CANADA AS SHE IS.

Evening Star, Issue 14117, 21 July 1909, Page 3

CANADA AS SHE IS.

A MARVELLOUS ORGANISATION. [From Our Special Correspondent.] The Canadian National Exhibition held annually at iorouto since 1879 is the one tiling of ..vliich tli© people of the Queen City of the Dominion are particularly proud of. I hey claim, a.nd are prepared to prove I heir dalm at a moment's notice, that it is .iio gieatest annual exhibition ii. the world. Last year it had an attendance of 700.000 people, and its total receipts wero nearly a quarter of a. million dollars, while it differs from the- great majority of similar enterprises in that it has cul'.iv.it'tl the habit of paying an annual prolit into the city treasury. year ihis |-roJit was exactly 47,586d0l (£9.517).

The Canadian National is practically a municipal concern, though its management is entirely separate from municipal politics. It (iuue into existence- thirty-one years ago through a misunderstanding with the Government of the Province of Ontario. The i ity understood that, in view of certain preparations made, it was to have the. provincial exhibition for two veal's in succession. The Provincial Government drought otherwise, and passed the fair along to another city, as usuaL Then the < ity took money from the taxe6, gave larger prizes than the provincial, and proceeded to make the provincial fa.ir take second place in the- estimation of the public. The receipts for the first year from all sources were 57,296d01, and the attendance a little over 100.000. and from that day. under the control of the Industrial Inhibition Association, it, has gone on and prospered, first as Toronto Exhibition, then as Canada's Great Fair, now as the Canadian National Exhibition ; and to-day it stands in a class by itself among the annual exhibitions on the continent of America, and is something of which every Canadian as well as every Torontonian is justly proud. Of course, results like these could only be obtained in one way. Lending men of the business, agricultural, and professional world have given freely of their energies and abilities. It has become a coveted 1 onor to be president of the hig enterprise, and the road to that honor has always been paved with hard work. The present president is Mr Geo. H. Gooderham, a 'coding spirit in numerous big Canadian •.oncerns, and a member of the Ontario. Legislature it has been necessary to have a manager, and 'he C-inadian National has been fortunate in seining for that position Dr J. 0- Orr. a native Torontonian of municipal experience and abundant enterprise. Under his charge the Big Fair ha 6 made great strides, and promises to keep right on growing. As the Canadian National has grown, so ha 6 its plant expanded till it now has the largest, most complete, and most convenient exhibition grounds on the continent. Starting early in the history of the city—for Toronto has done most of its growing since 1879—grounds were secured on the Lake Shore, riidit in the business section of the city. Those "rounds consist of ?60 acres, extending for a mile sml idonsr the water front, and on these gTonnds from time to time one permanent building after another has been built, until now the Canadian National's exhibition city corsifrtc of manufacturers' building, process building, agricultural hall, art nailery, natural history building, dairy building, dairy amphitheatre, woman's ln'dding. vim initiation, press building, r ilwav's building, transportation bnildirrg, iive stuck s tables, and grand stand, the ftniffii'-ns hiving a combined vnlne of 2.000.000d.i1. Just to give some idea of Iho aceimmodatinn, it might l»e rrventione<l that the ;Taud stand, built of concrete and step], is 725 r t by 100 ft wide, and has a chair f.eating rapacity for 16.800 people. There is Mn.hllru' for 1.500 horses and 900 'little, and pens for 700 sheep and 600 pigs. A of between 700 and 800 dogs is :>not'ier feature, while cats, poultry, plrfwis. and various kinds of pets show that nothing is overlooked. Of course, entertainment of the best is required for 'he great throngs who visit the Oaii;"'i:in Vational and fill the immense Viand stand. And the United States and Furo|io are >aked from end to end to sup--11 v the entertainment. Trie best of Britain's military bands have supplied music for the Fair. military tournaments and iMisir.nl ridv ,vre features; there is horee'•acing on the half-irate track in front of ;he st-iml ; while twice every day a 1-uge vaudeville performance is put on. 'I he whole terminates nightly wilt an immense display of fireworks.

These are a few of the things that go to make the Canadian National Exhibition the biacofit thing Toronto boasts. Everybody in Canada knows of it and talks about it, Nearly everybody in Ontario lias seen ,t—and is going to" see it again. Thousands cross the border from the United' States to • isit it every year, and nearly every State in the Union is endeavoring t.. hi'ilcl i.n a fair like it. So far. however, <!><■ Canadian National ha* first place all to itself, 'jivl with the resources, erwrr and ability i-. has behind it tt is likelr"to stay there lor many years to come.