It's been an incredible experience being a part of a family carpet cleaning and flood restoration business that has been around longer than I have. Carpeteer Carpet Cleaning was started in the 70's and continues to provide small town service in what's now the big city of Vancouver. The first major breakthrough in shaping Vancouver was Expo 86'.
I've heard Expo 86' references throughout my childhood but I didn't realize just how massive of an event it was until now. Let's take a quick blast to the past with some old Carpeteer photos of what Vancouver looked like when Expo 86' came to town.
The start of our Expo 86' blast from the past journey: Newly built Science with ski gondolas along the Vancouver Seawall.
Science World (now officially renamed Telus World of Science) was just built and revealed to the world. What amazes me most about this photo is just how bare our city is. Mountains are revealed with nearly no buildings in sight. A ski gondola is taking over the Vancouver Seawall with everyone unplugging to enjoy the global innovation event that Vancouver was hosting.
This boat still operates in False Creek.
I still see this boat putt through False Creek. The above picture also gives a better perspective of just how long the chair lifts stretched.
Our nana representing her new Expo bag.
All these photos have been taking from our Nana's Expo 86' album so they are first to be made public.
Our mom (Wendy Dubois) and brother/young Carpeteer in the making, Shawn Dubois.
The skytrain was first built and displayed to the world. The above picture is our family posing below the new innovation that reinvented transportation in Vancouver.
The docks of False Creek.
It seems as if every section in Vancouver was engaged.
Alder Bay along Vancouver seawall looking over towards the Granville Island hotel and the downtown Vancouver skyline.
The above photo was taken outside of what has now become our Carpeteer office and the house I grew up in along the False Creek Seawall. We cleaned most of the buildings in this photo and we went on to cleaning most of the carpeted high rises that now makes up Vancouver's 21st century skyline.
Another perspective of science world.
I'm assuming Science World was a pretty big deal back in 86'. That or my nana just really liked the gondola. Science World still plays a role in our city's identity and looks sharp amount the new glass buildings.
At first I thought this was Fisherman's Wharf just outside of Granville Island but I believe it's outside of Leg in Boot Square. We've cleaned the carpets of many of these boats... Yes we do boat carpet cleaning as well.
Check out the non-existent skyline of Vancouver!
Young carpet cleaning expert, Shawn Dubois representing the Carpeteer with our mom.
Check out young Shawn who's still an active part of our team!
Yet another photo of Science World. For the record, I believe we've cleaned those carpets too.
Thanks for having a blast from the past with us. Our family continues to provide small town service to the big city of Vancouver. We were honoured to be Vancouver's professional carpet steam cleaners in 86' and are honoured to continue to provide for our city.
Peace and love,
Daniel and the Carpeteer family