A Centre d'histoire de Montréal's Exhibition
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A Centre d’histoire de Montréal’s
Exhibition
PRESS KIT
CONTENTS
3 EXPLOSION 67 – YOUTH AND THEIR WORLD
5 HISTORICAL CONTEXT
13 THE EXHIBITION ITINERARY
22 THE EXHIBITION IN NUMBERS
25 ZOOM ON THE CREATORS OF THE EXHIBITION
25 Catherine Charlebois
27 Antonio Pierre de Almeida
29 Yanik Daunais
31 The witnesses
35 The advisory committee
The research Team
36 PHOTO CREDITS
38 A WORD FROM THE CHM’S DIRECTOR, JEAN-FRANÇOIS LECLERC
40 ABOUT THE CENTRE D’HISTOIRE DE MONTRÉAL
41 PRACTICAL INFORMATION
2
EXPLOSION 67 – YOUTH AND THEIR WORLD
Explosion 67 invites visitors to relive a remarkable episode of our city’s his-
tory in the liveliest possible way: through memorabilia and personal memo-
ries that have lasted through the years. A pile of objects, digitalized Expo 67
souvenirs, and captivating personal accounts take us back to this exhilara-
ting, colourful era through techniques that are both intimate and modern.
Combining concrete souvenirs with living memories, Explosion 67 is a foray
into the heart of Expo 67.
Explosion 67 is a journey into memory, a leap back to an era of profound
change. It is also a journey into the minds of young people who were
between the ages of 11 and 21 at that time through oral, visual, and
virtual immersion.
People who were young in 1967 open their hearts talking about their
experience, recreating the atmosphere of Expo 67 and the spirit of a whole
generation. Throughout the exhibit, these witnesses guide visitors through
the effervescence of a society in the midst of radical transformation.
Metaphorically penetrating the skull of a young person in 1967, the content
of Explosion 67 is revealed through the emergence of scattered, fragmentary,
impressionistic memories from a “black box.” The spirit of youth conveys the
vivid impressions left not only by Expo 67 and Man and His World, but also
by the turbulent times of the second decade of the 1960s.
The futuristic vision of young people in this era is recreated by sets denoting
the modernist influences prevalent during those years and by a number of
interactive tools and technological supports. Through dynamic panels,
projections, visual explorations, soundscapes, and virtual reality experiences,
Explosion 67 was inspired by and pays tribute to the countless technological
innovations that characterized the Expo 67 experience. A visit to Explosion
67 is a passport to “Enter” the magic and mystery of one of the world’s fair
pavilions: an experience full of anticipation, the unexpected and the unk-
nown, emotions, and revelations!
3
In the latter half of the 1960s, television, print media, and radio exposed us
daily to a planet that was subjected to overwhelming forces, almost to the
point of shattering. In Quebec, the aspirations for a new secular social and
cultural order, embodied by the Quiet Revolution, led to the creation of a
modern state. Political and social tensions began to create cracks in the
peaceable image of the city and its residents. Western society was a
seething cauldron as young people here and elsewhere called for a
different kind of world.
With Explosion 67, the Centre d’histoire de Montréal presents the most
conceptual exhibition in its history, pushing the boundaries of the use of
intangible heritage in all its museographical, technological, and imagination-
inspiring forms.
It’s your chance to get into the heads of young people who took in Expo 67.
4
THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT
We walked on islands…
The choice of the site for the Montreal world’s fair was controversial,
provoking debate between those favouring a downtown site to allow a
permanent use of the structural facilities once the event was over, and
those who preferred a more traditional type of fair grounds on the edge
of town. Wishing to stage the event near the centre of the city but limi-
ted by space and time constraints, the municipal authorities, led by
Mayor Jean Drapeau, opted for the dramatic solution of building a site
in the middle of the St. Lawrence River!
« Ils pensaient que peut-être ça n’arriverait
pas, que construire des îles était impossible. »
Françoise Jougla, 17 ans en 1967
With a prevailing feeling of “everything goes” and “the sky is the limit,”
-- not to say under the influence of a megalomaniac vision -- , Montreal’s
territory underwent a veritable geographical revolution. The choice was
made to create artificial islands not far from the heart of the city to hold
an event that would last only six months. The project of gargantuan pro-
portions doubled the area of St. Helen’s Island and created a completely
new manmade island: Île Notre-Dame. In total, more than 25,000,000
tons of soil and rock were needed for these artificial lands to rise in the
middle of the St. Lawrence.
With such spectacular infrastructures as Expo and La Ronde, along with
the staging of several mega-concerts in 1968 and 1969, the site quickly
became a gathering place for young people. They adopted it as their na-
tural playground, a space just for them such as they had never had
before.
From a symbolic point of view, the construction of the islands is a
perfect metaphor for a city in a state of metamorphosis and a society in
the throes of radical change. The project was an extension of the buil-
ding boom in Montreal during that period. The islands are an eloquent
expression of the physical transformation of the city and its periphery
during that period.
After Expo 67, the islands became an emblematic Montreal sight in
themselves, and ever since, there have been initiatives to keep them
buzzing with the same intensity.
5
The summer event of 1967 and beyond
Expo 67 was one of the significant events in 20th-century history for
Canada, for Quebec, and especially for Montreal. It had major cultural
and social effects on the populations of the province and of the city, who
were still emerging from the Quiet Revolution.
« On attendait la planète et la planète est venue
à Montréal. (...) L’Expo a été notre internet. »
Pierre Huet, 18 ans en 1967
Over 62 countries participated, with dozens of pavilions representing either nations or themes. If the construc-
tion of the islands was a colossal undertaking, it was equally daunting to arrange the site to host more than
850 pavilions and other structures. The event transformed the cityscape for good, and not just by the creation
of the new islands: it also left behind a large urban park, bridges, permanent pavilions, and an amusement
park, not to mention Cité du Havre and Habitat 67.
The 50 million visitors who came to Expo 67 were treated to an exceptional array of discoveries and pleasures.
For some of them, Expo was an important moment in their lives, a memory that would never fade, an occasion
for them to open up to the world by encounters with dozens of new cultures, food, and people, and to enter
into contact with spaces of an unprecedented modernity.
The Expo 67 site was a dream city within the real city; an imagined space created from nothing; a clean, pure,
serene event where it was possible to celebrate the unity of nations and the modern ethos; a bubble full of pro-
mises floating in mid-stream.
Expo 67 was also the occasion for Montreal to be the capital of the world for the space of a summer.
« À 13 ans, j’avais l’impression que c’est moi qui recevait
le monde. C’était mon Expo »
Roger Laroche, 13 ans en 1967
It was the finally the chance for Montreal to proudly stick a pin onto the global map. The city had the wind in
its sails and looked to the future with enthusiasm.
Expo 67 can be seen as the culmination of the adoption of modernity by a conservative society -- until every-
thing was turned upside-down in 1968.
« 50 years later, those buildings at Expo are still modern
how can that be !? What kind of minds were putting
this together ? »
James Pluth, 17 ans en 1967
6
Man and His World
The future of the site at the end of the Expo67 world’s fair had not been determined in advance. Developers
wanted to build condominium towers on it, similar to what had been done on Île des Soeurs, while others sug-
gested it become an international university campus. However, Montreal Mayor Jean Drapeau, invigorated by
the huge success of the event, resolved to continue the adventure in the same vein and offer Montrealers and
tourists a permanent exhibition called Man and His World (in French, Terre des Hommes), a name directly ins-
pired by the official theme of Expo 67.
When the site was closed in October 1967, several pavilions, including that of the U.S.S.R., were taken down.
The City of Montreal recuperated some of the pavilions, modified them, and adapted them for the Quebec
climate. Most of the pavilions had been built for temporary use in summer weather. The City also reconfigured
the interior of certain pavilions so that they could serve for new exhibitions and other uses, such as the crea-
tion of the aviary in the former U.S. pavilion, a structure was renamed the Biosphere on that occasion. Man
and His World was officially inaugurated in spring 1968. The dignitaries on hand included the new prime
minister of Canada, Pierre Elliot Trudeau.
In its first years, Man and His World was a great success. In 1968, more than 20 million visitors explored the
remodelled exhibition. The site also attracted crowds to music events featuring stars like Robert Charlebois,
Gilles Vigneault, Louis Armstrong, and Ravi Shankar, to name but a few.
The concerts at Man and His World in 1968 and ’69 were primarily aimed at young people. They were the
first large-scale music events held outdoors in an atmosphere of peace. This is one of the reasons Montreal
became a city of festivals. The mega-concerts were a symbol of that period and reflected the influence of San
Francisco’s Summer of Love and the legendary Woodstock Festival. Man and His World and the islands
became a hub where the major countercultural tendencies of the era could be freely expressed in a city. The
atmosphere and context of Man and His World during those two years were therefore completely different
from those of Expo 67.
Not surprisingly, many people’s memories of their experiences at both events have tended to fuse over time.
Looking more closely at Man and His World takes us beyond a simple commemoration of the 50th anniversary
of Expo 67: it is an opportunity to sort out the memories and provide a framework for talking about the youth
of that era within a broader perspective. It allows us to give its just due to an event that was important for
Montreal but which has often been overshadowed by Expo 67, even if Man and His World lasted until 1981!
Above all, listening to people talk about their youthful experiences at Expo and during the first years of Man
and His World places the world’s fair and its ramifications in their broader context again, making it possible to
have an in-depth discussion about Quebec society at the tail end of the Quiet Revolution.
7
« On a mis le couvercle pendant des années, ça a explosé
dans les années 1960. Tout d’un coup, on a respiré. »
Monique Simard, 17 ans en 1967
The late 1960s: the social order overturned
Expo 67 arrived at a critical moment in Quebec society, although this state of affairs also applied to Montreal
and to the world. Cracks that had already appeared in the established order were widening as a wind of
change blew over the Western societies and protest movements grew stronger. A great difference between
the atmosphere of the summer of 1967 and that of 1968 could be felt, and this difference was a reflection of
the changes operating in society and the influence of several international tendencies. Social upheaval hit
Quebec square on in the late 1960s.
« Changing the world is changing the way you live.
(...) We thought we would have a revolution. »
Judy Rebick, 22 ans en 1967
New forms of the human rights movement caused an opening-up to the world and encouraged personal
and collective demands. The movement promoted greater accessibility to education; in Quebec, it led to
the creation of the CEGEP system and a network of universities across the province. New communication
channels and the democratization of information made people more aware of what was happening in the
world, including the conflicts, inequalities, and human rights crimes that
were raging all over the globe.
This period saw the development of a strong civil identity resulting in the
human rights movement’s explosive growth.
The counter-culture of the 1960s was part of this general movement, emer-
ging in Great Britain and the United States and spreading quickly to other
Western countries. In American society in the 1960s, the Cold War and
the Vietnam War provoked inter-generational tensions. Authority was
challenged amid debates on race relations, sexual mores, women’s rights,
drug use, and the meaning of the American dream, with world events
entering the sphere of citizens’ concerns.
8
The late 1960s: cultural revolution
Along with the opening-up to the world in Montreal and Quebec as broad
trends influenced people’s lives, at the same time, the phenomenon of
North-American mass culture took a firmer hold. An important standardi-
zation process occurred during the 1960s, especially among young peo-
ple. Mass culture, spearheaded by the entertainment and fashion
industries, was directed at youth, a huge market eager to adopt it.
These influences on music and fashion could be seen both at Expo 67
and at Man and His World. The uniforms of the hostesses of many pavi-
lions at Expo incarnated the concept of the shape of the modern woman.
They were designed with simple, sleek lines and bright colours, and
were generally made of synthetics. Some uniforms even followed the
latest pop styles, including the mini-skirt.
The following year at Man and His World, there was a change, also follo-
wing fashion trends: the hostesses’ uniforms were now largely designed
with broken lines, and occasionally adopted the layered, unravelled look.
« C’était le conformisme de l'anticonformisme.
Tout a radicalement changé. On avait le droit de penser.
(...) Tout d’un coup, c’était les jeunes qui avaient
le droit d’investir ce monde-là. »
Charles Prévost-Linton, 18 ans en 1967
9A generation: the young baby boomers
In the late 1960s, several cohorts of baby-boomers entered adolescence and young adulthood. The society of
the day contained a huge mass of young people, which gave a special kind of energy to this period, and the
focus on youth created a euphoric atmosphere. It was still a time when the future seemed exceedingly promi-
sing. Young people in general were relatively carefree. Doubts about the uncertainties of the future were more
the lot of their parents, who had had to deal with the Depression and the Second World War (1939-1945). For
young people in the 1960s, there was full employment and the future seemed rosy.
The mindset that came with this reality influenced the mood in Montreal at the time. The prevailing desire was
to present a young, fresh, international new city and to leave the older sections of Montreal to take care of
themselves. There was also a breath of renewal, change, and creativity in the air. It could be said that Montreal
was going through an adolescent crisis, seeking metamorphosis, a transformation of its appearance through
initiatives such as Mayor Drapeau’s beautification campaign of 1966. There was a desire to become some-
thing else, to develop a stronger identity to be able to join the ranks of the world’s great modern cities. And
this spirit of modernity was exemplified in young people.
10For Montreal, holding the world’s fair in 1967 was an occasion to present
itself as a modern metropolis and invite the entire planet to come and
see it. For the young people who frequented Expo 67, the site was a hub
of freedom, an immense space offering a chance to discover the world
and modernity unlike anything in their previous experience. For thou-
sands among them, the summer of 1967 at Expo would be “the summer
of their lives.” The forces at play brought about an explosion of society
as it was known until then. A notable social and cultural characteristic
of the experience of youth in those years is that they were a generation
with the chance to really live their youth. With higher education more
available, there was a space/time between childhood and adult life,
delaying entry to the workplace. This passage is characterized by the
search for identity particular to young people, who truly make up a
separate category in society.
However, the emphasis on adolescence and the pop culture that went
with it was a relatively new phenomenon in Quebec society at this time.
The term “youth’ should not imply that all young people’s experiences
were the same: we should remain aware that experiences vary greatly
according to age (the experience of an 11-year-old in 1967 was very
different from that of a 22-year-old that same year), what they sought
(culture, gastronomy, amusement, meeting people, music, etc.), and
where they came from. Moreover, not all young people had the opportu-
nity to come to Expo 67 or even to Man and His World.
The cost of admission, a summer job, lack of interest, or living far from
the city may all have been factors explaining why these young people
did not visit the site.
11What is left?
The late 1960s left a mark on a whole generation and was a watershed
period in the history of Quebec and its largest city. The memories evoked
are unanimous: Expo 67 was a more-than-memorable experience for mil-
lions of people, an experience so powerful and so popular that the desire
arose to make it last as long as possible through Man and His World.
But what remains of the baby-boomers’ hopes and dreams? What is the
heritage of Expo 67 and Man and His World in the Montreal landscape
and in the city’s identity? What is left of these events in the collective
memory, and how do the youth of today see them?
It would be interesting to interview some of the young people of today
who are fascinated by Expo 67 to try to understand the origins of this
interest, and also to know how they transpose it into their lives. This
might be a discussion with Julie Bélanger, who uses social media to talk
about her passion; people could become more aware of the value of this
legacy when they meet a young collector like Jean-Philippe Riopel, a
Montreal history buff who found much of his Expo 67 memorabilia by
fishing through the garbage.
Confronting a heritage aspect lying in ruins on the islands, the views of
young people who belong to the generations that came after the event
and who are trying by all possible means to conserve and promote its
historical value would be an interesting conclusion with respect to the
memorial and material heritage of these generations.
12THE EXHIBITION ITINERARY
Welcome to Expo 67
The exhibition begins with flashing images of Expo 67, high in colour:
kaleidoscope views of the pavilions, greetings by hostesses, and crowds
of wonder-struck spectators. Visitors quickly notice the fragments of wit-
nesses’ accounts, like so many memory molecules circulating freely in
space. A lively on-screen animation introduces us to Expo 67.
13THE SMOULDERING FUSE
Memory in context
This is the moment that the visitors begin the memory journey inside
the minds of the young people who experienced Expo 67; on the right,
a series of dynamic screens evoke Expo 67 and Man and His World in
the last years of the 1960s. A wind of change is blowing on Western
countries, causing turmoil in several societies, including Quebec’s;
global upheaval, protests, the Quiet Revolution, cultural revolution,
the FLQ, counter-culture...
Minds full of memories
Dream portraits of seven of our witnesses and their life stories come out
of their heads like free electrons issuing from a memory fog.
THE SPARK
Memories of a project
A pile of rocks evokes the gargantuan nature of the creation of the
islands. Archival photographs and witness accounts focus on the
choice of the site, the beginning of the project, the type and magnitude
of the work undertaken, and the fact that Montreal and Quebec were
also undergoing construction.
14Memories of a revolution
An incomplete structure with egg-carton surfaces evoking various kinds
of construction at Expo 67 is the support for projections and animated
segments illustrating an exploding world, here and elsewhere, the thea-
tre of a whirlwind of counter-culture, protests, and demonstrations.
1- The Cuban missile crisis
2- The FLQ
3- The Vietnam War
4- The Cold War
5- May 68
6- Loi 63
7- McGill français
8- The 6-Day War
9- The Prague Spring
« Une révolution qui aurait dû prendre 50 ans c’est fait
en 5 ans! En tant que jeune, il fallait s’agripper sinon on
perdait les pédales. »
Germaine Ying Gee Wong, 17 ans en 1967
15Memories of the future
Binocular telescopes evoke observation platforms at a tourist site; a
large 3D panoramic view of Montreal and Expo 67; a virtual 180-degree
journey explodes the boundaries of the real world in the present moment
to imagine the future as young people saw it in 1967.
Memories in motion
Visitors then enter a transition zone, a contemplative experience in a
world of 8-mm family films showing Expo 67 and Man and His World,
passing in a row on eight screens.
16THE EXPLOSION
Memories of pavilions
An interactive zone where visitors amuse themselves by putting together
puzzle pieces of some twenty pavilions on touch screens. The games are
accompanied by witness accounts of personal experiences in the various
pavilions.
17« Devenir un coureur des bois moderne en allant au
Japon, en Tchécoslovaquie et surtout tous ces pavillons
qui venaient des pays communistes. »
Gilles Léonard, 22 ans en 1967
Everyday memories
In what resembles a slide projector show, videos and souvenir snapshots
evoke family outings and daily life at Expo 67, where so many young
people spent their summers. Witness accounts from six members of the
Patry family are heard.
« C’est féerique. Ça ressemble pas à aucun monde qu’on
a vu, les couleurs, sons, sont différents, il y a de la mu-
sique, pas d’autos, les drapeaux partout, les odeurs de
nourriture. »
Pierre Filion, 15 ans en 1967
18Fragments of memories
A long table of touch screens allows visitors to consult archival docu-
ments, digitalized artifacts, and witness accounts dealing with Expo67
and Man and His World at the end of the 1960s.
Memories of freedom
Slightly separated from the exhibition, an alcove has giant projected
images on one wall and two other walls covered by distorting mirrors.
Witness accounts evoke counter-cultural norms, pushing boundaries,
and daring to carry out forbidden actions.
The graphic design is abstract, kaleidoscopic, and psychedelic, and the
musical background and sound effects are hallucinogenic.
19Expo 360 o
An exceptional experience unique in the world: take a four-minute Mini-
rail ride in 360-degree virtual reality, using binoculars with ambisonic
sound.
Memories of being young
Touch screens present a mosaic of hexagonal cells showing the faces of
young people who experienced Expo 67. By selecting a face, visitors
trigger a video of a witness account.
20Memory of souvenir objects
Four ordinary everyday objects: a Metro ticket, a bottle of 7-UP, contra-
ceptive pills, and a camera. These are the only concrete objects in the
exhibition. Each of them is a pretext for accessing audiovisual material
related to Expo 67.
Memories of your youth
Depending on the decade when they were teenagers or young adults,
visitors are asked to choose a word that best defines their youth, write
it on a coloured post-it, and attach it to a brain shaped display.
21THE EXPLOSION EXHIBITION IN NUMBERS
Research
30,000 photographs, objects, and archival documents were consulted.
250 archival films were viewed, for almost 60 hours.
200 songs were listened to, for about 15 hours.
200 people responded to the Centre d’histoire’s appeal to all.
47 witnesses were interviewed.
76 hours of tapes.
Exhibition
500 archival images and documents are shown.
120 minutes of audiovisual content.
4 minutes of time travel on the Minirail in virtual reality.
38 audiovisual montages.
6 concrete objects.
43 virtual objects.
Collection
8,800 objects, photographs, and archival footage lent by the public
for the realization of the exhibition.
Donations of almost 500 objects, photographs, and archival material
for the collection of the Centre d’histoire de Montréal following the appeal to all.
Digitalization of more than 5000 paper photographs and slides.
Digitalization of more than 10,700 of amateur and professional films.
2223
24
ZOOM ON THE CREATORS OF THE EXHIBITION
Interview with Catherine Charlebois,
museologist and historian
Catherine Charlebois is a museologist at the Centre d’histoire de Mont-
réal. She explains the history and intentions of Explosion 67.
“The Explosion 67 - Youth and Their World project was a mammoth one,
a little like Expo 67 itself. It involved more than two and a half years of
non-stop work. Before the production process, we could hardly have
imagined that it would be such an intense experience.
After our exhibition Scandal! Vice, Crime, and Morality in Montreal,
1940-1960, we had to find a new theme. We anticipated that there
would be a lot of interest in the 50th anniversary of Expo 67, especially
in the context of Montreal’s 375th birthday, but we weren’t necessarily
sold on the idea of doing a straightforward commemorative exhibition
and limiting ourselves to an exercise in nostalgia. It was important to
find an interpretive angle that would provide a new perspective on the
event and would engage Montrealers directly.
The youth angle quickly appeared as the most interesting road to take.
We immediately saw it as powerful theme that had not already been
exploited by museums and which could raise an enthusiast response.
Our starting point was the idea of drawing a parallel, through an oral his-
tory approach, between adolescence, a crucial period in any individual’s
life, and Expo 67, a watershed moment in Montreal’s history.
The concept was then validated and developed with the help of an advi-
sory committee of sociologists, historians, and archivists.
Explosion 67 represents our desire to present the history of the Expo 67
“bubble” and the last years of the 1960s, a time of upheaval when young
people began to dream of a new and better world. Re-inserting Expo 67
back into the social context of the 1960s allowed us to overturn the
smooth and often cliché-ridden vision of that era. Going beyond the
event of Expo 67 and placing it in a broader historical framework makes
it possible to gain a better understanding of Man and His World in 1968
and 1969.
With the intention of continuing our tradition of dealing with major social
themes in our exhibitions through oral history and the participation of ci-
tizens in the interpretation of their own history, we undertook a major
collection of witness accounts of people who were between the ages
of 11 and 21 from 1967 to 1969. The powerful emotional intensity that
emerged from the interviews was a wonderful discovery and reassured
us that we had been right in deciding to have young people transmit this
history by telling the story of Expo 67 in their own words. We under-
25stood that these teenagers and young adults had experienced a significant moment of civilization: the shaking-
up of a whole society. It was not just Expo 67, but an entire period that changed them for life. They participa-
ted as both witnesses and actors in an enormous, unavoidable mutation process. All the areas of their lives
were affected: their family lives, their lives at school or university, their cultural lives, their male-female rela-
tionships, and their taking up of positions as citizens. The exhibition title, Explosion 67, expresses both the
shock wave created by Expo 67 and the explosion of these young peoples’ horizons.
Explosion 67 is a triptych of gazes and memories of Expo 67, the late 1960s, the experiences of young people
in those momentous times, and the views they have today of that period
of their lives.
The Centre d’histoire de Montréal places memory at the front and centre
of its activities. Oral history is a principal source of information for this
project, and also offers visitors more subtle interpretations of events and
themes. The witnesses are the spokespeople of history. All the frag-
ments, reactions, and feelings generated at the end of the 1960s are ex-
pressed in their personal accounts. Oral history gives colour to the whole
range of emotions and events that they experienced in that period. The
emotional quality that we succeeded in capturing brought us an unders-
tanding of the themes and plunged us into the multiple dimensions of this
history. With its multimedia approach and virtual reality elements, Explo-
sion 67 is a 3D experience. The personal accounts create a fourth dimen-
sion: the human side of history.
In every project, we always try to take the integration of oral witness ac-
counts a step further. To achieve coherence in an exhibition and the suc-
cessful integration of the witness accounts into the concept de the
experience, all the tangible and intangible content has to fit together per-
fectly throughout the exhibition itinerary. For this reason, it was essen-
tial that there be a solid basis of co-creation between the Centre
d’histoire team and those of Figure 55 and Plasma, and the production
and design team, as well as with the work and vision of director and do-
cumentary filmmaker Antonio Pierre de Almeida. In the end, we are very
pleased to see that the intentions of all the parties involved blended so
well. There has been real dialogue between the museological approach,
the film approach, and the graphic design approach. It is this dialogue
that is the great strength of the exhibition.
Today, with Explosion 67, we offer visitors an authentic experience. Those who lived through Expo 67 will be
plunged back into the emotions of those exhilarating years. Those who did not have that opportunity will be
able to discover the mythical aura of both the fair and the period through a previously unexplored viewpoint,
that of young people.
This is an extraordinary project in which I’m happy to participate. The witnesses took us very far, farther than
we could have imagined. This is why we cherish the dream of being able to surprise and shake up visitors up
through this broad understanding of Expo 67 and the period in which it is embedded.
Explosion 67 - Youth and Their World is the continuity of the transmission of this societal memory.”
26Interview with Antonio Pierre de Almeida,
film director
Antonio Pierre de Almeida is a Quebec filmmaker. Over the past seven
years, he has worked on several projects with the Centre d’histoire de
Montréal, including the exhibitions Vanished Neighbourhoods and Scan-
dale! His work aims at continuity, and a relation of trust has been built
up between the two partners. The CHM benefits from the film support he
provides in its exhibitions, while for his part, Antonio has discovered a
documentary research aspect that satisfies his interests as a filmmaker,
particularly in the collection and presentation of oral history, the hallmark
of the Centre d’histoire.
“When Catherine Charlebois asked me if I was interested in the Explo-
sion 67 - Youth and Their World project, I had no hesitations. For about
a year, I worked with Figure 55’s Martin Bernier and Patrick Bossé to
design the exhibition. Based on the conceptual orientations explained by
the CHM, particularly by Catherine Charlebois, we created the exhibition
concept, space, sets, and itinerary, as well as the integration of the inter-
view capsules, all in close collaboration with the Centre d’histoire.
Quickly, we wanted to play upon the notions of souvenirs and memories
of Expo 67 through witness accounts. As the prism of youth was the
creative element of the exposition, we carried out preliminary interviews
to ensure that the witnesses’ characteristics met our criteria: they had to
have been between 11 and 21 years old from 1967 to 1969 and to have
visited Expo 67. We retained 48 witnesses. The shooting phase was
very intense: we had to film a large number of interviews of substance
within a short period of time without compromising their quality. But we
managed it!
After each interview, we asked the witnesses to select one word to
describe their youth in the late 1960s. These words became one of the
exhibition’s connecting threads.
What most of the interviews revealed and what surprised us were the
highly-charged feelings and a strong humanist conscience. We were
struck how timely the subjects discussed still are 50 years later. The
witnesses talked about international conflicts, the Cold War, women’s
liberation, the status of the French language, and many other subjects
that remain current concerns today. Through the contribution of oral
history, we are able to combine substantial research work with modern
creativity. From it, we can glean truths, feelings, and realities not always
found in history texts. The specificity of the CHM and its exhibitions lies
in this attachment to oral history.
In Explosion 67 - Youth and Their World, the goal is to enter into the
minds of our witnesses through the interviews, thus transforming the
27physical space of the CHM into a mental space. The fact that the wit-
ness accounts are fragmented, like thoughts, made the work difficult.
Each capsule is autonomous. It must have meaning alone, but must
also have a global meaning through its links to the other capsules. This
fragmentary aspect obliges us to leave choices to visitors within their
exhibition experience. We cannot determine a particular route for them.
As if they were inside the head of a young person strolling through the
Expo 67 site, visitors to Explosion 67 can choose what they want to
discover first. The sets and mise-en-scène of the physical space of the
exhibition is designed to truly immerse visitors. From the black box that
reminds us of a skull to the lively colours that evoke the fashionableness
of the late 1960s, visitors will have a real experience.
Explosion 67 is also an exhibition that explores the technological means
available to us to tell a story. The use of 8mm films, slides, paper photo-
graphs, and virtual reality is also a way of giving a nod to the technolo-
gies and audiovisual support that were so important during Expo 67 and
its times.
My hope is that the exhibition will surprise, move, and amuse visitors,
and not simply be a lecture type of educational exercise. A comment
we often heard from the interviewees was that, at Expo 67, they were
continually surprised to realize they were learning. They were not aware
of it because they were having a good time. Therefore, the goal is to
reawaken the feelings of those who did visit Expo 67 and to surprise
them, and to ensure that people who did not experience the event enjoy
discovering it. Spectators should let themselves by carried along.”
28Interview with Yanik Daunais, CEO of Plasma
An exhibition on the cutting edge of technology
In collaboration with the Centre d’histoire de Montréal, Les Productions
Figure 55 and Studio Plasma designed and produced Explosion 67 —
Youth and Their World so that visitors could relive, through their senses
and immersive technology, milestones in the history of a whole genera-
tion: Expo 67 and Man and His world.
To respect the approach of the Centre d’histoire de Montréal, the visit is
orchestrated within a documentary-exhibition concept, where visitors
find themselves inside the collective memory of young people in that era,
in the manner of an imaginary exploration inside a skull.
The totality of the zones of experience, which are dispersed throughout
the exhibition space, represents reassembled fragments after a huge
explosion. Using digital technology, the intangible heritage, supported by
archival material is communicated through 15 audio-visual experiences:
projections, interactive screens, digital badges, an immersion room, and
virtual reality stations in 3D stereoscopy with ambisonic sound. As was
the case at Expo 67, we tried to push current technological boundaries
so that visitors to Explosion 67 would feel a comparable sense of wonder.
From the scenography point of view, projections on screens supported
by geometric structures are juxtaposed with avant-garde luminescent
modular furniture in a reinterpretation of the stand-out styles of the pavi-
lions at the original Expo 67 site.
The production of this exhibition required close collaboration among the
various creators associated with the project: museologists, researchers,
designers, set design studios, computer artists, 2D and 3D animators,
video editors, programmers, and integrators.
2930
THE WITNESSES
Pierre Filion
André Forcier
David Austin
Robert Côté
Anouk Bélanger
Claude Fragman
Sandra Dolan
Johanne Béliveau
Paul Gérin- Lajoie
Luc Doray
André Charbonneau Luc Durand Louise Harel
31Pierre Huet Roger La Roche
Robert Lefebvre
Donna Mergler
Yves Jasmin
Gilles Léonard
Françoise Jougla
René Montpetit
Rose-Noëlle Jougla Réjean Loyer
Alain Morel
Jean Lacombe Ève Marion Roger Nolan
32Judy Rebick
Christiane Patry
Anne Pouliot
Michèle Richard
Gilles Patry
Charles Prévost-Linton
Monique Simard
Janine Patry
André Quinn
Gary Sims
Michèle Patry
James Pluth Denise Quinn Patry Serge Sokolski
33Rosemary Sullivan
Véronica Takács-Fragman
Guy Vanier
Germaine Ying Gee Wong
Jean-Philippe Warren
34ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Anouk Bélanger, Ph. D., Département de sociologie
Université du Québec à Montréal
Harold Bérubé, Ph. D., Département d’histoire
Université de Sherbrooke
Mario Robert, director
City of Montreal Archives
Johanne Sloan, Ph. D., Art History Department
Concordia University
THE RESEARCH TEAM
Maryse Bédard, research assistant
Catherine Charlebois, museologist
Caroline Martel, research and production assistant
Stéphanie Mondor, technical manager in museology
Audrey Ste-Marie, research assistant
35PHOTO CREDITS
Page 1 Roger La Roche Collection
Page 2 Joseph Aspler Collection
Page 3 Antoine Desilets Collection
Michèle Patry Collection
Roger La Roche Collection
Page 4 Céline Gauthier Collection
François Ouellette Collection
Page 5 Archives Montréal, VM94-EX041-003
Archives de Montréal, VM94-EX029-038
Page 6 Veronica Takacs-Fragman Collection
Page 7 Joseph Aspler Collection
Page 8 Library and archives Canada, PA-164027
Monique Simard Collection
Page 9 Jeannine Patry Collection
Archives de Montréal, VM94-EX137-0204
Page 10 Archives de Montréal, VM94-EX202-033
Jean-Luc Juillet Collection
Page 11 Centre d'histoire de Montréal, 1997.83.2 Page 21 Centre d'histoire de Montréal, 2007.3.13
Roger La Roche Collection Johanne Béliveau Collection
Page 12 Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec Page 22 Guy Juillet Collection
Centre d'histoire de Montréal, 2007.2.170 Serge Sokolski Collection
Page 13 Gemma Morasse Collection Page 25 Centre d’histoire de Montréal
Michèle Patry Collection Page 26 Centre d’histoire de Montréal, Rosario Therrien Fonds
Page 14 Roger La Roche Collection Archives de Montréal, VM94-TH09-282-003
Archives de Montréal, VM94-EX029-038 Page 27 Photo : Bruno Pucella
BAnQ, 06M-P685 Page 28 Roger La Roche Collection
Page 15 Explosion atomique sous-marine dans le lagon de Bikini/ Page 29 Photo : Studio Plasma
Underwater atomic blast in Bikini lagoon, 1946. Roger La Roche Collection
Photo Press Association, Inc., Library of Congress, Page 30 Roger La Roche Collection
LC-USZ62-66049 Archives de Montréal, P123_2P006
BANQ_06M_P697S1SS1SSS18D107_001 Roger La Roche Collection
Rise Up! Feminist Archives Page 34 Roger La Roche Collection
Page 16 Bill Cotter Collection Page 35 Photo : Centre d’histoire de Montréal
Lucie Juillet Collection Page 36 Roger La Roche Collection
Page 37 Archives de Montréal, VM94_268-Exc-0445
Page 17 Archives de Montréal, VM94-EXd025-001
Centre d’histoire de Montréal Collection
Page 18 Roger La Roche Collection Page 38 Centre d’histoire de Montréal
Archives de Montréal, VM94-EXd025-001 Page 39 Archives Ville de Montréal, VM94_268-Exc-0445
Luc Doray Collection Centre d’histoire de Montréal
Page 19 Robert Lefebvre Collection Page 40 Photo : Normand Rajotte
Archives de Montréal, VM94-EX181-009 Page 41 Roger La Roche Collection
Page 20 Archives de Montréal, VM94_264-Exc-0010 Page 42 Roger La Roche Collection
Archives de Montréal, VM94-EX137-0219 Roger La Roche Collection
Roger La Roche Collection Page 43 Roger La Roche Collection
36The Centre d’histoire de Montréal benefits from the financial support of the Ministère
de la Culture et des Communications du Québec and the City of Montreal in the framework of the Agreement
on the Cultural Development of Montreal, 2012-2015.
The virtual interactive model of the Expo 67 site was developed
within the Plan culturel numérique du Québec.
37A WORD FROM THE CHM’S DIRECTOR,
JEAN-FRANÇOIS LECLERC
“This is not the first time we have featured the theme of Expo 67. In fact,
we held two commemorative exhibitions at the CHM, one for Expo’s
30th and another for its 40th anniversary. In each of those editions, the
event was approached in a general manner, with a focus on the opening-
up to the world that it made possible. For the 50th anniversary, we felt it
was our duty to present a new Expo 67 exhibition. This time, we decided
to approach the subject from a particular angle. The objective with Explo-
sion 67 – Youth and Their World was to maintain a balance between
Expo 67 itself and life towards the end of the 1960s. Our museum prima-
rily deals with society and we wanted this to remain the connecting
thread in the development of the exhibition. A theme or an event would
be the basis for capturing Montreal society. Explosion 67 therefore offers
a key for understanding today’s Montreal and its inhabitants. We were
determined to maintain a link with the present.
The matter of age is also very important. Having the public visit or revisit
that era through the accounts of individuals who were between 11 and
21 years old at the time is very interesting. It was a period of strong
contrasts. The youth population was highly diversified and increasingly
numerous. The baby-boom generation stirred up many waves. All over
the world, young people were rising up and demanding to be heard in
various areas. Quebec youth towards the end of the 1960s were proudly
involved in nation-building. For this generation, the process of becoming
aware, taking a stand, and affirming one’s position became generalized
and characterized it.
Diversity existed in Montreal then too, yet many young people were not
conscious of that fact. There was little linguistic contact, little contact
between cultures and culinary habits, for example. Expo 67 turned Que-
bec into a welcoming receptacle where many different influences would
meet. Suddenly, Montrealers were given a key to all the cultures of the
world in a simple, accessible way. The late 1960s was a time when all
the elements emerging from this period entered into contact. Expo 67
was a total experience -- intellectual, sensorial, and human -- that caused
the youth of the era to grow and mature. Expo 67 and the context of the
last years of its decade allow us to understand the Montreal of today: a
generation was transformed by the crystallization of an incredible diver-
sity, creative inspiration, and an ever-stronger urge to discover.
38The 50th anniversary commemoration of Expo will surely be the last. We
will gradually move from being close to the emotions of the people who
experienced the event to recorded memory, and subsequently, to history.
Explosion 67 delves into levels of analysis that are not explicitly mentio-
ned. Clearly, asking people to go back 50 years in their lives raises inte-
resting philosophical points that go beyond simply remembering Expo 67
and its times. The accounts gathered -- the backbone of this exhibition --
are rich in matter for reflection and pose the very question of existence.
This exhibition embodies the CHM’s approach, which is to place memory
at the heart of its task of presenting history. The Centre d’histoire de
Montréal creates archival collections that will be of inestimable value in
the future, and which are added to an already-existing resource. In this
way, we are returning to one of the functions of museums in the 19th
century: the creation of knowledge.
This exhibition also allows us to make the transition to our future mu-
seum site. Now in construction, this new building will open in 2020. The
CHM will contain a strong component of immersive experience and new
technology. Explosion 67 – Youth and Their World, with the unique tech-
nological input created for the CHM, is a step on this path. In the new
institution, we will be changing our way of doing things in order to inte-
grate new technologies into our approach to memory.
After Explosion 67, the challenge will be to continue to find subjects and
events that will capture the interest of the public and connect people
emotionally.
39THE CENTRE D´HISTOIRE DE MONTRÉAL
The Centre d’histoire de Montréal, founded in 1983, is dedicated to the
history of the city of Montreal. The museum is housed in a former fire
station, a unique heritage building.
On the ground floor, visitors can tour the permanent exhibition, Traces.
Places. Memories, an overview of the city’s history from 1535 until
today. This exhibition is intended to open up a direct route to the city,
encouraging visitors to walk through the streets to rediscover traces
of history.
The CHM is particularly interested in Montrealers’ daily lives and their
personal stories. Temporary exhibitions accordingly focus on the city,
its current inhabitants, and their experiences.
The Centre d’histoire also has the mission of serving communities in the
city. It initiates research activities and the collection of personal stories
in several Montreal boroughs. It has developed visits aimed as much
at adults as at young people, especially elementary schoolchildren and
recently-arrived youngsters who are learning French.
The specificity of the Centre d’histoire de Montréal lies in its social
approach that centres on the memories of Montrealers.
With its expertise, the museum accompanies memory projects and
commemorations by cultural communities, other groups, and neighbou-
rhoods. The Centre d’histoire strives to highlight the value of this me-
mory rooted in Montreal’s territory, heritage, and history. Our emphasis
on intangible heritage and the choice of a museology that involves citi-
zens is seen in Explosion 67 - Youth and Their World.
Relying on its collection and the elements of intangible heritage it has
gathered, the Centre d’histoire de Montréal has become an actor of first
importance in the presentation of the history of the city and more specifi-
cally, its recent history, including the transformations it is currently
undergoing, as well as those planned for the future.
40PRATICAL INFORMATION
The mission of the Centre d’histoire de Montréal, the city museum, is
to transmit an understanding of Montreal, its cultural diversity, and its
tangible and intangible heritage. Engaging with the public, the museum
offers its expertise to citizens to present their stories and mementos in
exhibits and activities, thus highlighting the different ways Montrealers
have forged the urban environment and defined the city’s identity.
335 Place D’Youville
Old Montreal
Place-d’Armes or Square-Victoria metro stations
Opening Hours
Tuesday to Sunday
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission Fees
Adults $6
Students $4
Seniors $5
Special rates for groups and for holders of the Accès Montréal card and
the Montreal Museums card.
Information
514 872-3207
ville.montreal.qc.ca/chm
Information for the media
André Gauvreau, Cultural events, communication, and reception
andregauvreau@ville.montreal.qc.ca
514 872 9385
4142
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