Who all was at Expo ’86? 

The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communications (though, in retrospect, that is something of a mouthful) marked a legendary moment in Vancouver history, drawing more than 22 million visitors to Rain City over the course of the summer. 

The World Fair is responsible for giving modern-day Vancouverites the SkyTrain, Canada Place, the McBarge (RIP), and the Expo Centre—which has since been renamed Science World. So it’s only fitting that the Big Spherical Boi we all know and love is the one paying an homage to the fair that brought about its creation. 

Science World announced in a release on Wednesday morning that it has put out a line of ’80s-inspired summer gear, with everything from Expo ’86 branded bucket hats and fanny packs to postcards and tank tops as part of a limited-time Summer Capsule. 

The fair’s mascot, Expo Ernie, is featured prominently on the fanny pack and a few of the shirts on offer, as well as the iconic Expo ’86 logo. 

All the funds raised from the sale of the summer capsule will go into programming at the non-profit to expand STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art & design, and math) learning, states the release. 

Those programs include STEAM Days of Summer, an annual 5-day summer  learning program for BC educators, as well as Girls and STEAM, which encourages young women to pursue careers in STEAM areas. 

The items can be browsed and purchased online at Science World’s website as well as in person at its gift shop. And just a heads up; supplies are limited, so you might want to snag that bucket hat sooner rather than later.

Because we all know what happened the last time a Vancouver institution offered up some specialized swag. Just saying.