It's 1970, and the mayor of Montreal, Jean Drapeau, declares that the 1976 Montreal Games will be self-financing. 

In his view, these games can no more have a deficit "...than a man can have a baby". In fact, he thinks the real problem will be in determining how to spend the surplus. But over the coming years, all this optimism will evaporate, and the games will become a financial disaster. 

This project had everything: poor planning, fraudulent practice and corruption. And it shows what happens when architectural and financial free-reign combine with political ambition and immovable deadlines.


  This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

It's 1970, and the mayor of Montreal, Jean Drapeau, declares that the 1976 Montreal Games will be self-financing.&nbsp; In his view, these games can no more have a deficit "...than a man can have a baby". In fact, he thinks the real problem will be in determining how to spend the surplus. But over the coming years, all this optimism will evaporate, and the games will become a financial disaster.&nbsp; This project had everything: poor planning, fraudulent practice and corruption. And it shows what happens when architectural and financial free-reign combine with political ambition and immovable deadlines. This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit <a href="https://wavelengthcreative.com/?utm_source=show-notes&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=rss-feed-footer">wavelengthcreative.com</a> for more information.

A show about engineering failures and disasters. We examine the technical, human and organisational causes of failure, and explore why our decision-making is not nearly as rational as we’d like to think.