The Olympic Park presents:

Souvenirs from 1976

An exhibition highlighting the 40th anniversary of the Olympic Games in Montreal

Souvenirs from 1976, is presented at 3 sites in the Mercier–Hochelaga–Maisonneuve neighbourhood: the Olympic Park, the Maison de la culture Maisonneuve and the Musée Dufresne-Nincheri.

This exhibit, a first for the city, will give young people who weren’t around to witness the Montreal Olympic saga a chance to see the massive work that went into preparing for the Games. It will also provide an older audience with the opportunity to relive this unforgettable era in the city’s history, when Montreal became one of the world’s most vital cities. Thanks to competition reports as well as a collection of anecdotes and photos, artifacts and original footage, you can rediscover all the excitement of the Games that belonged to Comaneci and Jenner.

The 3-part exhibit will take place at 3 different sites:

Part 1:
The Olympic Experience, at the Olympic Park (Montréal Tower and Olympic Stadium, at 3200 Viau street) The Olympic Experience exhibit is a trip through time, introducing visitors to the Olympic experience from the project’s very beginnings until today—when the flame burns just as brightly. Using reviews and anecdotes about competitions and life during the Games, visitors are invited to live a day in the life of the Olympics—from construction sites where work fell behind schedule, to the Montreal Forum where a young girl was to quickly be crowned queen of the Games, to a full Stadium during the closing ceremonies. Dive into a past that changed Montreal and our collective imagination. A guided tour of the inside of the Stadium will complete the visitors’ experience.

“We’re delighted to present this exhibit, which will add to visitors’ experience when they visit the Olympic Park,” says Michel Labrecque, President and Director General of the Olympic Park. “This trip down memory lane deserved to see the light of day, and now it has. Citizens need to know the colossal work that went into organizing and welcoming the Olympic Games as well building our Stadium, which is celebrating its 40 years with special events.”

Part 2:
The Builders Behind the Montreal Olympic Games, Exceptional Men and Women, at the Maison de la culture Maisonneuve (4200 Ontario street east)

The 1976 Olympic Games were spectacular and presented a huge challenge for thousands of Quebecers and Canadians who worked to organize them. These men and women, from various professions, were recruited for their genius and know-how and faced a series of major challenges—from organization to economic, urban, and societal. Nothing could be left to chance in the production and execution of tasks that went into hosting the most important sports event in the world. Step behind the scenes at the Games of the XXI Olympiad!

“We are very proud to introduce the exceptional women and men who took up the colossal challenge of organizing world’s biggest sporting event: the Olympic Games,” says Pierre Larivière, Manager of the Maison de la culture Maisonneuve. “Against all odds, the XXI Olympiad in 1976 was a resounding success!”

Part 3:
The Olympic Park, Architecture Worth Celebrating, Musée Dufresne-Nincheri (4040 Sherbrooke Street East)

The Musée Dufresne-Nincheri provides a look into the history behind the construction of this architectural masterpiece, from the initial concept to the building of the Olympic installations in Montreal. Visitors will get an overview of the various sports venues that were backed and approved by mayors Camillien Houde and Jean Drapeau (1930-1987).

“The Musée Dufresne-Nincheri is proud to join the Olympic Park in the preservation of the Olympic installation’s architecture and heritage significance as we mark the 40th anniversary of the Montreal Games,” says Paul Labonne, General Manager of the Musée Dufresne-Nincher. “We hope visitors will be able to understand the complexity of this architectural masterpiece, which is a symbol of the city and Quebec itself.”

Schedules
Tuesday to Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Guided tour departures: 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Monday: 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Guided tour departures: 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

For more information, including prices: www.parcolympique.qc.ca    514-252-4141  or  1-877-997-0919