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Dates of creation area
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1907-1985 (Creation)
- Creator
- Pacific National Exhibition
Physical description area
Physical description
21.81 m of textual records and other material
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Biographical history
The Pacific National Exhibition (P.N.E.) is an organization which holds an annual agricultural, manufacturing and entertainment fair in Vancouver. The organization also manages other events held on fairground buildings throughout the year. In 1907, the P.N.E. was formed under the name the Vancouver Exhibition Association. The organization was founded by a group of businessmen with the intention of using a city fair as an opportunity to promote the development of the city, its industry and its natural resources. The first fair was held at Hastings Park in 1910. In its early years the fair was composed of three main components: agricultural judging and displays, industrial exhibits, and a carnival. In 1925, the organization began a Winter Fair, funded annually by the federal government, and held in a newly constructed livestock building until 1939. Also in the 1920s, permanent carnival grounds were established. These grounds were called Happyland and were operated by the British Columbia Amusement Company, and then by the Pacific Coast Amusement Company. In the 1930s, many new buildings were constructed by workers on relief grants. These buildings included the Forum, the Manufacturers' Building, and the Pure Foods Building. The fair continued during the 1940 and 1941 seasons, but was closed for the remainder of the war years, as the fair grounds were occupied by the Canadian military, after the Exhibition Association was forced to accept the takeover by an Order in Council. During 1942, the grounds were used as a holding area for interned Japanese and Canadians of Japanese descent. In 1946, after acquiring more land for the fair grounds (including Con Jones Park, later renamed Callister Park), the fair was renamed the Pacific National Exhibition and the grounds were renamed Exhibition Park (formerly Hastings Park). Planning during the war years led to a shift in focus for the fair. Less emphasis was placed on agriculture and industry and more was placed in entertainment. Two long running events began in 1948 with the staging of the Miss P.N.E. beauty pageant and the inclusion of the Shrine Circus during the fair. Further development of the grounds followed the awarding of the British Empire Games to Vancouver in 1952. The games required a large outdoor stadium and the P.N.E. grounds were offered as one of the possible sites. After some debate, the 35 000 seat Empire Stadium was built at Exhibition Park. This facility was then placed under the control of the P.N.E. after the British Empire Games in 1954. The direction of the fair continued to change throughout the 1950s. In an effort to market the fair, a central theme was chosen for each year and the advertising and publicity was focused around this theme. The physical configuration of the fairgrounds was also changed with the closing of Happyland in 1958. Its successor, Playland, was constructed at the northeast area of the grounds, while Happyland had been located in the south west area. The reconstruction of the site continued into the next decade with the construction of the Agrodome (which was used for livestock shows and as an exhibition facility) and the Pacific Coliseum, which served as the location of various sporting, entertainment, and exhbition events, and as the home arena of the Vancouver Canucks until the construction of General Motors Place in 1994. On April 18, 1973, the provincial government passed the Pacific National Exhibition Incorporation Act, which significantly affected the composition of the directorate of the P.N.E. The Act reduced the number of directors from sixty to sixteen, with ten directors appointed by the provincial government and six by the civic government. These appointments brought the Board of Directors into the realm of provincial politics.
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Scope and content
The fonds consists of records created and received by the Pacific National Exhibition (P.N.E.). Records include: minutes of various committee meetings; correspondence; financial records, contracts, and other legal records; public relations and advertising records; records regarding exhibit spaces and parking; administration records; subject files; reports, studies, and surveys; programmes, prize lists, and brochures from fairs; guest books; photographs; and other records.
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Restrictions on access
To view records, written permission must be obtained from the donor. To obtain permission, please contact: Manager, Communications and Public Relations. Pacific National Exhibition. P.O. Box 69020. Exhibition Park, Vancouver, B.C. V5K 4W3. Telephone: 253-2311.
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BCAUL control number: CVAN-166