Expositions
I was thinking about this last night and it struck me as being something very interesting. As a kid, living in Ontario, I recall there being a huge variety of expositions at the local level. There would be all types of old car shows, model trains, whatever hobby you could think of. I was always very interested by these types of places because it seemed that for something cheap like $2 entrance, you could get to meet all types of people that were really interested in their hobbies and let them show off their hard work to you. I specifically remember being in awe at the train ones because everything seemed so elaborate and over-the-top.
The Quebec model for this is very different. Generally you get these yearly "salons" in which exhibitors (generally companies) try to sell you and show off all their latest and greatest products. This is very much in line with the type of large expos that they have in the United States. Looking back, I can't help but recall how unique all these fairs and expositions that took place in Ontario were very culturally unique and interesting, as well as being a perfect venue to build a community around certain hobbies and interests.
2 Comments:
Dont forget the gilles villneuve museum!!! Our great patrimoine!!! But seriously, Quebec has its fair shares of really awesome expos. Like...this might sound fruity, but I recently went to a chocolate expo, all the best choclatiers were there and I sampled some godlike stuff there! And the fair-trade chocolate groups were also there (as a matter of fact alot of the stuff there was fair-trade) which showcases Quebecs dedication to human progress on a global level. But then again right now theres the nasty auto show going on at the olympic stadium (I think?)in which thousands of crusty wiggers will attend...
No, I specifically commented on the difference in the kinds of expositions are in Quebec. What I said is that, in Quebec, it tends to be more "salon" format. Le salon de l'auto, du livre, etc. These tend to be various companies trying to pitch and sell their products to you, and this follows the more American approach.
In contrast, I remember as a kid all the types of expositions they had in Ottawa were very unique. These were not companies, but rather a bunch of people dedicated to certain hobbies or interests that would get together in order to share it with each other.
I distinctly remember the model trains expos as well as vintage car shows every Wednesday night when all the locals would take out their old hot rods and chat it up. There also seemed to be a lot more fairs and carnival-type attractions around here. I remember it being quite an event when the fair was setting up near my house. Some friends and I would always head down before it was open and go check it out. They had all types of semi-cheap rides, and ferris wheels and whatnot. These seem to be fundamental cultural differences.
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