Olympic Stadium's roof ripped 1240 times last year

Thefabric roof on Montreal's Olympic Stadium continues to deteriorate, according to the 2012 annual report of the Olympic Installations Board (RIO.)

An inspection last fall found 826 new defects or tears in the fibreglass material. That's after inspectors counted 414 tears in the spring of 2012 for a total of 1,240. Repairs to the roof cost the RIO $316,000.

"The degradation of the mechanical properties of the fabric are significant, and aging is more significant than anticipated," the annual report states.

The RIO has been documenting a gradual deterioration of the fabric roof for the past several years. In 2009, the Montreal fire department was worried enough that it insisted on reviewing the security protocols at the stadium to ensure public safety.

Earlier this month,the advisory committee on the future of Montreal's Olympic Park called for the replacement of the roof.

Montreal Mayor Michael Applebaum reiterated that on Friday.

"We need a replacement roof, and we're talking about a roof that is able to open in the summer time," Applebaum said.

The RIO has spent $1.4 million over the past two years studying its options for replacing the roof.

The roof is not the only expensive problem the installations board is facing. The parking structure at the Big O will also need major repairs over the next few years.