[Interviews] [Articles] [Images] [Links] [Credits]
 |
|
|
|
|
|
The CCEA continued to introduce new ideas to the carnival world in the mid-1900s. It was the first fair to introduce a department for Junior Farmers, and, a few years later in 1928, they were also the first Canadian exhibition to introuce a hobby show for children. In January of 1952, the CCEA had another innovative idea. To show their appreciation to the fair's exhibitors, the association held a party for all of the agricultural exhibitors and their families. The party was a great success and became an annual event, open to every department. It was responsible for several other firsts as well: it was the first fair to hold a Pure Food Show in 1926, and, a lesser-known fact, the CCE was the first to install toilet facilities on their midway. |
|
|
A member of the CCEA illustrated the interest found in these new developments quite well when he said, "Once, crowds gathered [at the fair] mostly for entertainment. Now, they want to see the art exhibit, the inventors; they want to hear informative talks that previously would have bored them." The innovative exhibits of the exhibition were starting to catch on with fair-goers. In 1959, the CCEA began to try to appeal to youth by introducing an educational exhibit staged by the Atomic Energy Commission. The next year, a CF-104 Starfighter was displayed by the RCAF in the McElroy Building. A variety of multicultural exhibits were also featured at the McElroy Building that year. In 1967, the CCEA decided to drastically change the Women's Division of the fair, so that it would include daily fashion shows and displays by the Women's Institute Committee of the CCEA, including quilting, bread making, soap, butter and candle making. The changes were accepted and became a great success, thus prompting the CCEA to continue these features in subsequent years.  The "Where It's At" youth pavilion was started in 1968. It was a teen-oriented pavilion that featured small concerts and exhibits. That year, the "Where It's At" Pavilion was judged the best youth fair in Canada by the Canadian Fair and Fair Managers Association. Another exhibit introduced in 1968 was "Shop Canadian," a display featuring four large carousels of commerce that were artistically lit and designed to show the wide range of products manufactured in Ontario and sold throughout the world. The exhibit was geared towards educating fair-goers on the importance of supporting their local economy and was quite popular. In 1971, the CCEA had another interesting idea. The layout of the "Where It's At" pavilion was designed to resemble city streets, breaking the monotony of the often repetitive displays and making the pavilion more attractive to its exhibitors. |
|
|
[The Early Years] [Post World War II] [The Modern Era] |
|
