User:Zanimum/1975 Canadian National Exhibition

The event featured exhibits on Argentina, petroleum, and the Scottish World Festival. Returning regular features included the National Horse Show, 26th Canadian International Air Show, and 50th Warriors' Day Parade. Grandstand acts included Anne Murray, Chicago, Olivia Newton-John, The Guess Who, and the Osmonds, while the Bandshell featured big band performances, a Happy Gang reunion, and an evangelist.

General information
CNE admission cost $2 for adults, $1 for those 13 to 17, and 50 cents to children 12 and under. Ontario Place was free with CNE admission.

Three Parkdale-area boys set up camp outside the Princes' Gates in July 14, deeming there nothing else to do in the summer but wait an entire month. One of the three camped out in 1973, but sand blasting at the gates in 1974 prevented the trio from camping.

The Boy Scouts of Canada and St. John's Ambulance returned for wheelchair service and First Aid, respectively.

GO Transit trains stopped at the Exhibition station hourly.

A test track for the GO-Urban system started construction in late 1974 on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), just west of the downtown core. The Intermediate Capacity Transit System would use automated guideway transit vehicles running through hydro corridors and other unused parcels. The demonstration line would open for the 1975 CNE, with stops at the GO station on the northern edge of the fair, the large parking lots on the west end, at the gates of Ontario Place, and the eastern end at the Princes' Gates. It was originally planned that this track would later be extended to Union Station, downtown, but these plans were dropped. Soon after construction started at the CNE, in November 1974 Krauss-Maffei Transurban announced that they were forced to withdraw from the project.

Exhibits
"Our Petroleum Challenge" was a new mobile display being shown at the Ex,.

Products and scenery from 21 countries was featured at the Queen Elizabeth Building. Highlighted participating countries were Greece, the People's Republic of China, Austria, Poland, USSR, and Egypt.

Grandstand performances
The Scottish World Festival returned with over 1200 bagpipers and drummers, August 14 to 17. Top piping acts at the event included Pipes and Drums of the Regimental Band of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment), Brigade of Gurkhas, Band of the Royal Fiji Military Forces, Red Hacklet, Shotts and Dykehead, Dumbarton, Invergordon, Belston Glen, Bucksburn, and Muirhead.


 * Bachman—Turner Overdrive (August 18): The group opened for the Beach Boys the previous year; their success between signing and appearing that summer doubled their agreed to rate to $10,000. By January 1975, they were successful enough to warrant $80,000 plus a cut of take.
 * Chicago (August 19 and 20): The group appeared the previous year at the Grandstand.
 * Barry White (August 21)
 * TBA (August 22)
 * Anne Murray (August 23)
 * Eagles (August 24)
 * Osmonds (August 25): The group had performed at the Grandstand annually for the past five years.
 * Olivia Newton-John (August 26)
 * Lawrence Welk (August 27): Welk regulars Myron Floren, Joe Feeney, and Arthur Duncan were listed in publicity.
 * Paul Anka and Odla Coates (August 28)
 * Bobby Vinton (August 29)
 * The Beach Boys (August 30)
 * The Guess Who (August 31): The group performed all four years prior.
 * Marching Band Spectacular (September 1)

“Alberta Girls”, 250 of them, were featured at the Grandstand Matinee performances on August 18, 19, and 20. Having toured internationally, the show apparently ranged from Broadway to rock, traditional pieces to blues.

The Bandshell
Big band performance were duo Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly, August 15 and 16, Woody Herman, August 22 and August 23, and Dizzy Gillespie, August 29 and August 30. All were backed by the Guido Basso Orchestra. As of May, Mart Kenney had publicly stated he intended to rebuild his band for the last three days of the CNE.

Bobby Gimby hosted the Miss CNE Contest, August 13, sponsored by Sweetheart Soap. The Festival of Faith, August 17, featured the theme of “Alive and Free”. The eleven denomination event featured Canadian travelling evangelist Marney Patterson as the guest speaker. Radio show troupe The Happy Gang (1937-1959) reunited August 28, for Senior Citizen's Day. Members were to include Gimby, Bert Pearl, Cliff McKay, Joe Niosi, Kay Stokes, Jimmy Namaro, and Eddie Allen.

Other performances
Molson's Lumberjack Show was staged daily at a new loggers' bowl, just east of the Dufferin Gates. The 30-minute competition was free. Twice a day, Vandermeide, Master of the Mind would perform a hypnotist show.

Argentina was the year's feature country, with a display at the Queen Elizabeth Building.

Parades in 1975 were the CNE Parade, August 13, featuring the Scottish World Festival bands; Warriors' Day Parade, August 16; School Safety Patrol Parade, August 18; Antique Car Rally Parade, August 21; Tri-Services Parade, August 30; and the Labour Day Parade, September 1.

Constructed a year prior, the 50-bell Carlsberg Carillon featured afternoon recitals, daily.

Special days
Special days included International Women's Year Day, August 15, including a panel discussion organized by Laura Sabia, chair of the Ontario Status of Women Council, and the Women's Programs Division of the provincial Ministry of Labour set up an “information unit” in front of the Better Living Centre.

The 50th anniversary of the Warrior's Day Parade, August 16, featured an invitation to 16 Victoria Cross winners from the First and Second World Wars to participate, their travel costs sponsored by Phillips Electronics Industries Ltd. Leading the parade were the winners with the Band of the Brigade Gurkhas, with Vice-Admiral Harry G. DeWolf taking The Salute; DeWolf was First Commander of the HMS Haida.

Arts Day, August 17.

Kids 12 and under were provided with free rides on the Toronto Transit Commission, free rides on the Slide Ride, and reduced rates on the midways, all courtesy of McDonalds Canada on Children's Day, August 18. All day long, a meet-and-greet with Ronald McDonald was held. As of February 1975, George Cohon was considering opening a mobile McDonalds location at the CNE. The Canadian National Band Competition was held August 24, Music Day, at the Bandshell. The Canadian Band Directors' Assocation organized event was to include a special evening concert, featuring the Carlsberg Carillon during a performance of the "1812 Overture".

Senior Citizen's Day, August 28, included a reunion of The Happy Gang, a radio group. Calgary Day, August 31, was to include horse-drawn wagons, parades, and other western elements. More than 8000 organized labour workers were expected at the 94th occurrence of the Labour Day Parade, maintaining its status as the largest in North America.