Canada and the International Olympic Committee’s Exclusion of Rhodesia: The Diplomatic Effort to Prevent a Boycott of the Montreal Games, 1974–1976

Although African boycott threats of the 1968 Mexico City Olympics over South Africa and 1972 Munich Olympics over Rhodesia had been narrowly averted, Canada took no chances in the years before the Montreal Games in 1976. Under scrutiny from the Organization of African Unity and its allies, the Canadian Ministry of External Affairs tightened its policies to prohibit federal funding and implement a total visa ban for Rhodesian athletes. However, Canada faced a number of diplomatic challenges that risked a backlash among sports organizers and the public as it began implementing the new policy. Guided by a commitment to multilateralism, Canada had a reputation as a bridge between other Western countries and the African members of the Commonwealth during Rhodesian UDI. Even after the Montreal Olympic boycott, faced with an intransigent New Zealand, Canada played the role of mediator as it strove for consensus between sports organizers and anti-apartheid activists.