MONTREAL – This weekend will mark the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Montreal Olympic Games.
To celebrate the 1976 Games, a three-part exhibit titled Memories of 1976 takes visitors through the Olympic experience.
Part 1 of the exhibit takes place at the Olympic stadium and includes photos and videos of athletes competing.
“People will see here the history of the Games, day-by-day,” Michel Labrecque, Olympic Park CEO, said.
Also on display are artifacts, such as medals and used equipment.
“It’s a great historical place to come visit and, at the same time, you learn a lot of things about Montreal,” Patrick Fares, an exhibit visitor, said.
Parts 2 and 3 of the exhibit take place elsewhere in Montreal and focus on the construction and organization of the Games.
“It was quite a challenge – logistical challenge – architectural challenge for a lot of aspects,” Labrecque said.
Nonetheless that didn’t mean that Montreal didn’t have a successful Olympic Games; one that is celebrated 40 years later.
“Mechanically and operationally, the Games in Montreal were fabulous,” Dick Pound, former IOC vice-president, said.
“I still have people remembering that and saying, ‘gosh if it were only as good as Montreal was in ’76 we’d be in clover.'”
The exhibit will be open all summer until September 30.