<P> Several Canadian cities had been interested in 2017 as it is the year of Canada's 150th anniversary, or sesquicentennial . In 2007, a Vancouver, British Columbia based group (Expo 17 Inc) publicly unveiled a 51 - page proposal to stage a sustainable "hybrid" expo in Montreal, consisting of an expo approved and recognized by the BIE, a horticultural expo, and a housing expo . Following a recent decision by Canadian Heritage which allows only the city of Edmonton, Alberta to bid for an expo, however, the group is now pursuing alternative events to mark Canada's sesquicentennial . Meanwhile, Edmonton had been actively developing a bid for Edmonton EXPO 2017 since 2008, but failed to receive Federal funding in support of it . In May 2009, Calgary announced to Canadian Heritage it would begin to develop a bid for 2017 as well, but withdrew in November 2009 . Ottawa, Canada's capital city, had also considered bidding for 2017 . As of November 2009, Edmonton was the only Canadian bidder . </P> <P> Thessaloniki unsuccessfully bid for the 2008 World EXPO, this time won by Zaragoza in Spain; another planned bid for 2017 was announced in September 2006 and was in full development but they did not make a bid . </P> <P> Expo 2020 will be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as a Registered Exposition . </P> <P> The bidding process for this larger sized exposition formally began in 2011, with five cities being selected to participate in the final round of votes: </P>

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