Determined to take its place in Olympic history, Montréal submitted its bid several times before finally being chosen to host the 1976 Summer Games.
Olympic ambitions as early as the 1920s
In 1928, when the unwritten rule was to host that year’s Summer and Winter Olympic Games in the same city, the city of Los Angeles was awarded the 1932 Summer Games.
Seeing an opportunity, Montréal put forward a bid to host the Winter Games in the event that the American cities withdrew. Ultimately, Lake Placid, in New York State, was selected to host the 1932 Winter Olympic Games..
Montréal also entered the race to host the 1936 Winter Games, which were eventually awarded to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
A relentless race of repeated bids
The current site of the Olympic Park had already been designated in 1937 as a potential site for the 1942 British Empire Games (now the Commonwealth Games), as well as the 1944 Winter and Summer Olympic Games. However, the Second World War led to the cancellation of the Games and suspension of all related work.
The city later submitted a new bid in 1949 for the 1956 Games, and again in 1960 for the 1972 edition. These attempts were unsuccessful. Melbourne was selected for 1956, and Munich for 1972.
The sixth bid is the winning one!
Building on the experience and success of the 1967 World Exposition, Montréal submitted its candidacy once again on December 4, 1969, driven by Mayor Jean Drapeau.
On May 12, 1970, during the International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Amsterdam, Montréal was officially awarded the Games of the XXI Olympiad. The city became the first and, to this day, only Canadian city to host the Summer Olympic Games.
Perseverance finally paid off, paving the way for a transformative project for the entire city.
The wait is over!
The construction of a true sports facilities in Montréal’s east end had long been central to the city’s urban-planning ambitions. The time had come to revitalize this industrial sector and create sports infrastructure that would serve both high-performance athletes and the residents of this working-class neighbourhood.