Science World
by Gillian Lunde
A unique experience awaits visitors to Science World British Columbia. The centre, located in an Expo 86 legacy building at the eastern edge of False Creek, uses interactive exhibits and entertaining presentations to introduce people of all ages to the wonders of science and technology. This landmark silver geodesic dome building opened as Science World on May 6, 1989, but the centre’s history is much older.
Visit the official Science World Web Site at http://www.scienceworld.bc.ca
Under the leadership of Barbara Brink, the Junior League of Greater Vancouver and the City of Vancouver, the dream of establishing a science centre began in 1977. A set of hands-on exhibits known as the “Extended I” was displayed in venues around Vancouver prior to the opening of the Arts, Sciences & Technology Centre on January 15, 1982. Over six years, the temporary centre at the corner of Granville and Dunsmuir attracted more than 600,000 visitors. Another 400,000 benefited from the centre’s outreach programs which travelled around the province. The demand for a permanent venue was clear; the only obstacles which stood in the way were finding a location and securing funding. Following Expo 86, an intensive lobbying campaign was launched to secure the Expo Centre for Science World. With three levels of government backing its proposal, the Arts, Sciences and Technology Centre succeeded in persuading the provincial government to designate the fair’s famous “golf ball” as the new facility. The announcement was made in September 1987. A massive fund-raising campaign ensued, with donations from the federal, provincial and municipal governments, the GVRD, the private sector, foundations and individuals contributing $19.1 million to build an addition to the Expo Centre, redesign the interior and construct exhibits.
The public’s first chance to see inside the new building came in the summer of 1988, with a four- month preview featuring Dinosaurs! A Joumey Through Time. More than 350,000 visitors saw this blockbuster exhibition during its run. The centre closed during refurbishment, then permanently reopened with five new galleries filled with hands-on exhibits and the largest Omnimax screen in the world on May 6, 1989.
Today Science World is one of British Columbia’s most popular educational family attractions with attendance of more than half a million visitors every year (including 60,000 children on school field trips). An additional 150,000 people enjoy its provincial outreach programs annually. Exhibitions such as Star Trek Federation Science, Backyard Monsters: The World of Insects and The Return of the Dinosaurs captivated the imaginations of thousands, as did the Omnimax films Blue Planet, Beavers and Antarctica. The Omnimax theatre holds 401 people.
“Science About Us"--the science we experience every day--became an important focus for Science World exhibits in 1994. Issues which have special relevance for British Columbians, from the Lions Gate Bridge to how a building is erected over a SkyTrain station, were explored in a number of exhibits both inside and outside the centre. Also in 1994, Science World opened Mine Games, a major exhibition about the impact of mining on British Columbia. This exhibition was the first in a series on the theme of The Living Planet.
Among the centre’s most popular exhibits are a crawl-through beaver lodge, a giant hollow walk- in red cedar tree, a busy beehive, a walk-on synthesizer, a shadow wall, a plasma ball that lights up when you touch it and a giant bubble sheet. Science World also features demonstrations in its Centre Stage area, on topics as diverse as water, fire, kinetic engineering and liquid nitrogen. In November 1995 the centre added an additional experience: the 3D Laser Theatre. Here educational presentations are made using state-of-the-art laser technology.
Over the years, Science World has played host to many dignitaries. Queen Elizabeth II dedicated the Expo Centre as “Science World. A science centre for the people of British Columbia” in October 1987. Former president of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev participated in a student forum at the centre prior to speaking at a fund-raising dinner for Science World in March 1993. Dr. Stephen Hawking, the physicist, visited in June 1993 to talk with some 150 disabled students about how he manages his disability--the life-threatening disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Science World is a non-profrt organization which raises more than 90 per cent of its annual operating budget. The balance of funds is generated through grants, donations and special fund-raising events.
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