Colisée destined for demolition after 75 years
Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
cassandra@qctonline.com
On March 5, the Ville de Québec opened the doors of the Colisée de Québec to the media for a final photo-op. The group walked the vacant halls, rooms, restaurants and stands vibrating with 75 years of sports and entertainment history.
During this visit, there were no official speeches, only remarks by people who shared memories of watching famous games and shows. Many photographers and reporters recalled their first assignments covering hockey games and concerts, from the stands to the press gallery up in the rafters. The final event was a Metallica concert on Sept. 14, 2015. Two days later, the new Videotron Centre, with a capacity of over 18,000 spectators for games and 19,000 for concerts, opened for the first time.
If the walls of the Colisée could talk, they would have many stories to tell. Construction of the original building started on May 24, 1949. It still stands today, despite being hidden in plain sight after the 1980 renovations, which gave it its glass facade and more entrances. While maintaining its charm, the modernized Colisée grew to accommodate an additional 5,000 spectators, just one of the NHL requirements.
From December 1949 to May 2015, families and fans flocked to the home games of the As, Nordiques, Citadelles and Remparts, as well as the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament every February from 1960 to 2015.
The Colisée was originally nicknamed “the House Béliveau Built,” in honour of Jean Béliveau, whose minor hockey heroics filled the arena in the early days. From those games on, the ambience and atmosphere at the Colisée were electrifying, especially during Nordiques-Canadiens games. Between periods, children played street hockey in the corridors as their parents bought hot dogs, drinks and popcorn. In the meantime, players and coaches planned their moves in the locker rooms. Now vacant and stripped clean, the rooms appear tiny in comparison to those in modern arenas. For hockey fans, it’s a privilege to step onto the ice in an arena that saw the likes of Béliveau, Guy Lafleur, Jacques Cloutier, the Stastny brothers and Patrick Roy. Even Maurice “The Rocket” Richard left his mark there when he coached the Nordiques’ first two games in 1972. It’s hard to imagine the roar of the crowd when the ice has long since melted away and the vast space converted into storage facilities for the Festival d’été de Québec.
Besides hockey games, the Colisée also hosted thousands of concerts. Fans filled the amphitheatre to see and hear Céline Dion, James Blunt, Ozzy Osbourne, Korn, Blink-182, Bryan Adams, Shania Twain, Bob Dylan, David Bowie and KISS, to name a few.
The once lively amphitheatre is now a shadow of its former self. Dust covers everything. Metal bolts on the concrete bleachers are all that is left of the 15,176 seats. The souvenir boutique is bare; the ticket counters are vacant. The lobbies are filled with neatly piled chairs, plywood and tables. A ghost-like “COLISÉE PEPSI” can still be seen on the facade, although the letters were removed in September 2019.
No demolition schedule has yet been set for the Colisée. The estimated cost is $20 million over two years.