Montreal’s most famous unfinished business is getting closer to the finish line. The new Olympic Stadium roof has been fully assembled on the playing field and is waiting to be lifted into place. But the project made headlines again in late October for a different reason: an emergency contract to protect part of the stadium’s concrete exterior before winter, after a test left it exposed. Here’s a clear look at what happened, where the $870-million project stands and what comes next.
The emergency repair
According to CityNews and The Canadian Press, the Olympic Park awarded a $254,000 emergency contract in October to the firm Aquabloc to install waterproofing on one of the 35 concrete structures, known as thin shells, that make up the stadium’s exterior.
Why the rush? The park had been testing a longer-lasting waterproofing solution on a 372-square-metre section, which required removing the existing protective membrane. Analyzing and optimizing the technical options took longer than planned, leaving that area exposed. Park officials said it had to be protected before winter to keep water infiltration and freeze-thaw cycles from damaging the concrete, and that the repair is separate from the roof project and doesn’t affect its schedule.
Not everyone is convinced. McGill architecture professor Avi Friedman called it “a classic example of poor project management,” warning that waiting until the last minute leads to extra costs and rushed work.
Where the Olympic Stadium roof project stands
Quebec announced the roof replacement in February 2024, a project budgeted at up to $870 million that includes a new roof and a new technical ring. The Olympic Park’s project website breaks it into three phases:
- Phase 1 (2024): dismantling the old roof and winterizing the stadium.
- Phase 2 (2025): dismantling and rebuilding the technical ring.
- Phase 3 (2026–2027): fabricating, assembling and installing the new roof.
- Finish line: roof work wraps up in 2028.
Recent milestones
- March 2, 2026: the last of 38 sections of the technical ring was installed, marking the project’s halfway point. Crews then prepared to deploy 24 temporary cables to support the future roof.
- Oct. 8, 2026: the park showed media the fully assembled new roof sitting on the playing field. Preparations are under way for lifting it, which the park calls one of the high points of the project.
The playing field itself remains closed for the duration of the work.
The project by the numbers
- $870 million: the maximum budget for the new roof and technical ring
- 38: sections in the completed technical ring
- 24: temporary cables to support the roof during installation
- 35: concrete thin shells forming the stadium’s exterior
- 372 square metres: the test area left without its membrane
- $254,000: the emergency waterproofing contract
- 2028: the target for finishing the roof work
Montrealers interviewed by CityNews were divided on the spending, which is no surprise given the stadium’s long and costly history. For supporters, a dependable roof is the only way to make the building useful again; for critics, every new bill is another reminder of the original overruns.
Why this roof matters
The Big O has had a complicated relationship with its roof. The stadium opened for the 1976 Olympics without the retractable roof it was designed for, and the replacement now under way will be its third roof since 1987. Previous roofs had well-documented problems with Montreal’s snow and ice, which is why this project, with its fixed suspended design, is watched so closely. A working roof is the key to bringing year-round events back to the stadium.
What to watch next
- The lift: raising the assembled roof into position will be the most spectacular step, and a key test of the schedule.
- Winter conditions: whether the emergency waterproofing holds through freeze-thaw season.
- The interior: once the roof is done, the next debate will be what happens inside the stadium, and who pays for it.
Meanwhile at Olympic Park
Life goes on around the construction. In October, the park inaugurated two public artworks, ÉLANS and OASIS, and the neighbouring attractions remain open; our Biodome and Planetarium guide has ideas for a visit.
Big infrastructure stories are shaping Montreal this fall, from the Mercier Bridge to the city’s winter readiness plans. Follow along in our News section.
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- More Montreal news on MTL365
Photo: Diego Delso / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Sources: CityNews / The Canadian Press, Parc olympique (roof project), Parc olympique (phases), Parc olympique (technical ring), Parc olympique (roof assembled), Parc olympique (artworks)
