Olympic Stadium tower won’t open by 50th anniversary of Montreal games

An aerial view of Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Monday Feb. 5, 2024. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)

Montreal’s Olympic Stadium tower won’t fully reopen by the start of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the 1976 Games next summer, and construction has gone over budget.

Olympic Park spokesperson Cédric Essiminy said the tower should be fully open to the public by summer 2027.

He said the construction sector was hit hard by inflation and material and labour shortages, and was further complicated by the tower’s unique structure – standing at 165 metres with a 45-degree incline.

“It was not easy to find people that were willing to do it, and it was not easy also to find the precise expertise that was needed to have that kind of edge walk that we put. It was also very difficult because we have many, many technical challenges specific to the tower,” he said.

The Big O’s renovations have been delayed several times since former Quebec premier Philippe Couillard approved a $250 million budget for a new roof in 2017.

The Olympic Stadium mast, one of the city’s biggest tourist attractions, was transformed into an office tower in 2018.

Additional renovations started in 2021 to redevelop the observatory, install a roof terrace and replace the funicular railway.

About $80 million was earmarked for the three projects, which were meant to be completed in two years.

The bill now exceeds $120 million, and Essiminy says the work is 80 per cent done.

He says the extra money was taken out of the envelope dedicated to maintaining the infrastructure and promotion, “so we did not go and ask for more money, we just changed the amount that we dedicated to one project.”

Meanwhile, a second construction site sits directly underneath the tower as the stadium’s roof gets replaced.

The government set aside $870 million last year to repair the Big O’s roof and ring.

The roof will be fixed, rigid and feature a transparent glass hoop, so the tower will be visible from the inside and offer a view of the night sky.

Though he admits that all works won’t be completed by the 50th anniversary, Essiminy stresses that celebrations for the 40th anniversary lasted many months – well into winter – and he expects the entire stadium to be partially open by the fall before festivities come to an end.

With files from CTV News’ Olivia O’Malley.