On November 14, 2006, nearly 30 years after the 1976 Summer Olympic Games, a civil servant from the Quebec Ministry of Finance signed the final payment for the debt incurred to build the Montreal Olympic Stadium. The total cost of the Olympic Park, estimated at around 1.35 billion Canadian dollars in 1976 including interest, was fully repaid on that date. Much of the repayment came from tobacco tax revenues, which had been set aside specifically for this purpose since June 1976. This unique approach to debt repayment reflected the scale of the financial burden the project placed on Quebec. The Montreal Olympic Stadium was not completed in time for the opening ceremony of the 1976 Games, but it was inaugurated just in time. However, one of its most ambitious features—the retractable canvas roof—was never completed. French architect Roger Taillibert had designed a system where a canvas would be suspended from a leaning tower, allowing the field to be covered or uncovered as needed. This concept, however, led to significant cost overruns and delays. By 1978, the Quebec government decided to proceed with the original plan, despite the challenges. The final costs varied depending on which components were considered, but the stadium and its tower accounted for nearly 70% of the total, making it the second most expensive stadium ever built at the time, after Wembley in London. To repay the debt, Quebec implemented a unique and somewhat controversial method: imposing a tax on tobacco. This system, introduced in 1976, lasted for three decades, though it faced some disruptions, including a smoking ban in 2006 that temporarily reduced tobacco sales. The debt was finally erased in 2006, but the stadium's maintenance costs continued to be high. In 2005-2006, government subsidies accounted for over half of the stadium's revenue, highlighting its ongoing financial challenges. The stadium's roof has had a particularly troubled history. The mast supporting the retractable canvas was not completed until 1987, and the first canvas was installed in 1988. However, the fabric quickly deteriorated, suffering repeated tears from storms and maintenance issues. By 1993, the Olympic Installations Board abandoned the idea of a retractable roof, and the canvas was fixed in place. Even after replacement in 1998, the new fabric continued to suffer damage, with over 20,000 tears recorded by the 2020s. In 2017, the government decided to dismantle the roof entirely, and in 2024, a new, more durable fixed roof was approved. Construction is expected to take about four years, with completion planned for 2027.