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Throughout the exhibition's early history, its wide variety of exhibits have contributed greatly to education, industry, trade, commerce, science and the arts. The exhibits provided an ideal venue to display innovations in these fields and many others. In 1888, the first year of the exhibition, one of the directors of the CCEA told the Ottawa Journal that the entries for new exhibits at the fair were "...way up in the thousands, and all afternoon the secretary and his assistants have been more than busy taking in fresh arrivals." |
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One of the first examples of innovation at the exhibition was demonstrated by the use of an electric lightbulb in 1889. The grandstand featured Professer Baptiste Peynaud and his amazing 150-foot jump, an impressive feat even by contemporary standards. The tower from which he jumped was lit by an electric light, and, at night, it could be seen clearly from Metcalfe, a town now about 30km from Ottawa. Only two years after that, the route of the Ottawa Electric Railway streetcars was extended all the way out to Lansdowne Park -- quite a way out of town at the time. The appearance and growing popularity of the automobile at the turn of the century allowed many people to attend the fair more easily than they had in the earlier years. This made the first demonstration of an airplane flight in eastern Ontario more easily viewed by a greater number of the public. In 1913, an "aviator and his airship" arrived at the fair and began to fly daily rides. Another major innovation of the fair in its early years was the introduction of an "open-air," meaning outdoor, horse show in 1916. The show had been held in England previous to its introduction at the exhibition, and a horse parade had been featured every morning on Dominion Day in Toronto since 1901. But this idea was new to the Central Canada Exhibition and proved to be a great crowd drawer. As time went on, the exhibitors became more and more cramped in sought-after space as the popularity of the exhibition steadily grew. Everyone wanted a chance to display their goods at the fair. The CCEA had to turn down many applicants due to lack of space and staffing.  One of the most incredible advancements in technology was exhibited in 1892 by Thomas Ahearn. His display of electrically powered devices was regarded as not only one of the first, but also as the most remarkable display of electronic devices ever seen in Canada. The fact that it was featured at the exhibition illustrates just how well-respected and well-known the fair had already become. Ahearn demonstrated the value of the new inventions, some of which were his own, by cooking a large dinner at the Windsor Hotel. For the amazing technological advancements Ahearn displayed at the exhibition, he was awarded the first gold medal ever given by the CCEA for excellence in exhibits. Thomas Ahearn died in 1938. Twelve years later, his son donated a fountain to Lansdowne Park to commemorate his father's achievments. The fountain still stands behind the Coliseum Building on the grounds today. |
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