Mayor Drapeau insisted that the Games would be fully self-financed without the help of the provincial and federal governments, and that a deficit was unthinkable. However, he failed to expect… the unexpected.
Once the Games were over, given the magnitude of the deficit, the provincial government decided to set up a commission of inquiry to determine the origins of this deficit and find solutions to avoid similar situations in the future.
This commission was run by Albert Malouf, a Montreal lawyer and judge, who was the son of a Lebanese businessman. A park near Marché Central was even named in his honour, in the neighbourhood nicknamed “Little Beirut.”
In his report, Judge Malouf harshly criticized COJO and Mayor Drapeau for mismanaging the project. His findings pushed the provincial government to reform how major public projects are managed, to ensure greater transparency and monitoring.
