§ Mr. LYONSasked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether he can now publish a report from Vancouver on the Canadian Pacific Exhibition held there in August and September, 1936?
§ Captain WALLACEThe Canadian Pacific Exhibition, which takes place annually at Vancouver, was held this year from the 26th August to the 7th September, and was estimated to have been attended by about 370,000 people. This attendance represents a substantial advance on the figures for previous years, the increase being due to the influx of visitors to Vancouver in connection with the city's Golden Jubilee celebrations. The exhibits at the exhibition consisted principally of live stock, agricultural, forestry and mining products, and local industrial and arts and crafts displays. No United Kingdom firms participated directly, though a few United Kingdom852W products were included in the displays of local firms.
The management of the exhibition have not yet issued any general report on the results achieved but they claim that there was a substantial all-round increase in the amount of business secured by the majority of exhibitors. One firm—the British Columbia Electric Railway Co.—stated that the direct business done by them during the exhibition showed an advance of 25 per cent. over that done last year. This undertaking operates the gas and electricity services in Vancouver, Victoria and other places in British Columbia. Generally, however, exhibitors participate, not so much with the object of obtaining direct orders as for purposes of advertising and propaganda, and having regard to the increased attendance, it may reasonably be assumed that at the 1936 exhibition these purposes were more widely and effectively served than in previous years.