Raised in a bustling Quebec, symbol of a nation opening up to the world, the Olympic Stadium reminds us of the sting of our disappointed dreams in addition to evoking some of our worst failings. Cost overruns, untimely delays, political negligence, union conflicts, sabotage, ill-advised choices; the litany of ills that have afflicted him over time is long. Far from being impressive, the formula unveiled this week has the merit of offering a viable option, reliable for half a century.
Let us agree that we have given in the ideas of grandeur as well as in the facade compromises with the Stadium. Two roofs later, do we want to risk making a mistake a third time? Of course not. This will not prevent dreamers from being disappointed. They will be somewhat right, Roger Taillibert had seen bigger than this fixed roof made of steel and elastomer adorned with a translucent disc letting in light. But the Olympic Park Development and Enhancement Corporation does not believe that a retractable roof is realistic.
Other experts refuse to be so clear-cut on the issue. It is true, however, that there were no credible solutions, much less those consistent with Quebecers’ ability to pay. The approach adopted by the Legault government, at a cost of 870 million, is first of all pragmatic. Without this costly youth treatment, this public good which belongs to all Quebecers is condemned to a slow decline, if not a brutal end. These two options, also quite expensive (up to 2 billion according to estimates), would have left Quebecers with a gaping hole.
The collaborative formula adopted by the Minister of Tourism Caroline Proulx is interesting. Experience for public projects of this scale is still rather rare in Quebec. Several experts nevertheless place a lot of hope in this method, renowned for promoting scrupulous control of expenses by “forcing risk sharing”, in the present case between the Société de développement et de mise envaluation du ParcOlympique and the consortium formed by the Pomerleau and Canam firms.
Crippled and ailing, at rest for at least half the year if not more, the Stadium thus equipped with a fixed roof and a lightened technical ring will finally be able to play – soberly – its economic, sporting and cultural role all year round. during. It is no coincidence that the oppositions showed rare unanimity in welcoming the choice made by Quebec. Cutting corners, we gave, thank you, we won’t be taken back again. However, sacrificing the Stadium on the altar of its failures would have been a waste.
It will be necessary to develop a more solid business plan to animate this stadium with its brand new roof from 2028. There is some optimism in the increase in expected benefits from 68 million to nearly 150 million per year by Quebec. It will not be easy to do well in a North American “league” where stadiums equipped with thunderous acoustics and state-of-the-art sports infrastructure abound while the enclosure, boxes, corridors and surface of our stadium will continue to show their age.
Showing us a Taylor Swift or a star-studded sports team like the defenders of the project did this week was risky to say the least. The fact remains that with a saturated Palais des Congrès and a revitalized Place Bonaventure undergoing a change of vocation, there is room — and even demand! — for events, conferences, entertainment, sports or shows in Montreal, even if only on a more modest local scale.
And then, there is the undeniable symbolic value of Taillibert’s masterpiece to weigh in the balance, whether it leaves us cold or not. This is demonstrated by the studies and surveys which have placed the Stadium on the list of the most emblematic symbols of Montreal, such as that of the Secor firm, in 2011, or the appeal to the public launched by Pointe-à-Callière Next year. Not to mention this heritage study by Docomomo Québec, which, in its updated version, documents and even cements the four values – historical, architectural, urban and emblematic – which make the signature of the Olympic Park unique.
The heritage fiber of the Stadium, after all, is not only due to the mobility of its roof, but to a long list of assets which occupy a special place in the hearts of many Montrealers of origin or adoption and of numerous Quebecers and passing tourists. The only recreational hub in eastern Montreal, the Olympic Park quadrangle is already visited by more than six million people each year, in addition to being based on assets whose value today exceeds 6 billion.
A revamped stadium can only be structuring for the East – which is in great need of extra vitality, it is true – but also for Greater Montreal and more broadly for all of Quebec. You can’t catch all the heritage balls, obviously, but this one had to be done.