of the U.S. Customs port of entry just outside of Blaine. "My advice is, don't try it."

Afew weeks ago, I visited Expo '86, the world's fair in Vancouver, British Columbia. Although most exhibitors stuck to the theme of the fair, "transportation and communications," I found a number of exhibits of special interest to PC users. Mostly, however, I saw a lot of trains, buses, airplanes and space capsules. Even though most of the pavilions don't exhibit computers, their use is evident throughout the Expo.