Olympic Stadium of Montreal: The Endless Moneypit

The story of Olympic Stadium of Montreal one of the biggest blunders in the history of stadiums...
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[@firewalker1372]

It’s becoming much harder to find a city to host the olympics. Nobody wants that head ache anymore. When the Olympics leave town, they typically leave abandoning buildings and cause many many problems for the city.

[@talksmoke1190]

The Olympics leaves nothing but debt for the city that hosts it.

[@LOTR_BTTF]

@@talksmoke1190 Except when they have it in cities like LA that already have so many existing pro/college sports venues, that they basically have to build almost nothing.

[@talksmoke1190]

@@LOTR_BTTF they just built sofi for the olympics. Although private built there is a cost. We will see if la can do a budget Olympics again. Montreal although a very popular Olympics was probably the biggest money loser

[@LOTR_BTTF]

@@talksmoke1190 Sofi will be used for the Olympics, but it was built specifically for the NFL's Rams (and the Chargers rent it too) by Rams owner Stan Kroenke and he privately financed it. LA didn't spend a cent on that stadium. It was getting built regardless if LA got the Olympics or not I do think going forward only cities/countries that already have a large percentage of existing venues should qualify - yes I realize that will eliminate the number of available host cities by a LOT, but it's much more fiscally responsible......either that or maybe build a fixed location (or a few rotating locations) to have it at permanently.

[@talksmoke1190]

@@LOTR_BTTF I've read that the developer has recieved hundreds of millions in tax breaks on the former sight of Hollywood Park. And has been very difficult in detailing what percentage of revenue he intends to give back to Inglewood. Somebody always gets shafted in these type of projects. The initial cost was 1 billion, then 2.5 to finally 4.9.

[@alexpadilla7272]

That '94 Expos team was so good. We will always wonder if the strike hadn't occur if they would still be in Montreal.

[@williamwhalen29]

So much talent on that team.

[@macbravery]

Yeah, we feel the same way about the '94 White Sox. So much talent that just wasn't the same in '95. Would've been a helluva World Series with the Expos!

[@tubedude4859]

no they wouldn,t because Quebec chased all that money to Toronto

[@tonycarpenzano3060]

I feel that the team would've remained in Montreal had the strike hadn't happened.

[@daniellinehan63]

They would have played my Chicago White Sox in the WS that year.reinsdorf told MLB to call that lockout- the White Sox owner !!

[@aarondersnah863]

My wife and I went to Montreal for our honeymoon in the spring of 2005. We toured various spots in the Olympic park including the stadium, the tower Observatory, the Biodome, and the Botanical Garden. While I never got to see a game at the stadium, we did get to stand in the area that had been the baseball outfield during our tour. I also remember that swimming pool in the stadium was open to paying customers.

[@reidhubbell8359]

At least the skateboarding community can continue to appreciate and shred the stadium and surrounding area.

[@rogerbelanger6712]

What it is much more than that !

[@TheCymbalProject]

I've lived in Montreal my whole life most people here HATE the "Big Owe".... The first time I ever went to the Olympic Stadium (or "Le Stade" as it is known colloquially here in Quebec) was in 1982. I absolutely LOVE everything about this building. Despite all of its problems and warts, its a stunning & visionary piece of architecture and its sheer scale still amazes me even after almost 40 years. Its one of the most impressive buildings I have ever seen.

[@talksmoke1190]

I also actually loved olympic stadium. It was amazing when the place was full

[@edkarter7062]

Really need some Montreal time ! June 2019 last trip and normally go 3 to 5 times a year ! Took 8 years to get Mount Royal sunrise timing right !

[@StevenEveral]

I agree. The outside of the stadium and that slanted tower still look pretty futuristic.

[@TudorOwen50s]

I totally agree. It may have its problems and what not but I still like the architectural design features. Most everything looks good on paper and in theory but reality has a way a revealing flaws. That said, this couldn't possibly be the one of the worse stadiums. I can think of ten ahead this one. So "worse" needs a qualifier.

[@rulinghabs]

Corruption was a big problem with its construction.

[@thomasshircel9256]

The Big O was the setting for 2 of the greatest rock concerts of all time...Pink Floyd on their “In The Flesh” tour promoting their Animals album and Emerson, Lake & Palmer...both concerts drew massive 80,000 crowds in 1977.

[@jennifersman7990]

That Floyd show is infamous too, it was the last date on the tour and Roger Waters was so disgusted at the fans that he spat on one and refused to come out for any encores Another show that was pretty infamous was the Guns ‘n Roses/Metallica show. James Hetfield got burned by a pyro blast and had to cut the show short. Then Axl Rose refused to go onstage and the crowd rioted

[@Cazador60140]

Yea this is almost 50 years ago . looking at annual reports it has show a loss fro almost all years , why would a business keep an entity not making money . Sell it or take it down

[@bigguyCIA4u]

The 1970s were a truly awful decade for stadium design. Multipurpose stadiums were so tacky and impractical

[@chrisbacos]

Thank God they're extinct now.

[@alexoestreicher1092]

I'm an Oakland A's fan, so I know about bad stadiums, the Big O is by far the worst baseball stadium I have ever seen a game. It's so huge, yet somehow there are not enough bathrooms. It's so awful, it's charmingly bad.

[@larryashmore489]

You are so correct!

[@davidlafleche1142]

It also has the STUPIDEST baseball-to-football conversion ever devised.

[@chrisbacos]

@@davidlafleche1142 Davis moved the team back there in the mid-90s when the multipurpose stadiums were already in decline. Not the best move. Too bad Alameda County couldn't build a new stadium for the Raiders which was Nevada's gain.

[@davidlafleche1142]

@@chrisbacos Alameda County wisely rejected the idea. "He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want" (Proverbs 22:16, KJV).

[@thomasboner8218]

It’s one of the coolest looking stadiums I have seen.

[@CarsonHaleSchuddeboom]

It is probably the coolest, I wish more work was put in to it so it would be better, but it’s amazing, it had so much potential

[@Trainy2]

It looks cool from the outside, but shitty on the inside

[@findingninno2]

Yeah, having been built in the 70s, its design was definitely ahead of its time.

[@sirmario4796]

The last time I watched an event at the Big O (as the Olympic Stadium is called by many), it was for a Toronto Blue Jays preseason baseball series (yes, held in Montreal). A line drive ball entering foul territory hit a billboard and plenty of dust came jumping out. Really a perfect demonstration of how out of date this venue is

[@Stretch501st]

Shows that artistically unique achitecture design does not always mean it will be structurally sound in real life application. Design of tower is cool, with marionette-like strings attached, but those cables are going to cause problems in long run.

[@xrq3223]

The design is amazing though, just too ahead of its time

[@trumph7]

MLB was much better with the Expos, they added so much character. I was fortunate enough to see two games at the Big O and despite it being less than an ideal stadium I had a great time. I remember cheap beer, a young Vladimir Guerrero belting a homerun, going to the botanical gardens before the game and also it was my first time to experience baseball in a dome. The Blue Jays play exhibition games there every year except the past two years for obvious reasons, it seems next year will also be cancelled. I truly hope Montreal gets a team and they use the Big O until the stadium they have been discussing is finished. Montreal has such a rich baseball history but the Expos got the shaft so many times it drove the fans away. Baseball can certainly thrive there under the right circumstances.

[@shantheman6879]

I'd venture to guess the Mafia had a lot to do with construction delays.

[@chrisw.p5665]

Mafia and greedy politicians. LOTS of lined pockets after the construction started. My dad knew of a cement truck driver who was instructed to punch in at the gate, leave through another gate (without punching through) and making the delivery to a private residence in Laval for a pool... then go back to the stadium site to punch out.

[@senorsoupe]

The whole construction of the stadium was a debacle including labour shortages, rumours of organized crime being involved and incompetence that saw the roof portion forgotten in a warehouse in Marseille, France. These days the whole place is a grimy cavern, last time I was there was for an early season Montreal Impact game (when the weather was too Montreal for outdoor play) and despite a crowd in the 25,000 range the place was just grimy and dirty. Even in the Expos days the place never seemed to be properly maintained

[@davidlafleche1142]

That's Socialism for you.

[@michaelheimlich9161]

The concrete would retain the cold and humidity of the winter so April and early May ballgames were nasty to sit through, unless you sat in the sun seats down the 1st baseline and into right field. Then when the roof was permanent it was just dark and dank the whole season. People thought attendance was bad because of the team. It was mostly because Montrealers want to be outdoors after the usual crappy winters.

[@288theabe]

“Rumours?”

[@senorsoupe]

@@288theabe As far as I know, nobody every went to prison for Big Owe related construction corruption, but yeah it was a pretty open secret in these parts that the mob was involved. Building materials destined for the stadium ended up being sent to other projects and brown bags of cash changed hands here and there

[@GeeEm1313]

@@davidlafleche1142 ¿¿¿£■■■♧♧₩₩¿¿

[@jmed412]

The CFL team in Montreal does not even use it any more. The MLS team I think still does for early and late season matches

[@racingphotographer8251]

and there was that embarrassment of an MLS playoff game where the 18 yard boxes weren't 18 yards and needed to be repainted on live TV... Who thought watching paint dry would be a TV sport?

[@davidianson1182]

@@racingphotographer8251 it was probably better than the game!

[@Rutherford12]

I want to go there to see a Blue Jays spring training game one day. I'm a Red Sox fan but the Expos were always my #2, even now

[@chrisw.p5665]

I went to both Red Sox spring training games when they came. Montreal native, was a 'spos fan until Pedro wound up with the Sox. I followed him and am now a HUGE Sox fan!

[@Rutherford12]

@@chrisw.p5665 I'm from New England so I live and die by the Sox but I always had a soft spot for the Expos growing up. They moved when I was 7 and once I got older and learned their story, I really got into them. When MLB returns to Montreal, I hope deeply it's in the NL

[@chrisw.p5665]

@@Rutherford12 That's great to hear! I went to TONS of expos games... I was 20 when they moved, but I was allowed to go to the stadium with my friends as of the age of 12... tickets were dirt cheap, and the metro (our subway) goes right to the basement of the stadium, don't even need to go outside! I'm torn about the next team being in the NL. AL east would be great for the team as Boston, NYY and Jays would be here often, and the natural rivalry between MTL/BOS and MTL/TOR would draw crowds. Either way, I'll stay a Red Sox fan... been one for WAY too long. I'll happily go to games regardless!

[@Rutherford12]

@@chrisw.p5665 That is just awesome!! I've only been to one major league game unfortunately. Tickets at Fenway are pricey lol. While a division of BOS, MTL, NYY, TOR is truly a money making machine and a baseball goldmine, I feel like taking a page out of the NFL/Cleveland Browns book makes sense. Reigniting rivalries with NYM and PHI, while fostering a new one with WAS, as well as the potential one day for an all Canadian World Series, and I have to go with the NL. (Plus, am I the only one that would find it weird having both Canadian teams in the AMERICAN league?)

[@rileykazama3145]

@@Rutherford12 I live in California and I'm a Seattle Mariners fan and I hope the Montreal Expos come back they might be another favorite team I would cheer for

[@shawnharnett2385]

One of my favorite Canadian bands.....Men Without Hats, filmed part of their video for the song 'Where Do The Boys Go' in this kewl stadium! It always freaks me out when the band member is surrounded by Bonhommes!! Kudos Montreal.....KUDOS!!!

[@taylorverrall118]

The stadium is in disrepair but it's shell and tower are architectural marvels. The stadium needs a real, proper update like what happened to BC Place.

[@michaelheimlich9161]

BC Place went from a fixed roof to a retractable and it looks really nice. Olympic Stadium, AKA the Big Oy, went the opposite direction because the retraction mechanism siezed and wouldn't function properly. Also, Vancouver doesn't receive nearly as much snow as Montreal. Roger Tailbert, the architect, was from France and designed a structure for French weather, not Montreal weather. I don't think the structure could support a BC Place type of renovation and, besides, there's no sports team that would use it. Expos are gone, Alouettes play at McGill and the soccer team has a small stadium.

[@andrewwomble2722]

I think its supposed to host a few games of the 2026 FIFA World Cup so I imagine they will spend quite a bit to renovate the stadium.

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

What they need to do is completely put in a new fixed non opening roof not made of plastic.

[@davidlafleche1142]

@@TheMrPeteChannel They already did.

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

@@davidlafleche1142 no, I mean the concrete part of the roof too.

[@edelric86]

I’ve been to Olympic Stadium once. I watched Mark McGwire hit a Home Run into Centerfield at Olympic Stadium. The Expos still won the game against the Cardinals. Plus I took the Metro to the game Pie IX Station is where you get off and I had no idea the Montreal Subway was as fast as the New York City Subway. I’m originally from NYC though when I visited Montreal I took Amtrak from Saratoga Springs where I was visiting a friend at the time.

[@1practicaljoker]

Thanks for telling it like it is. Unfortunately the stadium is more about provincial pride than function.

[@natedole8276]

I am going to be honest, I went to see it in person while it was in the area, and it was an incredibly beautiful

[@olivercrangle7160]

I won a karaoke contest there in 1998 underneath the stands behind home plate.I had the women screaming during my rendition of "My Way",a month after Sinatra died.

[@jonathanrice1070]

I thought the place was nice when I visited in ‘97.

[@freakyfornash]

Me too when I went there that same year also.

[@Jackson-vx9vl]

I went there in 2018 and it was super nice.

[@ajjeff1033]

Looks nice but the structure is crumbling. Death trap.

[@adamgarnes4269]

Montreal just had bad luck, the team or stadium couldn’t catch a break. Hopefully someday they will get an expansion team with a new stadium

[@joesakic91]

And if MLB decides that Montreal is one of the two teams that make up a 32-team league, the new ballpark has to be in downtown Montreal.

[@paulgrieshop5024]

They will get the Rays in the new few years

[@liamkilpatrick5026]

@@joesakic91 as someone who has Quebec roots, Montreal is the better chance to getting the baseball team back from cities that the MLB is seeking. However, if Montreal does get a second chance with baseball, they will not play at Olympic Stadium. They already made aware of that

[@LeCommieBoi]

The provincial and municipal government both agree that in order to get a MLB team, the city needs a new venue. No amount of rebuilding can make the Big O a good venue anymore. The issue is that neither governments are willing to finance the thing. The provincial government is too busy s*cking the NHL’s d!ck to get the Nordiques back in Quebec City (to no avail) and the municipal government simply have other issues at the moment.

[@Rockhound6165]

Oh, and one of the greatest home run calls came in this stadium. October 4, 1980. Top of the 11th in a 4-4 tie. With Pete Rose on first, Mike Schmidt comes up against Stan Bahnsen and hits a bomb to left field. I was on my way to a high school dance when Andy Musser made this call on radio: "Long drive to left field, he buried it! He buried it! Way back, outta here home run Mike Schmidt puts the Phillies up 6-4!" The Phils went on to clinch the NL East that night and went on to win their first World Series.

[@joevignolor4u949]

During the Expos era they would typically draw about 5,000 fans per game. In that huge stadium that was designed to hold around 80,000 it always looked empty. However, I went up there once when the Expos were playing a weekend series against the Boston Red Sox. They had 28,000 and 18,000 fans up there for the two games but they were mostly Red Sox fans that had driven up there from New England.

[@DaleC1980]

Not true at all. Yes, in the final years when MLB had destroyed the team, yes, they did. But go back to Gary Carter days. They didn't average only 5k. And the capacity was no where near 80k. It was big, mid 50s but far from 80. You post is an extreme exaggeration on both ends.

[@dannymongrain4788]

It should be noted that most of the tower was recently retrofitted to host offices for Desjardins (a huge credit union). The rent is offsetting a tiny part of the money pit

[@felixleiter9123]

my best memory of that stadium is rick mondays homerun to win the 1981 strike season play-off. worst... don drysdale dying in Montreal during a Dodgers trip there.

[@michaelheimlich9161]

OK, so you're a Dodgers fan. I was at the first two Montreal games of that NLCS. The third one was postponed from Sunday to Monday (the irony of Monday hitting the homer on Monday) and I watched the misery from school that day. Expos had a rally in the bottom of the 9th but squandered it. Then MLB killed the playoff run in 1994 and that was it! Best thing about Expos games was the radio broadcast with Dave van Horne and your former Dodger Duke Snider. Duke played with the Montreal Royals when it was the Dodgers AAA team (as did Jackie Robinson).

[@talksmoke1190]

They canceled the Sunday game due to weather and it never really rained. They just wanted to give Fernando Valenzuela an extra day rest

[@TheSimpleTravelers]

The Big O makes Tropicana field look like PNC Park. :) Honestly though I enjoyed driving up to Montreal and catching a game.

[@minnbeef]

Wow, THAT’s BAD!!!

[@LoydChampion]

I went to an Expo game there in the late 90's. It was the WORST stadium I have ever been to in the world.

[@davidlafleche1142]

You've never been to Sick's Stadium, Colt Stadium or Foxboro Stadium.

[@LoydChampion]

@@davidlafleche1142 I'll bet when you sat in those stadiums and looked up that it didn't look like you were in a toilet and someone was sitting above you ready do drop a big one....

[@davidlafleche1142]

@@LoydChampion I've only been to one (Foxboro), and it wasn't all that bad. (Foxboro actually had the best sightlines of any NFL stadium.) It wasn't luxurious, but it was a good place to see football, if that's all you wanted. I had never been to Colt Stadium, but from what I read, it was too hot even for baseball, and the players were surrounded by fleas, mosquitoes and rattlesnakes. Sick's Stadium was "aptly named." Seattle tried desperately to upgrade an old Minor League park; but they didn't finish on time. Eventually, they crammed 25,000 seats into the place; but it was ridiculously small and inadequate.

[@davidlafleche1142]

@@LoydChampion Personally, I don't care if a stadium is luxurious or dumpy, as long as the team owner doesn't get any taxpayer funding. "He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want" (Proverbs 22:16, KJV).

[@pappaslivery]

Glad we managed to see an expos game there before they left. It had a strange vibe.

[@wambam9062]

I'm sure that still photo at 1:45 is at old Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

[@Jleed989]

Right. The cardinals were in home whites

[@tollboothjason]

This stadium and the 1994 strike doomed the Expos.

[@ericponce8740]

The playing surface destroyed the knees of Andre Dawson and Gary Carter.

[@burnuts007]

Great job!

[@ADRgman]

A few years ago I went there and bought an old school Expos hat. It’s not the best stadium but it’s slightly better than Tropicana Field & the Oakland Coliseum.

[@jennifersman7990]

A grade school field is better than Oakland Coliseum

[@arandomdudeontheinternet5792]

And kids, this is why there is not going to be a relocation/expansion to Montreal for a looooooong time.

[@talksmoke1190]

If you build it they will come

[@danimal097521]

Which is a shame. Between the stadium issues and Jeffrey Loria, Montreal got royally screwed.

[@isaacdonnelly20]

Loooong time might be over exaggerating a bit

[@stephenjohnson9632]

Still a better stadium than Tropicana.

[@arandomdudeontheinternet5792]

@@stephenjohnson9632 and Tropicana is still better than the Oakland Coliseum.

[@joshdoyle4531]

I love this shit man keep it up

[@MagicalBread]

I’ve been there once, kinda. I’ve been to the science museum next door to the stadium. It looks pretty nuts up close and in person.

[@Rockhound6165]

It's funny that with the amount of money they keep pumping into this stadium they couldn't have built the Expos a great ballpark and they would have stayed. Also, what doomed the Expos was the 1994 strike. At the time of the strike the Expos were by far the best team in baseball. They were 74-40 with a 6 game lead on the Braves and showed no signs of slowing down and had a pretty good lineup. Unless they had a total collapse, they were going to make a deep run in the playoffs but the strike happened, the season was shut down, and in time they began to sell off their best players. Had the league not shut down and they made a deep playoff run and maybe won the World Series they more than likely would have gotten them their baseball only stadium and they'd still be there.

[@justinturley7071]

To add insult to injury, the Expos were never consulted on the stadiums design, location or construction, even though they were slated to be its primary tenants. The OIB in 1991 removed seats to include a scoreboard, the running track was removed for newer seats, the seats were reduced from 60,400 down to 46,000. The astroturf was very very thin, giving it a hard time for players to play on, Rob McClain (who was a longtime trainer) begged the OIB for a replacement, but they turned him down, they were unwilling to pay $1 million dollars to replace a new surface. Claude Brochu sold the team to Jeffrey Loria in the mid-1990s. In 2000 Loria wanted a new stadium in Montreal. Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard refused to authorize public funding for a new stadium. It seemed that the fix was in right when they moved into Olympic Stadium, they weren't notified on what the stadium looked like, nor the location, the OIB constantly refused to rebuild the stadium, the 1994 MLB strike conveniently happened when the Expos were really good, when it was time to build a new stadium, Bouchard refused public funding to help build a new stadium. It just seemed too convenient and coincidental when they would refuse to rebuild Olympic Stadium, and the 1994 strike. My guess is, the OIB and Bouchard just didn't like the Expos, they figured, just forget them, they just don't deserve anything.

[@adrianmontelongo9707]

I will never forget when baseball expos play that worst stadium, that stadium is dark and ball bounce into wall. I love baseball and never forgot that.

[@frankdenardo8684]

The NFL used it for a couple of exhibition games during the 1980's.

[@ImmortalfireTheMod]

Growing up seeing the Braves play the Expos on tv, I always thought it to be the weirdest looking stadium I had ever seen. They ought to just knock it down.

[@tgfabthunderbird1]

Used to watch Expos games on the CBC (lived in northern New England); that stadium just looked like a huge, cavernous space...too big for its own good. I remember the Olympics were great to watch in there, but for baseball, just weird.

[@M-7412]

One thing that's worth mentioning is the the construction industry is notoriously corrupt in Quebec. It's not unusual to have concrete fall off of buildings around Montreal.

[@Shadooe]

Roger Water's reaction to Pink Floyd's concert here in 1977 and the spitting incident, was the inspiration for "The Wall" So the Big O wasn't totally useless.

[@machinesofgod]

Yeesh and I thought the situation with the Oakland Coliseum was bad, but this takes the cake!

[@HAA0603]

Visited that place in 2011 with my family since we were there for a day. Ottawa, my city, is like a 2 hour drive, so we barely stay a night there. Looks nice, but it’s time it gets a major revamp (and THE DAMN FUCKING EXPOS BACK)

[@kangarooswild]

my muscle man friend lives right next to Stade Olympique yay. lots of fun stuff do around the complex haha

[@EdWin-wx6um]

Love these videos. Can you do Wrigley field and old Comiskey park?

[@matthewconnors1011]

The design was inspired by the Australia Pavillion at Expo '70 in Osaka.

[@RichardShelton]

How was the roof supposed to open. It almost looks like it was hinged and the cables lifted up the far side of the roof. Am I close?

[@senorsoupe]

The theory was that the cables would sorta scoop up the roof bits and it could then be un-scooped. It's hard to explain so I would suggest doing a google image search of it open to see how it was supposed to work. Problem was that it was way over complicated and wholly unsuitable for Montreal's unpredictable weather

[@tonyjlorns1727]

The London Olympic Stadium 2012 Games, has been transformed into a successful football stadium for West Ham Utd of the English Premier League

[@JanLarson]

I saw a couple of Expos games at the Big Owe in 1995. It was pretty much a dump as far as baseball stadiums go.

[@dindog22]

the tower looks like it's about to fall over onto the stadium

[@LordDavid04]

It's intentionally designed as an incline, but the cable retractable roof was never really properly tested, even when finally completed. Blame Roger Taillibert for this monstrosity, which is a shame because Le Parc de Princes in Paris could be considered as the world's first true modern stadium. Why couldn't he just copy that, but in Olympic scale?

[@bluerisk]

With luck, and when nobody is in or around it...then they have to build a new one.

[@jdmcknight41]

had you done a story on whatever had happened to niagara falls n.y. ( especially n.f. n.y. ) , also you should do one on the canadian side as well...

[@forgottenplaces9780]

Stay tuned…

[@peterbothwell9005]

Sad story on what could have been a long term venue if had been built correctly in the first place. London’s 2012 Olympic stadium seems to be a success story and the other arenas built within the Olympic park were all temporary structures except for the swimming pool and velodrome which along with the main stadium are all still in regular use.

[@LeCommieBoi]

Just recently the CF Montreal (home MLS team) played their first home game there and it was chaos for some to even get in. Not only is the venue in shambles, the organization running it is utterly inept

[@suburbia67]

A few important things to consider that is no longer a secret and needs to be addressed when talking about the construction of this monstrosity. - From the 70's until recently, the mafia owned the construction landscape in Montreal. This reason alone is why infrastructure went without proper maintenance and collapsed as decades went on because the prices of construction were out of this universe. It's one of the main reasons why Montreal stopped progressing so much after going decades of being one of the fastest growing cities in the world. - To add to that, there were so many employees who got paid to do literally nothing. My grandfather drove dump trucks to the construction site and he literally told me that 4 out of 5 days they worked, they'd show with their trucks to do one trip, punch in, spend the rest of the day at the bar or tavern, come back, punch out, go home. - The stadium was also built on an old golf course which was built on an old garbage pit. So building the stadium on an already wonky terrain (in a poor, residential area to boot) was just folly. You can literally see whether by pictures or driving from the other side of the St Lawrence river that the stadium is sinking on one side. - The team's ultimate demise was when Charles Bronfman sold the Expos to Claude Brochu. This is a man who was hired to find a group of owners. In the end, Brochu made his own group and bought the team with other people's money and waived his service fee and appointed himself as the main owner and representative. In other words, he bought the team for nothing and had no money to spend. When he would make a profit though, rather than putting it back onto the field and upgrade the outfield wall or renovate the concrete floor with proper dirt and turf, he'd pocket the profit for himself. It's sad because had the stadium been built downtown and done under proper supervision, it still might be in proper use today. Unfortunately, the architect Roger Taillibert gave a blueprint and flew back to France without managing the project. His blueprint was changed time and time again and he wasn't even aware of it until the final product emerged. Charles Bronfman who was the Expos owner at the time, was given promise after promise that the stadium would be baseball friendly. The tower would be used as the team's offices. There would be modern corporate boxes (which would have been revolutionary at the time). The ground was to be natural dirt and an irrigation system was to be installed so as to when the olympics were finished, natural grass was to be grown with the help of a clear and heated roof in order to let the sun shine in the stadium directly, again making it a technological wonder. But as is the province of Quebec in general, we're presented and promised with a Ferrari and we end up with a used Lada.

[@philv2099]

The absolute abuse by construction companies on this...one of my uncle worked on this project. Theyd tell him to drive around with a loaded dump truck and keep "delivering" the same payload over and over without actually doing so. Theyd bill the govt multiple times for the same one.

[@barontaylor7139]

The 1977 Grey Cup game had 68,318 fans in the stadium

[@colbynotshort]

You should do Busch Stadium next

[@thedoctor9138]

If they had just eaten the cost of demolishing it instead of renovating it over and over again it wouldn't be a money pit. But that's what you get for being cheap you end up paying more over time than you would have if you had just taken a way out.

[@bluerisk]

I guess they don't wanted to be cheap, but too fancy.

[@MagicalBread]

I agree. In the long run, paying for demolition would save the city of Montreal millions.

[@thedoctor9138]

@@MagicalBread Yeah they're going to incur so many expenses trying to maintain it. They could have built a better Stadium for what they're going to spend on Olympic Stadium. LaBatt Park would have been a better option for them to build back when the Expos proposed it instead of rejecting it and making them continue to play in that dilapidated thing.

[@jennifersman7990]

One other reason I’ve heard that they can’t tear down the stadium is that it’s part of Montreal’s transit system and rerouting it wouldn’t be cost-effective

[@jaychino3332]

I went a couple of years ago it looked very cool

[@samdoggtheinfamous253]

Milwaukee County Stadium next please?

[@icebreaker1264]

It’s a beautiful stadium but 1977 bro that’s crazy great stadium

[@rogerbelanger6712]

I forgot to write one important fact. The Statue of Ilberty which was given by France, no American wanted to pay for the pedestal for it to sit on it. Would you say that it was money badly spent today ? Also the Eiffel tower in Paris France which cost much more that expected and people wanted to get rid of it, Today it is an Icon that represent the CIty world wide and nobody would dare to get rid . Please have a vision for the Future everyone.

[@ckat588]

Bring back the ‘Spos

[@rspister]

👎

[@anthonydivon5571]

I miss watching the Expos half the home Phillies games I watched at the Vet were against the Expos

[@manuelgrothe608]

The Mayor of Montreal, Quebec and the Commissioner of Major League Baseball from Manhattan, New York should negotiate with agreement terms for the future of Montreal, Quebec 🇨🇦 ⚾️

[@99somerville]

The taxpayers always get screwed when these stadiums get built. The politicians want the Olympics, the taxpayers don’t. The taxpayers usually lose.

[@alec1115]

Boston is an exception. Boston "won" the right to represent the US for a bid in 2024. After we were selected, we had three consecutive blizzards and our public transit got destroyed. Then-Mayor Walsh was given a document saying that the City of Boston would be on the hook for any cost overruns. His advisors told him that if he signed that document, he would not get re-elected. After that Boston withdrew its bid.

[@derbagger22]

@@alec1115 Boston never really had a shot anyways. Many stadiums and venues would have to be built and there is no way the city and state would allow it. It's amazing that we got the "new" Garden built. Fenway was gonna be moved to the Seaport. That was a political debacle. Kraft wanted a stadium in the Seaport. That was a debacle. Nothing can get done without gobs of earmarks bumping costs into the stratosphere. I knew from the second Boston was chosen it wasn't happening...

[@neneshubby]

True. Brazil spent billions of dollars building Olympic venues and infrastructure and it turned into a financial disaster. Now they’re stuck with crumbling unused venues some of which are still draining money while thousands live in poverty nearby.

[@derbagger22]

@@neneshubby yeah, saw some reporting on that a couple years after the Olympics and it was disgusting.

[@AJWRAJWR]

Brisbane is favoured to win the 2032 bid. As a Queenslander I really hope they don't though. There are many infrastructure projects that the state's taxes could be better spent on. The Sydney Olympic stadium is similarly a massive white elephant, though not as bad as Montreal's example.

[@Kansas462]

You failed to mention that it's the occasional home of Montreal Impact...err. CF Montreal

[@ajjeff1033]

The original roof sat in storage folded up for years white the tower was being completed. The original tears were along the folds in the kevlar. Had it been installed when it was supposed to it would not have torn. When the car show was there in the mid 90s I was going to bring in a simulator that was on truck (that just unfolded). The car dealerships didn't want us on the main floor so we looked at the mezzanine. We were told the weight capacity was double of what we wanted to bring in.... then one of the officials came along in a golf cart and said we couldn't put it on the Mezzanine but refused to explain why; so we ended up in the garage just off the field. A couple of years later a huge chunk of concrete fell off and smashed into underground offices... there's your answer... structurally, no part of the stadium is safe. I never when back into that building. If you do you are nuts. They should just tear the whole thing down.

[@jonpike9991]

I went there for Expos Cubs game in 92

[@rspister]

Oh, cool. I was curious if you did.

[@chrisbacos]

At 1:50 that shot is in St. Louis, not Montreal. Note the baby blue uniforms which were a common trend in the 1970s.

[@gordieparenteau6555]

Do B.C. Place in Vancouver next.

[@lonniestephens6254]

There is no saving Montreal's Olympic Stadium from destruction.

[@kimcokevin]

That’s what happens when the local mafia wants to wet their beak during construction.

[@manuelgrothe608]

If the new TB Rays Ballpark fails, in 2027 is Montreal, Quebec’s turn for Major League Baseball in 🇨🇦 ⚾️

[@billl1127]

A roof moved by multiple cables. What could go wrong? Some architect was high as a kite when he pitched that idea.

[@rboddington]

Makes sense considering the entire province of Quebec is a giant money pit.

[@GeeEm1313]

I'd still like to check the place out.

[@zytrik1]

It’s one of the best stadiums

[@Dept246]

Spending another $870 million to replace the roof? They could use that money to build a new outdoor baseball stadium and try to get the Tampa Rays to move there.

[@BlueGoat682]

Supposedly talks are in the works to have Montreal and Tampa Bay each build brand new open air baseball stadiums so they can do a 50/50 deal. The Rays would play the first half of the season in Tampa Bay and then play the 2nd half of the season up in Montreal. The whole idea sounds pretty ludicrous to me but time will tell if it happens or not.

[@forgottenplaces9780]

I hope it doesnt, one of the dumbest ideas ive ever heard, idk why they think going back to montreal is a good idea, the teams attendance was so bad they were playing many games in puerto rico, what do they think will happen if they go back?

[@indianapatsfan]

@@forgottenplaces9780 If the Rays moved to Montreal there would be kind of a second honeymoon and attendance would be pretty good for a couple of years anyway, certainly better than the current Tampa attendance. The whole key for long term success would be to build a new downtown stadium during the honeymoon. The AL East is a good fit for Montreal. A brand new, well designed stadium would probably draw thousands of Yankee, Red Sox and Blue Jay fans every time they visit there.

[@PTrep2727]

I used to live a few blocks away and would buy the $4 ticket and walk down. I was an Expos diehard and cannot to this day cheer for Washington. The stadium was brutal tbh except for public transit. Will forever be an Expos. ⚾🇨🇦

[@wallyd2d]

2004! I thought they left in the 90s. Dang

[@MichaelSIngle-gn9qz]

The Big Owe!!!!!

[@rossmandell7931]

its one of those rare stadia that was carefully designed so that every seat is bad.

[@studio8423]

Yes you did it

[@burprobrox9134]

But how were the hotdogs and beer?

[@themovietheatre]

Mirabel airport next?

[@Nik-cg6qr]

Man hate to say it but the olympics cause alot of trouble economicly to some of the countries that host them . Greece for excample couldnt recover for 10 years and almost went bankrupt 10 years later , still ferling the effects from investing into all those huge stadiums that noone uses 70 000 k seat stadums seat empty , same for Brazil almost went bankrupt after hosting the games and alot of the the stadiums and facilities build for the olympics sit empty and are crumbling . Even this stadium 44 years later still sucking in money , still having a bad effect on the city to this day

[@DaleC1980]

Call me crazy, but I love this place. I hope Montreal gets a team back and uses this place again. Fenway and Wrigley are also "bad" ballparks but they're unique and have history so people love them. No reason why that can't happen here. It would take renovations, similar to Toronto. Update the playing surface, make it baseball specific, install a heated field etc. I would open the roof entirely. The Tigers and Twins get by with an open stadium. And Montreal did for years too.

[@daniellinehan63]

Ricketts rebuilt Wrigley Field for about $600 million .It should last until 2135.

[@daniellinehan63]

That playing surface killed Andre Dawson and Tim Raine's knees. They always talked of their love of Montreal.

[@henryca03]

Honestly, the roof and the tower should've been scrapped after the '76 Olympics and left open-air permanently, but the stadium likely lacked a drainage system on the field and MLB mandated that the Expos had a domed stadium as a condition of their existence, since the league threatened to contract or relocate the Expos several times while at Parque Jarry.

[@DaleC1980]

The fact they let the Twins have an open air park seems like a double standard, it gets colder in Minneapolis. But then I think Montreal gets more snow. It also might just be a change on the part of MLB

[@SacTownLions0]

As a kid I kept asking people, "What does the elb on the hat mean." Yes, I was told it's an M for Montreal. But to this day I just see elb (3 letters, 3 colors)

[@SacTownLions0]

also, I always wondered why MLB brings in a Canadian team and they give it the colors of Red, white and blue, lol.

[@PizzaRollz1]

@@SacTownLions0 I'd imagine red and white for Canada, or red, and blue and white as they're the colors of the Quebec flag, but also because red white and blue aren't just 'American' colors...

[@SacTownLions0]

@@PizzaRollz1 Great point on the colors (red and white-Canada) and (blue and white-Quebec). But I was really wondering if I'm the only person to see the "e, l, b" on the hat?

[@PizzaRollz1]

@@SacTownLions0 I've definitely thought it said that as well, and read that it stands for "Expos Ligue Baseball", as well as the whole thing meaning to be a M, are the intentions of the logo.

[@someperson3883]

I think the boom stopped.

[@themedianman9712]

While I don't have the financials in front of me, Le Stade is part of an Olympic Park complex that generates revenue. One can tour the stadium and take the inclined elevator to the observation tower for great views. The Alouettes still practice there, and there are other athletic clubs and regular folk that use the pools and other facilities. While it is done as an active major sporting venue, it appears that the city has found a way to make hay with it.

[@isaacdonnelly20]

They honestly need to stop spending money on that place, just build something new downtown.

[@firewalker1372]

All the damn money they spent on repairs could of went to build a newer safer stadium.

[@chrisw.p5665]

A private group is looking to do just that, and bring baseball back to our city!

[@F40PH-2CAT]

Andre Dawson was so fed up with what the field did to his knees that he basically went to every other team that played on a grass field after the 1986 season at the height of the collusion era and told them he'd accept any reasonable offer. The Cubs signed him and he was the 1987 NL MVP. It was the beginning of the end of Astroturf in non domed stadiums as teams saw it as a potential impediment to them being competitive in the FA arena after the collusion era was ended.

[@crkmt]

Scott Sanderson said that the field at Olympic Stadium was carpet over concrete.