Toronto resident Peter Landry is the proud father of Canadian gold medal-winning rugby player Ghislaine Landry.
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We are about halfway through the Pan Am Games and so far, the athletic contests and cultural showcases seem to be a success. Canadian athletes are bringing home the hardware and many events are attracting big crowds.
The latter is a giant relief, given the major mistakes organizers have made in promoting the games and in setting up a ticket-selling process that is complicated beyond forgiveness.
Many people have told me they gave up trying to buy tickets because the system is so convoluted, so time-consuming, and so confusing.
I attended a "sold-out" event where a significant part of the stadium at Toronto's BMO Field was not made available. Of course, on the hottest, sunniest days of the summer, the best-shaded seats were reserved for VIPs and, predictably, were not used. I guess these VIPs just like the idea of having the best seats, not that they want to actually sit in them.
But if you are fortunate enough to get through the maze of buying tickets and become part of a big crowd at an event, you will behold the miracle of people who ignored the pleas of Pan Am organizers in recent months to avoid the Greater Toronto Area at all costs during the games.
That strategy was comparable to a major anchor store at a shopping mall inviting customers to its grand opening – but at the same time warning people that traffic and parking will be a nightmare.
Added to this is the unfortunate tendency of Torontonians to be cynical about anything they don't perceive to be world class.
Of course, this is the same city that sells out tickets for the Maple Leafs, which belies its self-proclaimed world classiness (enough said).
The common argument about the Pan Am Games from the self-declared followers of world-class events is that these games are not the Olympics. Well, duh! Yes, we get it: Only the Olympics are the Olympics.
But some of the best athletes in the world are here, now, participating in the Pan Am Games.
For many, Pan Am is an Olympic qualifier; others have already qualified and will be in Rio next summer. Several are the best in the world in their sports or, at minimum, are the best in their countries.
How many of the naysayers can say that about what they themselves do? Being the best in their neighbourhoods would be a stretch.
Because this isn't the Olympics and they have no interest in Pan Am, the whiners continue, their commute should not be disrupted by extra traffic or high-occupancy vehicle lanes.
Using that kind of logic, then, Toronto should kick out the Leafs and the Raptors and stop all music and arts festivals. Many of us don't attend Leafs games but have our commutes disrupted by their fans on every game day. We tolerate it because communities need to have fun, to celebrate and to cheer.
And besides – lighten up, for goodness sake.
Still, despite all the naysayers and the disappointing organization, somehow Pan Am is all very satisfying.
People who love sports and cultural events have just focused on the goal, avoided the detractors and the mandarins, cheered on our Canadian athletes, and welcomed the Americas.