Toronto/Montreal comparisons (ain't pretty...)

[Red October]

The respectable haul to go with the unfinished stadium, the unfinished infrastructure, the bad organization, skyrocketing debt and corruption at the government level. Whether you choose to believe it or not, the 1976 Summer Games are widely regarded as one of the worst run olympics ever.

 

[gristle]

The trouble with comparisons is that we all tend to look for something similar to compare. Old Montreal is one such example. There is nothing like this in Toronto, but then Toronto is not as old as Montreal. I can recall a time when that part of the city was in pretty sad shape, and when there were plans to run the Ville Marie expressway through it. Fortunately bad economic times put an end to that.

At the time of Confederation, the population of Toronto was smaller than that of Kingston. Montreal was by far the major city by all measures, and was so well into the early twentieth century. That's the history you see in Old Montreal; it's not a deficiency of Toronto.

Whether you choose to believe it or not, the 1976 Summer Games are widely regarded as one of the worst run olympics ever.

I can recall quite a few people from Montreal expressing embarrassment about having construction cranes looming over the stadium. The construction process was a fiasco, and some of that still exists in the construction business in that city to this day.

 

[OttoSchloss]

No games have ever been suckier than Atlanta. And if you believe the English press, London 2012 will be horrendous!

 

[Bogtrotter]

Yes Atlanta was pretty bad- bombs and all. Indeed the olympics in MTL were a major flop financially. That said it did have some of the more memorbale olympic moments though- Bruce Jenner and Nadia Comaneci for instance. But the facilities were later under-used, and the tower remained unfinished and loomed over the stadium like an open wound for years. Terrible place to watch sports as well, and in my opinion added to the Expos woes- at least in the latter years.

 

[Red October]

The Big Owe is one of the worst stadiums I've ever been in interior-wise. Almost as bad as Tropicana Field.

That being said the outside and tower are awesome.

 

[junctionist]

The Big Owe is one of the worst stadiums I've ever been in interior-wise. Almost as bad as Tropicana Field.

That being said the outside and tower are awesome.

The stadium's architecture is fantastic and continues to draw tourists, though it may be lacking as a stadium. The elaborate concrete plazas in front of it are interesting as ambitious examples of '70s urban design yet sadly underused without a big event. Nearby Pie-X station is another unique and fascinating subway station in the Metro system that shows the ambition, creativity, and design sophistication which characterizes the system and leaves a strong impression on visitors and residents alike.

 

[Irishmonk]

Two Canadian cities of roughly equal size, and in close proximity -- it all comes down to hockey teams, doesn't it? And, uh, heh... okay, let's not go there...