Marcel Aubut, president of the Canadian Olympic Committee ( COC ) poses in their offices in Montreal, November 13, 2013.Christinne Muschi/The Globe and Mail
Marcel Aubut hopes Canada bids to host another Games before his term as the country's Olympic boss is over.
The president of the Canadian Olympic Committee was asked whether Canada will consider bidding on another Winter Games after seeing the success the Russian team has had in Sochi.
"What I want is Canada to get interested again, be serious about bidding for Olympics, winter and summer really . . . fine with me," Aubut said Sunday.
"There's potential not only in winter, there's also potential in summer, especially with the Pan Am Games in 2015 in Toronto. The next step could be like Rio, just getting the Olympic Games."
Rio de Janeiro hosted the 2007 Pan American Games, then won the right to stage the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Aubut, whose term is up in April of 2017, was speaking at the COC's traditional wrap-up news conference at the Sochi Games.
Russia led the medals table with 33 – 13 gold, 11 silver and nine bronze.
Aubut said Canada's summer athletes need the lasting legacy of a home Olympics that winter athletes have enjoyed since the 1988 Calgary and 2010 Vancouver Games.
"We're more successful at winter Games, but we need more infrastructure for summer Games," Aubut said. "To be honest with you, I just dream that we get summer Games in our country, just for justifying a legacy of top infrastructure for years to come for so many youth of our country.
"But you need a mayor's signature to go forward. You need the federal government, you need all the provincial governments, you need everybody, Own The Podium, to say 'We'll do it.' "I hope before I finish my term we will launch something very serious for being a contender for getting back the Olympics in our country."
Toronto's Economic Development Committee voted unanimously in favour of deferring a bid for the 2024 Olympics.
Toronto bid to host the 2008 Games, losing out to Beijing.
The 1976 Montreal Games are the only summer Olympics Canada has hosted.