Life Inside Montreal’s Olympic Village: Past, Present, and Decay

This story originally appeared on July 30, 2021 in URBANIA, an online magazine based in Quebec focused on pop culture and society.

A year after the Parisian Olympic spotlight turned elsewhere, and far from the fleeting buzz of international games, it’s worth pausing to reflect on Montreal’s own Olympic legacy. Back in 1976, the city welcomed the five-ring spectacle with exuberant ambition and this athletes' residence. Roger Taillibert’s sweeping stadium and the pyramid-shaped Village by Roger D’Astous and Luc Durand echoed the bold spirit of Expo 67.

Under Mayor Jean Drapeau, Montreal envisioned itself stepping onto the world stage. What followed, of course, was a financial fiasco, highly public, and deeply embarrassing. For those who didn’t live through the 1976 fever, the pride has largely faded, replaced by the lingering weight of a white elephant. And yet, the Olympic Village still stands tall over Sherbrooke Street East. With the Games now a distant backdrop, I returned to this iconic complex to explore what remains and to meet the people who call it home.