Montréal’s Olympic legacy will get a reboot in June 2024, when the city hosts the country’s elite athletes during the Olympic and Paralympic trials that will decide whether they place for Paris. Montréal’s candidacy as host city for the 2024 trials was unanimously recommended by the competition committee of Athletics Canada, and the reasons for that run the gamut: we stand out for our repeated success in sport events hosting, the financial support available, the engagement of the local community and our world-class facilities.
Facilities that do justice to our Olympic heritage
The 1976 Summer Olympics remain a point of pride for Montréalers, and the city’s landscape and skyline still sparkles with Olympic magic. Unlike some other Olympic cities, Montréal’s venues are still hosting world-class sporting events over 40 years later: the Olympic and Paralympic trials for Paris 2024 will be happening at Centre Claude-Robillard Sports Complex, for example, still a draw for thousands of athletes of varying levels of expertise every year.
Here’s a look at some memorable 1976 Olympic venues that will give your next sporting event a hint of Olympic glory.
Claude-Robillard Sports Complex
Built in the Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough, the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex was the site of the exciting handball and water polo competitions in 1976. Today, the centre is an example of multi-purpose use and versatility, hosting a range of sports including track and field activities, baseball, tennis, soccer, fencing, ultimate Frisbee and archery, among others.
The Olympic Stadium
You want iconic? A modernist architectural wonder with a hint of H. R. Giger-esque fantasy, the Olympic Stadium turns everything up to 11. Host to major sporting events, opera spectacles and some unforgettable rock concerts, the Olympic Stadium has thrilled up to 60,000 spectators at a time in its hallowed seats. But there’s more than first meets the eye — spaces like the VIP boxes are great for smaller events requiring a touch of sports glory.
The Olympic Park
The Olympic Park is home to more than just the stadium. There’s also the Olympic Park Sports Centre with no less than seven pools, a sports medical centre and a well-stocked gym that’s a regular host venue for international swimming and diving competitions. Outside, the Esplanade hosts a multitude of events ranging from the First Fridays Street Food Festival to the eye-popping Jackalope action sports competition. There’s even the medals podium for those gold medal visitor photos.
Centre Pierre-Charbonneau
On the edge of the Olympic Park, the Centre Pierre-Charbonneau played host to the wrestling events of the 1976 games, and today continues to host world-class contact sport competitions ranging from judo to boxing.
Maurice-Richard Arena
Named for local hockey legend Maurice “Rocket” Richard of the Montréal Canadiens, the Maurice-Richard Arena hosted Olympic boxing and wrestling matches in front of an intimate audience of 4,800 fans. Today it’s a regular host for hockey games, rock concerts and training by the Canadian short track speed skating team.
Montréal Botanical Garden and the Space for Life museums
For the 1976 games, the Montréal Botanical Garden hosted both the 20 km walk and the running portion of the pentathlon. Now part of the Space for Life group of museums, the Botanical Garden offers several venues for meetings and events in a truly bucolic setting. The Olympic Games’ Velodrome now houses the Montréal Biodôme, and newer structures like the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium and the Insectarium are changing the face of the Olympic neighbourhood.
The Percival-Molson Stadium at McGill University
Home to the Montréal Alouettes football team, the Percival-Molson Stadium was built for the students of McGill University in 1915. In 1976, the stadium hosted the field hockey competitions, and fact fans will love to know it was also the world’s first Olympic stadium outfitted with artificial turf.
CEPSUM
Housed on the campus of the Université de Montréal, CEPSUM hosted the fencing portions of the 1976 Olympics. Since then, the CEPSUM has seen action in sports as varied as volleyball, golf, squash and racquetball, ice hockey, swimming and diving. It’s also home to the U de M’s kinesiology and sports medicine departments.
Centre Étienne-Desmarteau
Since hosting the basketball preliminaries at the 1976 Olympics, the Centre d’activités Étienne-Desmarteau, located in Rosemont, has expanded its focus to gymnastics, indoor soccer and ice hockey — with two ice rinks, no less.
Saint-Michel Arena
Host to the weightlifting section of the 1976 Olympics, the Saint-Michel Arena is now a multi-purpose space used for hockey and speed skating, among other uses. A multimillion dollar renovation project has helped update the facilities back to Olympic standards.
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