Toronto's Mayor John Tory stands in the council chamber during an inauguration ceremony in Toronto, Dec. 2, 2014.Chris Young/The Associated Press
Toronto will not compete to host the 2024 Olympics, Mayor John Tory said, though he's leaving the door open for a future bid.
For weeks, the mayor has remained coy about whether he will submit a letter of interest in hosting the 2024 Olympic Games, saying an official decision wouldn't be made public until Tuesday's deadline. But at a news conference Tuesday morning, he officially ended speculation, telling reporters, "Not this time."
"I believe that one day, Toronto will be a great venue for the Olympic Games," he said. "But not in 2024."
Mr. Tory said he only made his decision late Monday – on the eve of the deadline – and cited timing as the reason behind his decision.
"In the end, it's not my job to be rash," Mr. Tory said about the short window he had between last month's Pan Am Games and the Sept. 15 deadline to make the decision. He refrained from deciding at the height of the Pan Am Games excitement, he added, quipping that "the best time to go shopping is not when you're hungry."
An Olympic bid at this time would not be the best use of the city's energy or investment, he said.
Ahead of Mr. Tory's announcement, sources told The Globe that the mayor's discussions with political and business leaders had shown little enthusiasm about a potential bid. The mayor confirmed this Tuesday, saying the private sector – which he had hoped would cover the cost of a bid – was not "rushing forward with their chequebooks."
He added that a lack of commitment from Ottawa, as a result of the federal election campaign, was also a factor.
The mayor added that he doesn't feel Toronto should need an Olympic deadline to get necessary infrastructure built, including transit and housing.
"I know that we can and will achieve those things without seeking the Olympics at this time."
In a statement Tuesday morning, the Canadian Olympic Committee thanked Mr. Tory.
"We respect the mayor's decision today and appreciation the thorough consideration given to a potential candidature," said COC president Marcel Aubut. "We remain optimistic Toronto could and should host the Olympic Games in the future."
The mayor echoed that optimism Tuesday, saying he will form an advisory group to look into the idea of hosting the Olympics or similar events in the future.
Already, speculation has surfaced about potential 2026 or 2028 bids.
"When and if we decide to compete for these events," he said, "we will do it right."
Ann Hui