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MAN AND HIS WORLD
No one anticipated the success of Expo 67. The issue of what do with the site
was the subject of many newspaper debates and articles. Some people suggested
transforming the entire area into a residential complex; others suggested
a campus for an international university managed by the United Nations.
Mayor Jean Drapeau ended the debate in October by announcing that an exhibition
called Man and His World, the theme of Expo 67, would be permanently located
there.
The national pavilions that were donated to the city would be integrated into
this exhibition. This approach benefited the donor countries as it deferred
their demolition costs. Man and His World opened in 1968, and the opening
ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre Elliott
Trudeau. Several countries participated in this new exhibition in 1968,
which was also attended by 20 million people. Some pavilions were added
or transformed, according to the new themes.
Robert Charlebois, Gilles Vigneault, Louis Armstrong and Ravi Shankar gave
performances enjoyed by everyone. The various musical genres represented
by these artists demonstrated the cultural diversity and musical effervescence
of the time. It was a preferred meeting place and an important cultural
crossroads, where many artists from here and abroad expanded our horizons.
Despite its wonderful potential, Man and His World was not as successful
over the years as was hoped, and it was closed in 1981.
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