dave199
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Everything posted by dave199
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Wasn't the Athlete's village over $1 billion? They built a brand new community that was once a wasteland.
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Editorial piece from The Star Why Toronto should bid for the 2024 Olympics: Hepburn Pan Am Games have been good for GTA, and Olympics could be even better. Share on Facebook Jean-Christophe Bach / AP International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said last week that Toronto could be a good candidate for the 2024 Games. By: Bob Hepburn Politics, Published on Sat Jul 11 2015 Once considered a long-shot, Toronto’s chances of hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics are suddenly on the rise. In fact, the success so far of the 2015 Pan Am Games now underway across the Greater Toronto Area is prompting international Olympic organizers to take a long, hard look at the city again as possible host for the 2024 Games. That’s great news because, despite the incessant groaning by critics about traffic delays and poor ticket sales for some of the relatively more obscure sports, the Pan Am Games have been good for Toronto. And the truth is the Olympics could be even better for the city. Winning an Olympic bid would result in improved transit infrastructure, development of underused parts of the city and the city’s waterfront, a revival in economic development and a showcasing of local arts and culture to the world. At the same time, the gross overspending and mismanagement that have plagued recent Olympics, most notably at the 2008 Beijing Games and the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, appear to be over. Olympic organizers have learned hard lessons and last December instituted sweeping reforms designed to control costs and make it easier to bid for the Games. With that in mind, Toronto city council, with help from Queen’s Park and Ottawa, should move quickly to submit a bid for the 2024 Olympics. The deadline for bids is Sept. 15, barely two months away. The International Olympic Committee will select the winning city in the summer of 2017. Tokyo will host the 2020 Olympics. Already bidding for the 2024 Games are Boston, Paris, Rome, Budapest and Hamburg. IOC president Thomas Bach told the CBC last week that Toronto could be a good candidate for the 2024 Games, but he wanted to see how the Pan Am Games work. “A successful organization of such a big multi-sport event like the Pan Am Games can give a boost to a candidate,” Bach said. Preparing a full bid would require a lot of fast work, but it could be done. The initial step would be for Toronto’s economic development committee to reverse a decision it made in early 2014 against spending money to do a detailed pre-bid analysis of the pros and cons of hosting the Games. The next move would be to update the formal proposals for the Pan Am Games as well as the city’s failed 2008 and 1996 Olympic bids. Those in-depth documents included details of all the proposed Olympic venues, from basketball at the Air Canada Centre to boxing in Hamilton and skeet shooting in Oshawa. The biggest expenses would be for a new stadium, likely in the Toronto Port Lands area, a new athletes’ village and the inevitable security costs. Obviously, though, Toronto should bid for the Olympics only if it makes sense on several levels. First, the bidding process must be fair. That hasn’t been the case in some past years. When Toronto bid for the 2008 Games, it was clear the IOC was leaning heavily toward Beijing because China had never hosted the Games. The same is true when it came to the 2016 Olympics, with Rio de Janeiro becoming the first South American city to host the Games. However the bidding for 2024 appears to be truly open. The Summer Olympics haven’t been held in North America since the 1996 Atlanta Games. That could mean either Boston or Toronto, if it decides to join the bidding, could be the top front-runners. Second, the bid must make economic sense. The easy answer to that can be seen by taking a look at the impact the Pan Am Games have had on southern Ontario. The Toronto area has never experienced a boom in infrastructure and development as it has over the last five years. A total of 10 new sports facilities have been built and 15 existing sports facilities have been improved or renovated. In addition, Union Station has been modernized, a rail link has been built to Pearson airport, an athletes’ village built, the waterfront and Queens Quay improved and a subway to York University and Vaughan is nearing completion. As the Toronto Star said in an editorial on July 10, “the result is an extraordinary legacy that will serve Toronto residents, and those in surrounding regions, for decades to come.” Indeed, Toronto has accomplished a lot with the Pan Am Games. We can accomplish even more with the 2024 Olympics.
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A lot of the comments left behind are so retarded. I can't say I'm really surprised considering these are Sun newspaper readers. Example 1 (Is this necessary? Wonder if this user thought it was funny? ) GeertWildersKnows • 7 minutes ago Newsflash! LGBT games confirmed for Toronto in 2017! Caitlyn Transjenner looking to make a comeback in the Bi-athalon!
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Damn that Rob Ford! The buzz in definitely in the air now, the Pan Ams are finally winning over an audience who will want the bigger prize.
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Good performances by Canada. Still atop the medal table
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What a great display. The city should put on more firework displays from the CN Tower. This was a 15 year wait.
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Word has it you don't want to miss the first 10 minutes of the show.
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I'm just wondering, but are you guys saying this will be disappointing because the setup is not like a traditional ceremony setup?
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Never said it was a game changer. What I was trying to convey was with the current selection of candidates and other potential cities in the wing waiting to enter, Toronto would be the best candidate to challenge Paris. As for Boston, I hope things work out for them. The bid will probably be pulled. With the potential of Toronto entering the race, it will ultimately be disheartening for the Boston team.
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Full interview with Bach
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Video: News | Jul 7, 2015 | 1:01 Is Toronto poised to host Olympics?IOC president Thomas Bach says Toronto could be a good candidate to host the Olympic Games in 2024 http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/ID/2671245598/
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We all knew this would happen: During an interview with the CBC's Heather Hiscox, Thomas Bach says Toronto would be a great choice to host the 2024 Olympics. Trying to recruit, that's for sure.
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Some videos for your viewing pleasure: Behind the scenes at Pan Am athlete's village CBC's Heather Hiscox gets a tour of Toronto's newest neighbourhood, the Canary District http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/ID/2671163167/?page=3 'The city is ready' Toronto Mayor John Tory says the city is ready to host the Pan Am Games. http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/ID/2671159631/?page=3
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I'll give you that. Besides the stadium issue, what other problems was that New York bid having?
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Just read that Bach and 14 other IOC members followed him to Toronto for today's PASO opening. More IOC members are to come. Hope the Pan Ams run smoothly.
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The way I see it: If Toronto doesn't enter. it will be between Rome + Paris. If Toronto enters, a strong North American opponent, it will be Toronto vs. either Rome/Paris on final ballot. I just can't see both European cities going up against each other on a final ballot when there is a strong NA city in this race. I wouldn't say Paris is unbeatable but they're definitely a mammoth of an opponent to go up against. We beat them on the ballot for 2008 but the circumstances are much different now. As of right now, I don't see any other candidate or potential applicant posing any kind of threat to the current order of favourties for this race besides Toronto. Can we get some international members perspectives here? Besides Paris being this beautiful picturesque city with tremendous amount of history and appeal, the 100 year anniversary since it's last Olympics may really help its cause. Add to this its close heartbreaking loss to London for 2012. What will Paris do if they lose by a close vote again for 2024? Will IOC members be torn with the possibility of denying Paris again? So many questions and unknowns at this point.
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Has the Opening reel been released yet by the CBC?
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Audio of radio talk show: Topic is a Toronto 2024 bid, one of the talk show hosts is positive and the other very negative..lol Sources mention that the IOC is trying to secure the North American bid because Boston may fall through hence the meetings with Bach.and Toronto 2015 organizers. https://soundcloud.com/live-drive/june-30th-2015-fill-in-hosts-alex-pierson-and-scott-reid
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Pan Am Games seen as possibly setting the stage for a Toronto Olympics bid Jul 3 10:47 AM ET More from Richard Warnica THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris YoungMayor John Tory, walking with his wife Barbara Hackett during Toronto’s Pride Parade on Sunday, said the Pan Am Games have helped set deadlines for progress. Twitter Google+ Reddit Email Typo? More Several prominent Torontonians see the upcoming Pan Am Games as a dry run for a possible Olympic bid — including Mayor John Tory. In an interview with the National Post, Tory praised the Pan Am Games for bringing much-needed infrastructure to Toronto and suggested future games could do even more. “Whether it’s the Olympics or the Pan Am Games or these kind of things, they open on a given day and you have to be ready,” he said. “The train to the airport … wouldn’t be running yet if the Pan Am Games weren’t happening.” Tory wouldn’t commit to anything specific, saying he’d be guided by how “the overall Pan Am story goes.” “But if you said to me, ‘Do I believe these international games are useful?’ “Yes I do.” Tyler Anderson/NP/FilesDeputy Mayor Glenn De Baeremaeker: A "reluctant convert" to the Olympic idea. Toronto has tried and failed to bring the summer Olympics home twice before, in 1996 and 2008. The head of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Marcel Aubet, recently told the Toronto Star the city is primed to make another bid. “My view is this country should look at the Summer Games as a priority and there’s not any other city in the country other than Toronto that could offer the site to do this,” Aubet told the newspaper. Recent changes to Olympic bid rules, meanwhile, mean many of the facilities Ontario built for the Pan Am Games could be reused for a future Olympics, said Bob Richardson, the well-connected organizer behind Toronto’s Pan Am bid. “Sochi was a wake-up call in terms of cost,” he said. “I think it’s a much more flexible proposition now.” Richardson, who co-chaired Tory’s successful mayoral campaign, said the city’s priority for now should be on the Pan Am Games, which open on July 10. “We haven’t done anything for 80 years,” he said. “Let’s get this one right before we start worrying about the next one.” Deputy Mayor Glenn De Baeremaeker, though, said he’s already become a “reluctant convert” to the Olympic idea. “As much as I hate to admit it, I think the answer is yes,” he said when asked if he’d support an Olympic bid. De Baeremaeker believes the Olympics would guarantee a vast investment in Toronto infrastructure. “For better or for worse, these international events do seem to be the trigger that makes us build things,” he said. De Baeremaeker said he’d personally push for projects like the downtown relief subway line — an idea mooted in Toronto for decades — to be included in an Olympic proposal. “It’s a sad state of affairs that it takes a special event to make sure we get good transit,” he said. In the lead-up to the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Vancouver region saw vast infrastructure spending. Long-delayed projects that included a new highway to Whistler, a rail link to the airport and a convention centre were all rushed to completion, largely with provincial and federal funds. “I honestly think that if you align your legacies with real problems that a host has, a region has, you can do an incredible job with the amount of money that seems available from other levels of government,” said Robert VanWynsberghe, a University of British Columbia professor who studied the financial legacy of the Games for the Canadian Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee. Related Mystery tunnel discovery spurred Pan Am ticket sale ‘spike,’ games CEO Saad Rafi says Pana-meh-mania: Apathy rampant in Toronto in lead up to Pan Am Games — but rural Cookstown is keen Pan Am Games set to cripple an already congested region for events in near-empty stadiums Toronto councillors mulled over a bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics, but the economic development committee rejected the idea last year. The city has until Sept. 15 to reverse that decision and, with the National Olympic Committee’s support, put its name forward to the IOC. Despite reports of wide apathy in the city and complaints of pending traffic chaos during the 16-day Pan Am Games, Tory said they’ve already been a success in terms of what they’ve brought the city, including the Union Pearson Express service and the new Scarborough aquatic centre. “I do believe that’s one of the reasons you apply for these international events,” he said. “They set deadlines.” National Post
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As expected, talks are really starting to ramp up about Toronto jumping back into the race. John Tory won't talk about this until the Pan Am games are done and a success. Thomas Bach will be in the city tomorrow and has a scheduled meeting with Tory. Plus there is a lot of chatter via various Canadian media outlets that the city will reverse the decision they made in January 2014 to not bid for 2024. Some Councillors are changing their tune on the issue. With Paris officially in this race, I'm really nervous going up against them this time. They're huge favourites. If Toronto does bid will this be the same scenario the city faced when they bid for 2008, where Beijing was the frontrunner by a huge margin? Should we actually give it another chance and let time and luck take its course?
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Thomas Bach will be in Toronto starting tomorrow. Mayor John Tory has a meeting with him
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Hear is audio from Bob Richardson (bid leader) and Mayor John Tory about Toronto 2024 bid.
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This Toronto Councillor is really reaching with this attempt. Hosting some of the venues for the Boston bid? Really? Mind you, this is the same guy that proposed submitting a co-host bid for the 2024 Olympics with Buffalo a year ago. Atleast the talk of bidding for 2024 has really picked up steam in Toronto over the past month. John Tory won't publicly discuss it until the Pan Am Games are done. http://www.torontosun.com/2015/06/18/toronto-to-offer-hosting-help-to-boston-in-olympic-bid