Cirque Eloize faces millions in Losses after water main break

Last month’s massive water main break in Montreal’s Ville Marie borough has left the company Cirque Eloize reeling, with nearly 10,000 items from their storage facility destroyed.

The damage includes vital equipment, costumes, and instruments, but for the troupe’s founder, the loss of three decades’ worth of archives is the hardest blow.

“For sure it’s memories of the history of Cirque Eloize, because when we started, we were alone. There were no circuses out there except for Cirque du soleil,” Jeannot Painchaud said in a recent interview.

Set pieces that once dazzled audiences were reduced to debris in the aftermath of the deluge.  

As a result, the troupe has been forced to pause touring as it tallies the toll.

Painchaud estimates the total cost of the losses to be nearly $2 million, and he’s calling on the City of Montreal to step up and cover part of the expenses.

“We are waiting from the city people and the mayor to act properly and be with us,” he said.

A spokesperson for the city said the claim analysis is still underway and will take a few weeks, but they couldn’t provide a clearer timeline.

Painchaud said there is a battle ahead, with the team working to build an inventory of the lost items.

However, he added that after 33 years in business, the show must – and will – go on.