Comments on: The PNE: Then and Now

By: Ron

Ron — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 00:34:47 +0000

PNE used to be a fun inexpensive destination when I was growing up in the sixties and seventies. Now it’s way overpriced and very overrated. Sadly, the PNE got rid of what made it fun.

By: Graem Nelson

Graem Nelson — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 01:25:30 +0000

The building with the huge map of BC… Yeah.

By: John Gary McBain

John Gary McBain — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 16:54:09 +0000

I volunteered for many many years at the Kiwanis Good Food Booth at the PNE spending many many evenings supervising the booth and now the club is gone and so is the booth.We were the only charity in the fair and raised money for Vancouver East giving money also to the food bank and Union Gospel Mission, I think the fair should relocate to Langley or another smaller community in the greater Vancouver area. The land at the PNE could be low cost housing perhaps.

By: Christina Hunt

Christina Hunt — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 23:39:03 +0000

I am the Christine that you posted my post. How does this get to your post? it was ‘friends’, not Public.

By: Gerry

Gerry — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 21:50:26 +0000

I thought of going but then I remembered no PNE home on site.
I always bought my tickets after veiwing the house. This year I bought them on line. When I grew up we had the PNE parade, The Shriners Circus. A few bingo tents. The food court was fantastic. Horse racing was on. Maybe it’s time to move it to a city that wants it. Make sure it’s by a SkyTrain.

By: Harold Schmid

Harold Schmid — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 19:38:44 +0000

Thanks for another good article Eve. As a youngster I liked “Laugh In the Dark” ? and of course the bumper cars. Haven’t been back since 1979.

By: Lori

Lori — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 17:50:33 +0000

True that it is not as great as it used to be. But I still enjoy the memories of how much fun it was. The PNE of today is still something to enjoy. 🙂

By: Jaime

Jaime — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 15:46:54 +0000

These types of fairs no longer have the pull or caché nor relevance they had decades ago. It is a different era now, one you could say is not only changed by the internet, but also by how we engage in society.

The PNE was always anticipated, and made more participating by having a very long parade that kicked off the event, where we would line the streets either downtown Vancouver, or way out along East Hastings, talking to your curb neighbours. Floats from various towns and areas of BC meant the entire Province was connected and contributing.

The current concept is unsustainable. I have plenty of suggestions, but who would listen? I think one thing we can all agree on is that its demise is imminent as it cannot survive on nostalgia alone.

Excellent photos Bruce Stewart!

By: Sandra Bezanson-Chan

Sandra Bezanson-Chan — Sat, 31 Aug 2024 17:21:52 +0000

Thanks for your honesty, Eve. I was debating whether to join a couple of old friends on a walk down memory lane for a Transit/PNE adventure tomorrow. I had pretty much decided against it when this came up. I’ll save the money and forgo the hour and a half Canada Line/bus odyssey and meet them later for dinner. You know what they say – nostalgia isn’t what it used to be. 😄

By: Bill Engleson

Bill Engleson — Sat, 31 Aug 2024 16:46:08 +0000

As I may have mentioned in the previous nostalgic PNE post, I haven’t been in decades. There are fond memories: food that brought pleasure even as it shortened my life, dog acts that I was particularly fond of, line-ups pretty much for everything, and the bump cars…loved that Freeway training ground…