The culture wars of the Montreal Olympics†

Abstract

The Montreal Olympics are often remembered for their extravagant mismanagement and unfulfilled expectations, usually attributed to the city's flamboyant Mayor Drapeau. But the events themselves were quite successful, and while it took sports leaders almost a decade to bounce back from the devastating financial burdens and other complications of the Games, they were eventually able to take advantage of the social investment and spirit of Montreal 1976 to make Quebec one of the most progressive regions of Canadian sport and physical activity. It is a reminder that Olympic legacies may have long fuses. This paper places the difficulties of the Montreal Olympic organizers in the context of a bitter clash of nationalisms and a deep-rooted debate about the purposes of sport across Canada. Both controversies served to divide the governments responsible for funding Canadian sport, undermine public confidence in the Games and cloud the memory of the Games' accomplishments. The lesson is that the evaluation of Games and their legacies are deeply structured by the political, social and economic context. While the Montreal Games created a wonderful moment of festive intercultural celebration, they did not unblock the dominant cultural rigidities of the host community.