Expo 86 logo

The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo 86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada during the summer of 1986. The fair, the theme of which was "Transportation and Communication," coincided with Vancouver's centennial and was held on the north shore of False Creek.

Up until the late 1970s, the 173-acre site on False Creek where Expo was staged was a former CPR rail yard and an industrial wasteland. Expo 86 opened on May 2, 1986 and featured pavilions from 54 nations and numerous corporations. Expo's participants were given the opportunity to design their own pavilion or opt for the less expensive Expo module. Each module was approximately two-and-a-half stories high and had the floor space equal to a third of a city block. The design was such that any number of the square modules could be placed together in a variety of shapes. The roof design allowed the interior exhibit space to be uninterrupted by pillars. In all, 22 million people attended the expo and despite a deficit of $311 million CAD, it was considered a tremendous success. In 1988, the site was sold to the Pan Pacific development corporation for a fraction of the original cost, a move that proved to be extremely controversial. Today, the western two thirds of the site have been developed into parks and high rise condominiums; the eastern portion is used for the annual Molson Indy race.

Other lasting contributions of Expo 86 are the Science World education center and the SkyTrain elevated rapid transit system, as well as Canada Place and the Plaza of Nations.