For the 1976 Summer Olympics, a total of twenty-seven sports venues were used. Several venues used had been in existence before Montreal made its first Olympic bid in the late 1930s. By the 1950s, Montreal's bid for the Olympics shifted from Winter to Summer before it was finally awarded the 1976 Summer Games in 1970. Strikes in 1974 and 1975 affected construction of the Montreal Olympic Park, most notably the stadium, pool, and velodrome, to the point where the FINA President threatened to not have the diving, swimming, and water polo events take place there for the games in early 1976 though all three venues were completed as best as possible prior to the 1976 Games. 27 swimming world records were set as a result. The oldest stadium, Molson Stadium at McGill University, would be converted into artificial turf for the field hockey tournaments while the sailing program in Kingston, Ontario, would be held in freshwater, both for the first time in Summer Olympic history. Indoor track cycling took place at the Olympics for the first time at the velodrome. Once the Olympics finished, the Montreal Expos and Montreal Alouettes moved into Olympic Stadium, staying until 2004 and 1997, respectively. The Montreal Canadiens remained at the Montreal Forum until they moved to the Molson Centre in March 1996. In 1992, the velodrome was converted into an indoor zoo now known as the Montreal Biodôme. Île-Notre Dame hosted a canoe sprint world championships and two rowing world championships since the 1976 Games, but the area north of the basin on the island has been host to the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix on an almost annual basis since 1978.

Venues

Montreal Olympic Park

VenueSportsCapacity Ref. Centre Pierre Charbonneau Wrestling 2,738 Maurice Richard Arena Boxing, Wrestling 6,670 Montreal Botanical Garden Athletics (20 km walk), Modern pentathlon (running) Not listed.1976 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. p. 162. Accessed 23 December 2022. Olympic Pool Diving, Modern pentathlon (swimming), Swimming, Water polo (final) 9,2201976 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. 224. Accessed 23 December 2022. Olympic Stadium Athletics, Ceremonies (opening/ closing), Equestrian (jumping team final), Football (final) 72,4061976 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. p. 155. Accessed 23 December 2022. Olympic Velodrome Cycling (track), Judo 7,8801976 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. p. 219. Accessed 23 December 2022. Olympic Village Competitor housing 9,5171976 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. p. 270. Accessed 23 December 2022.

Greater Montreal

VenueSportsCapacity Ref. Centre Étienne Desmarteau Basketball preliminaries 4,548 Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard Handball, Water polo 2,733 (Water polo)4,691 (Handball) Notre Dame Island Canoeing, Rowing 30,610 Molson Stadium, McGill University Field hockey 18,3241976 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. p. 445. Accessed 23 December 2022. Montreal Forum Basketball (final), Boxing (final), Gymnastics, Handball (men's medal matches), Volleyball (final) 18,5751976 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. p. 171. Accessed 23 December 2022. Mount Royal Park Cycling (individual road race) 2,267 1976 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. p. 186. Accessed 23 December 2022. Paul Sauvé Centre Volleyball preliminaries 4,7241976 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. p. 248. Accessed 23 December 2022. Quebec Autoroute 40 Cycling (road team time trial) 257 (seats near finish line)free of charge along track side St. Michel Arena Weightlifting 2,7241976 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. p. 204. Accessed 23 December 2022. Streets of Montreal Athletics (marathon) Not listed. Winter Stadium, Université de Montréal Fencing, Modern pentathlon (fencing) 2,2681976 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. p. 188. Accessed 23 December 2022.

Football venues VenueLocationSportsCapacity Ref. Lansdowne Park Ottawa Football 30,065 Sherbrooke Stadium Sherbrooke Football 10,111 Varsity Stadium Toronto Football 21,6511976 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. p. 194. Accessed 23 December 2022.

Handball venues VenueLocationSportsCapacity Ref. Pavilion de l'éducation physique et des sports de l'Université Laval Quebec City Handball 3,7781976 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. pp. 445. Accessed 23 December 2022. Sherbrooke Sports Palace Sherbrooke Handball 4,758

Other venues VenueLocationSportsCapacity Ref. Olympic Archery Field Joliette Archery 2,710 Olympic Equestrian Centre Bromont Equestrian (all events but jumping team final), Modern pentathlon (riding) 25,000 1976 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. pp. 234. Accessed 23 December 2022. Olympic Shooting Range L'Acadie Modern pentathlon (shooting), Shooting 1,4001976 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. pp. 240. Accessed 23 December 2022. Portsmouth Olympic Harbour Kingston Sailing Not listed1976 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. p. 256. Accessed 23 December 2022.

Before the Olympics Molson Stadium was constructed in 1915.Football.ballparks.com profile of Molson Stadium. Accessed 14 November 2010. It was home of the Canadian Football League (CFL)'s original Montreal Alouettes from 1954 to 1967. The only CFL Grey Cup ever held there was in 1931 and it was where the Montreal Wheeled Wingers defeated the Regina Roughriders (Saskatchewan since 1950 officially).CFL.ca Grey Cup Montreal Molson Stadium 22 November 1931 Montreal-Regina final results. Accessed 14 November 2010. The stadium was converted into artificial turf in 1975 in time for the field hockey competitions, the first time in Olympic history this happened.

Varsity Stadium was first built in 1898, with the first stadium being constructed in 1911.Football.ballparks.com profile of Toronto's Varsity Stadium. Accessed 14 November 2010. The stadium was renovated in 1950, and renovated a second time for the 1976 Games. It hosted the CFL Grey Cup a record 30 times between 1911 and 1957.CFL.ca Grey Cup Toronto Varsity Stadium 25 November 1911 University of Toronto-Toronto Argonauts final results. Accessed 14 November 2010.CFL.ca Grey Cup Toronto Varsity Stadium 30 November 1957 Hamilton-Winnipeg final results. Accessed 14 November 2010. The stadium served as host of the CFL's Toronto Argonauts from 1919 to 1958.

Landsdowne Park was first built in 1903, then rebuilt six years later following a boiler explosion at the park.Landsdowne Park.ca history. Accessed 14 November 2010. It was reconstructed in 1967. The venue hosted the Grey Cup four times between 1925 and 1967.CFL.ca Grey Cup Ottawa Landsdowne Park 5 December 1925 Ottawa-Winnipeg final results. Accessed 14 November 2010.CFL.ca Grey Cup Ottawa Landsdowne Park 2 December 1967 Hamilton-Saskatchewan final results. Accessed 14 November 2010.

The Forum was completed in 1924 and served as host to the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Montreal Maroons and later, Montreal Canadiens.Montrealcanadiens.ca history featuring the Forum. 30 January 2004 article accessed 14 November 2010. It underwent a renovation in 1968. By the time of the 1976 Games, the then-defunct Maroons had won two Stanley Cups (they folded in 1938) while the Canadiens had won their then-record 18th Stanley Cup, including the 1975-6 season.Hockey-reference.com profile of the 1975-76 NHL season. Accessed 14 November 2010.

Notre Dame Island was created in 1963 and used as a venue for Expo 67 four years later.Parcjeandrapeau.com history. Accessed 14 November 2010. The Island underwent a renovation in 1974 to complete the canoeing and rowing basin used for the 1976 Games. It was completed in time for the test events in 1975.

Montreal itself bid for the Winter Olympics, first in 1944 (cancelled to World War II), and again in 1956.Gamesbid.com past bid history: 1896-2016. Accessed 14 November 2010. The city also lost out in its bid for the Summer Olympics in 1956 and 1972 before finally winning the 1976 Summer Olympics in 1970. Many venues were located within a radius of the Olympic Park.1976 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 2. pp.10, 12. Accessed 14 November 2010. Three venues in the Olympic Park were new: Olympic Stadium, Olympic Pool, and Olympic Velodrome, while other venues both near the park and outside of Montreal in general had to be rebuilt, refurbished, and/or expanded to meet the needs of the 1976 Games.

Olympic Stadium was planned to be a retractable roof stadium, the first venue of its kind in the world. This ability was to come from the tower located above the stadium that would deploy when inclement weather occurred. Construction on the Stadium began in November 1973 with the complete sections of the stadium being complete between May 1975 and May 1976. A strike in November 1974 on stadium construction that lasted until January 1975 followed by another strike nine months later prevented completion of the tower and the retractable roof. It would result in the loss of 155 work-days at the Stadium by May 1976.1976 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 2. pp. 19-20, 23, 30.

The strike at the stadium also affected construction at the Olympic Pool that was located adjacent to the stadium. In fact, FINA President Harold Henning commented on the facility construction in January 1976 that "Short of a miracle, the Olympic swimming, diving, and water polo competitions cannot be held in Montreal during the 1976 Games!". Henning's concern was reiterated at an International Olympic Committee meeting in Innsbruck one month later. The venue was completed in May in time for the Olympics.1976 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. Part 1. p. 224. Accessed 14 November 2010.

The velodrome was constructed as an indoor venue out of necessity to Montreal's harsh winters, the first of its kind in the Olympics.1976 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. Part 1. p. 182. Accessed 14 November 2010. Construction began in August 1973 and was completed in April 1976.

These Olympics became the first in the history of sailing to take place in freshwater since Kingston is located on the Great Lakes, specifically Lake Ontario.Cityofkingston.ca profile. Accessed 14 November 2010.1976 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. Part 1. p. 254. Accessed 14 November 2010. The part of the harbor used was reconstructed in 1974 in time for the 1976 Games.

During the Olympics An incomplete Olympic Stadium meant weather played a factor in many of the sporting events that took place. An example of this was in the men's high jump final where rain began when the height was at and was coming down so heavily at that large puddles formed in the high jump area.Wallechinsky, David and Jaime Loucky (2008). "Track & Field (Men): High Jump". In The Complete Book of the Olympics: 2008 Edition. London: Aurum Press Limited. p. 203. This forced world record holder Dwight Stones of the United States to grab a squeegee and start mopping up the mess himself. Other high jumpers joined Stones, including Canada's Greg Joy, to help mop up the area. Gold medalist Jacek Wszoła of Poland stated he won the high jump event when it started raining. Joy would win silver while Stones would win bronze in the event. The same hard rain that affected the men's high jump also affected the men's 4 × 400 m relay.Wallechinsky, David and Jaime Loucky (2008). "Track & Field (Men): 4 x 400-Meter Relay". In The Complete Book of the Olympics: 2008 Edition. London: Aurum Press Limited. p. 185.

Heavy rain also affected the football final at Olympic Stadium where East Germany defeated Poland 3-1.Wallechinsky, David and Jaime Loucky (2008). "Football (Soccer): Men". In The Complete Book of the Olympics: 2008 Edition. London: Aurum Press Limited. pp. 659-60.FIFA.com Summer Olympics Montreal Olympic Stadium 31 July 1976 GDR-POL final results. Accessed 14 November 2010.