A History of “Firsts”

In fulfilling its mandate, the CNE always featured exhibits on the latest technological advances in industry and agriculture.
CNE patrons were introduced to:
- Electric railway transportation in 1883
- Edison's phonograph in 1888
- The wireless telephone in the 1890
- Radio in 1922
- Television in 1939
- Plastics and synthetics in the 1940s & 1950s
- Virtual Reality in 1992.
Meanwhile, activities in the original CNE Coliseum continued to be aimed at keeping Canadian farmers abreast of changes and improvements in the agricultural sciences.