Montreal Olympics

In the summer of 1976, Montreal hosted the summer Olympics.

I know what you’re thinking: ‘Summer Olympics in Canada?’ Yes, summer Olympics in a place known more for their winters, although from what I understand, the summer weather is really quite spectacular. This was the first time Canada hosted an Olympic games; they’ve hosted two Winter Olympics since (1988 in Calgary & 2010 in Vancouver). Like many Olympics, this one was not without its own set of controversies. The ’76 games are often known as the “bankrupt Olympics,” as the city nearly went bankrupt over the games’ $1.48 billion price-tag. There was also a boycott by many African nations over the participation of New Zealand (whose rugby team wasn’t making many friends while touring South Africa). The Montreal Olympics are probably best known, however, for something positive: Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci’s perfect score.

Like many Olympic stadiums, the one in Montreal is located in the outskirts of the city in an area called the East End, about a 20 minute Metro ride from the city center. We took a ride out there one afternoon to see what the site looks like today & to take in a nice view of the city from the Montreal Tower Observatory.We paid $8 for a 30 minute tour of the stadium, which also is attached to the aquatic center.

The stadium was built as an open air stadium for the games, but has since been covered (they’re on their third roof, but they think they’ve finally found one that works). Interestingly, the stadium was built out of more than 12,000 prefab elements, with the pieces fitting together like a giant puzzle. It’s one of the largest venues in Canada, seating over 56,000. The stadium has not been home to a team since the Expos baseball team (now my Washington Nationals!) left Montreal in 2004. However, it does host events like concerts, BMX racing &, most recently, the CFL Grey Cup Playoffs, where Montreal’s own Alouettes fell to the Toronto Argonauts.

The Aquatics Center is still used for athletic events & training on a daily basis. It’s the training home to Canada’s swimming, diving, & synchronized swimming teams & also has the deepest indoor pool in North America (50 feet), which is used to teach SCUBA. There is a main competition pool, a smaller training pool, a water polo & synchro pool (which is elevated & has windows on the sides to allow judges to see what the athletes are doing under the water), & a public children’s pool. There are over 2,700 permanent seats in the stadium now, but during the Olympics the venue could seat 10,000. Being a bit of a swim nut, this was

Following our stadium tour, we rode in a glass funicular up the highest incline tower in the world. The Montreal Tower, which was not part of the original stadium design & wasn’t built until after the Olympic games, leans at an astonishing 45 degree angle (for comparison, the Leaning Tower of Pisa only leans 5 degrees). Not being one for heights, the ride up was a little terrifying, but the views from the top were definitely worth it! On a clear day, you can see about 50 miles out across the St. Lawrence Valley.

Also on the Olympic campus, you can visit the velodrome, which was used for Olympic cycling events but is now a large indoor zoo;  an extensive Botanical Garden; Saptuo Stadium, which is used for soccer; an arena; & eventually a planetarium.

Our Metro tickets & tickets to the Montreal Tower Observatory were kindly provided by Tourism Montreal.