Expo '67 officially opened 5 months ago today - in 1967, and will close in one month and one day on October 29, 1967. Today marked the 43rd millionth visitor and they'd been hoping for 35 million visitors. To keep this in perspective, Canada's population was 20,500,000 in 1967.

Things got a bit slowed down by the Montreal Transit strike that started this week. Listen for the - Mao poetry to Expo passports on CBC radio's daily report on Expo "Expodition".

Here listen to Expo's Gates Open to the World (clip 5) for interviews with people who'd waited in line all night to get into Expo with a countdown to 9:30 am when the gates opened to the public on April 28, 1967.

The Western Pavilion, (for Manitoba, Saskatchewan - where I live now, Alberta and British Columbia)which sounds like it was a welcome relief from the 'jungle of steel'  was written up the very first day of Expo in the Ottawa Journal. What I especially remember of the Western Pavilion was the day they had flapjacks on tap.
     Nary a flapjack since.

Jack Layton

from Jack Layton's farewell letter

History in the making. It's a sad day for Canada. As a young NDP'er I'm horribly saddened for the Party and incredibly moved by Layton's farewell letter. You can find it just about anywhere online at the moment. In commemoration here are some clips of Jack.



In seeing the incredible determination to relentlessly and stubbornly fight for what he believed in over his political career I'm reminded of words by JS Woodsworth, another figurehead leader cut short from the public scene, "Every [NDP] member ought to be able to give a reason for the faith that is in him." Thanks for living that faith Jack and constantly bringing to light the reasons why the optimistic faith and hope for a better Canada must always be maintained.

http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/parties_leaders/clips/17578/