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'Another circus we don't need'

Broadcast Date: Feb. 4, 1973

Even though the 1976 Olympics are still three years away, they're already generating heated debates. In this televised panel discussion, flamboyant journalist Dick Beddoes rails against the upcoming Games, calling them "another circus we don't need." Meanwhile, Howard Radford of the Olympic Organizing Committee vehemently defends the Games, as does Olympic figure skater Toller Cranston. "I think we should be proud to have them, and go about it in the best way to have a great Olympics," says Cranston.

Several young, vocal audience members add more fire to the debate. One man questions the hidden costs and doesn't buy the argument that coin sales will generate enough money to pay for the event. "Mayor Drapeau is really trying to fool the Canadian people on this," he shouts.

'Another circus we don't need'

• During the early 1970s, there were many debates throughout Montreal and Canada over whether the city should be hosting the Games at all. Most of those opposed were especially concerned about finances — would taxpayers be footing the bill, they wondered, and would the Games take money away from important social programs?

• Supporters of the Games believed that grand events like the Olympics were just as necessary for the city's well being as social programs. In 1970, Drapeau stated: "There is no reason why life, even for the poor, must be depressing. We need things like Expo and the Olympics because of the spiritual value they represent and inspire."

• In the years leading up to the Olympics, Globe and Mail journalist Dick Beddoes was extremely vocal about his opposition to Montreal's Games. This wasn't only for financial reasons — he believed the Olympics were outdated and had become too political. In numerous newspaper columns and media appearances, he said he feared that the Games had become a public platform for "murderers" making political statements. He often cited the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Games as an example.

'Another circus we don't need'

Medium: Television

Program: Weekend

Broadcast Date: Feb. 4, 1973

Guest(s): Dick Beddoes, Toller Cranston, Roger Jackson, Marcel Léger, Howard Radford

Host: Jim Eayrs, Charlotte Gobeil

Duration: 15:36

Last updated:
May 30, 2004