EXCLUSIVE | Taxing tourists to complete renovations at the Olympic Stadium

I've spoken with several people over the past few days about the renovation of the Olympic Stadium and the future of CF Montréal.

Yesterday afternoon, I was told that the provincial government would not be announcing anything regarding the stadium before the National Assembly's summer recess on Friday. However, this lack of an announcement is not a disaster: the public pressure of recent weeks has reportedly given many government officials pause for thought. I was told—on condition of anonymity, of course—that the government is expected to announce this summer (following a Cabinet meeting) investments of approximately $200 million for a new phase of the Olympic Stadium's modernization. Seats, bleachers, and restrooms would be prioritized so that the stadium can open in 2028 capable of hosting world-class events.

I've been told this announcement could come in July.

There is reason to believe that locker rooms meeting MLS standards could also be built during this phase, but I imagine they will want a clear commitment from CF Montréal regarding its future. Will Joey Saputo commit to staying in Montréal for five, ten, or even twenty years if the government uses public funds to renovate the stadium and, in the end, it meets MLS requirements?

He'll have to, otherwise the government won't spend “our” money according to MLS specifications.

But I'll say it again: will Joey Saputo be willing to “tie the knot” again with the City of Montreal and the Province of Quebec if he doesn't get boxes, VIP areas, and premium seats right from the start of the next phase?

At the same time, if the government decides to put up nearly 200 million—that's the amount I've heard mentioned over the past few days—how would Joey Saputo look if he said, “That's not enough; I'm slamming the door and walking away”?

No, the week ending tomorrow won't have been as decisive as initially anticipated, but the summer will be. I'm told that CF Montréal's future may be decided just before the construction break.

Shouldn't Joey Saputo invest the $80 million that these VIP/Premium sections are likely to cost himself? After all, he'll benefit from it…

But other promoters will benefit as well. CF Montréal won't be the only tenant at the Olympic Stadium, and things could quickly get complicated if other companies use the sections funded by Joey and the Saputo family
. Especially since all the renovations will serve purposes far beyond CF Montréal: concerts, NFL, CFL, hockey, Monster Trucks, etc.

A “new” tax to fund the modernization of the Olympic Stadium?

Several sources have told me in recent days that the government is considering the idea of increasing the lodging tax to
1. Fund the modernization of the Olympic Stadium, IGA Stadium, and the Palais des Congrès, and 2. To be able to bid more aggressively to bring major international events to Montreal, such as the World Junior
Championship (which will go to Alberta due to a roughly $2 million difference) and major shows.

Currently, the lodging tax is only 3.5%. And it is often paid by foreigners visiting Quebec.

To give you an idea, it's 8.5% in Toronto, 5.5% in Vancouver, 14.75% in New York, about 12.75% in San Diego, and 12.5% in Amsterdam. Raising Quebec's lodging tax to around 5 or 6% would make sense and be acceptable, wouldn't it? Even though, in principle, I'm not very in favor of tax increases.

Currently, this Quebec accommodation tax is paid to regional tourism associations; Tourisme Montréal in the case of Montreal (and the Olympic Stadium).

This potential tax increase would allow us to modernize the interior of the Olympic Stadium, add a roof to the IGA Stadium, renovate the Palais des Congrès… but also to host a Winter Classic (NHL) or even one day have both the men's AND women's tournaments in Montreal at the same time. Because yes, there are people in government who dream of seeing Montreal snatch the Rogers Cup from Toronto to host both women's AND men's games every year at the IGA Stadium AND the Olympic Stadium.

It's worth noting that with the 12-meter-wide windows that will run all the way around the new roof of Olympic Stadium, there will be enough light coming in for the NHL to agree to host a Winter Classic in Montreal, according to people at the Canadiens.

I prefer the user-pays concept to the concept of taxing everyone. And so do top public relations strategists…

This is an excellent idea!!! We're thinking of visitors, but all the staff at major events and all the teams coming to Montreal have this lodging tax in common. Kudos for this user-pays idea!

— Victor Henriquez (@VMHcom) June 11, 2026

It remains to be seen whether, with all these efforts on the government's part, we'll manage to save CF Montréal…

Otherwise, we'll have a damn nice modern stadium that won't have a permanent team.

Joey Saputo and the government need each other just as much. Talk it out and “finish the job,” as Don Garber said about ten days ago.