June 10, 2001,
The Montreal Alouettes are adding 9,255 seats to Olympic Stadium for hosting the Canadian Football League's Grey Cup championship game on November 25, 2001. The increase - prompted by demand for tickets to the game - pushes the stadium's capacity for the game to 65,255.
With half a million square feet (47,000 square metres) of usable space, 62,000 seats and a retractable roof, Le Stade Olympique is the perfect spot to hold any kind of spectacular event.
Close to downtown, the Stadium can be easily reached by car - and has 4,000 indoor parking spaces - or by metro, with two stops that let you off right at the door. The Stadium's facilities can be adapted to accommodate large-scale events from concerts to Super Motocross, consumrer shows t mass meetings, and even operas. And don't forget football and baseball too.
Delormier Stadium was used by the Alouettes in 1946, for that season only. It was a minor league baseball park (where Jackie Robinson played), which supported ten yard end-zones, and the pitcher's mound was not removed for football games. It's largest football crowd was in the neighbourhood of 24,000 for a playoff game, so that's likely its capacity.
On August 13, 1998 Pierre Chastenais writes: The Big O was also the former home of the Manic of NASL fame, from 1981 to 1983. In 1981 the Manic struggled at first early in 1981 but crowds began to fill the place with the culminating moment: 58,542 spectators filled the stadium to see the Manic beat the Chicago Sting in quarter final action, before being blown away by Chicago at Comiskey Park! Good crowds came also in 1982, but in 1983 when news of the Manic becoming team Canada were disturbing to Montreal soccer fans, the crowds dropped to less than half of the stadium's capacity. The Big O had one last great soccer moment in 1983 as the Manic upset the New York Cosmos in the quarter finals, only to
lose in the semi-finals to the upstart Tulsa Roughnecks. Thereafter, the Manic folded and Montreal was without a pro soccer franchise.
Did you know the Olympic Stadium still has the record for a soccer game attendance in Canada? Way back to the 1976 Olympic soccer final, as nearly 72,000 witnessed East Germany's 3-1 win over Poland. Never since that game has there been a game which attracted that many spectators. Sure, Commonwealth Stadium is the permanent (!!!) home of the canadian soccer team, as the stadum has grass instead of astroturf, which suits the international play.
January 19, 1999 (AP) Montreal's glitch-plagued Olympic Stadium will be closed for at least a month after a large section of its roof crashed to the ground.
The stadium, home to the Montreal Expos, has been plagued with problems since it was built for the 1976 Olympics.
Five people were injured yesterday, when a panel of the roof gave way under the weight of wet snow. About 200 people were in the stadium at the time of the afternoon collapse, setting up an auto show.
In previous incidents over the years, chunks of outer wall of the stadium had crashed to the ground, but no one was injured.
June 27, 1991 The roof was damaged by high winds. The retractable roof, made of Kevlar fabric, had suffered 17 tears in eight incidents since it was installed in 1987. The stadium's directors opted for a fixed roof.
September 13, 1991 Olympic Stadium was closed after a 55-ton concrete beam fell off the side and crashed onto a walkway below, forcing the Expos to play their last 13 regular-season home games on the road.
The orginal roof was built to be retractable but didn't work. It had to be replaced by synthetic material at a cost of about C$37 million ($24 million US at current rates).
The Expos want a new baseball-only ballpark, hope the roof problems will be solved by the time they start their season in April.
Expos manager Felipe Alou points out snow may still be on the roof when his team plays early-season games. Says Alou: "Maybe I won't be going out to change the pitcher too many times." :)
OLYMPIC STADIUM ROOF MAY NEED REPLACEMENT
June 17, 2010
Copyright 2010 MediaVentures
Montreal, Quebec - There are differing opinions on when the roof of Olympic Stadium needs to
be replaced.
The city's fire department says it should go soon. The Olympic Installations Board, which
operates, the venue, says it's safe and events will continue through 2010.
The board does agree that the roof is weakened and action will be needed.
An internal report said the roof is so weak, no events can be held in winter after there has been
a snowfall of more than eight centimeters, according to the Montreal Gazette. Very few events have been held on the stadium floor in winter since 1999, even though snow-melting equipment has been installed.
Olympic Stadium's original Kevlar roof, installed in 1987 and also subject to rips, was replaced in 1998 by a fiberglass membrane roof, which cost C$33 million, minus payment of C$21 million for the tears, agreed to in an out-of-court settlement with the installer, Birdair RSW of New York City, following a lawsuit.
For years, the Olympic Installations Board has asked that the current roof be replaced by a fixed roof at a projected cost of C$300 million. It does not dispute the fire department report saying that if the roof is not replaced, the stadium might have to be closed, the newspaper said.
