Southern Ontario’s 2015 Pan Am Bid Gets Positive Response In Beijing

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said Thursday in Beijing, where he is promoting Southern Ontario's bid for the 2015 Pan American Games to the international sports community, that the province of Ontario has guaranteed it will cover any budget shortfalls in its bid.

McGuinty said, "if you want to host the Olympic Games, if you want to host the Pan American Games, you have to be prepared to cover any cost overruns. That's what B.C. (British Columbia) is doing with the Whistler Olympics (Vancouver 2010 Games) and that's what we're going to do", reports the Toronto Sun.

According to the newspaper McGuinty has had four important meetings in Beijing with major players in the Pan Am world including Pan American Sports Organization president Mario Vazques Rana.

McGuinty said, "it's really helped me understand the nature of the challenge we face", adding that much of what he's heard so far has been very positive.

He said he's being told that although Toronto lost out to Beijing for this years Games, the city's bid is still remembered as a technical tour de force that was passed over for the historic opportunity to bring China into the world community".

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