The Toronto region remains a top contender to play host to the 2015 Pan American Games despite the weak economy, say bid organizers, who won strong backing yesterday from a key Toronto Council committee.
"What the Pan Am bid offers is a chance for the city to have a great party with no hangover," Ontario bid chairman and former premier David Peterson told Mayor David Miller and his executive committee.
Subject to council approval this month, the mayor's executive committee unanimously pledged $49.5-million as the city's share of the $1.4-billion Pan Am budget. The federal and provincial governments have pledged to cover 70 per cent of the cost, with 30 per cent from municipalities.
The bulk of Toronto's pledge is $37.5-million toward a $170.5-million aquatics and athletics centre at the University of Toronto's Scarborough campus. U of T will put up $37.5-million, with the balance coming from the province and Ottawa.
With a high-performance training centre to reverse Ontario's "brawn drain," the facility would be the showpiece venue, with other competitions held across Southern Ontario. The rest of Toronto's $49.5-million would go to track and field improvements in parks, and resurfacing roads for cycling races.
What makes Toronto and other municipalities keen on the Games is the potential to jump-start local projects with funding from senior governments.
"The city of Toronto has one Olympic-size pool," said Mr. Miller, naming the Etobicoke Olympian. "For a city of 2.7 million people that is shockingly inadequate." The Scarborough centre would have two 15-metre Olympic pools and a 10-metre diving tower for later use by the community.
"It is an extraordinary legacy, potentially," the mayor said.
As well, he said, a winning bid would guarantee speedier construction of a light-rail transit line for Scarborough, now set to go into service in 2019 under a plan to add 120 kilometres of transit in suburban neighbourhoods.
"The province will have to find a way to ensure that the Scarborough-Malvern LRT is built and running by 2015," Mr. Miller said, as the 10-day event is set for July, 2015.
Lima, Peru, and Bogota, Colombia, are the main competitors. A Canadian win would bring the Pan Am Games here for the first time since Winnipeg played host in 1999.
