Jump to content

Toronto 2015


Apple

Recommended Posts

Well done Toronto - I have to say not being much interested in the Panams this had slipped my attention - very very well done Toronto. A great achievement and I really hope it's a stepping stone to a SOG maybe in the late 20s. Congratulations! I love Toronto so I may even pop across for it and start to be interested in the Panams.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pan Am party winding down

Focus shifts to next steps for 2015 event

November 07, 2009

JOHN KERNAGHAN

THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR

http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/668642

GUADALAJARA, Mexico -- Nice job. Now get outta here.

That's the reality of the bid business. The staff that pushed hard to deliver the 2015 Pan Am Games for southern Ontario are out of work today.

And as they partied late into Saturday morning, you couldn't find a happier group.

Toronto 2015 bid company will wind down and give way to a transition team that will begin to form a Games organizing committee, hire a CEO and begin the process of building the $170 million in facilities Hamilton and Burlington are in line for.

Some staff like Hamilton's Trish Chant-Sehl will return to jobs like hers with Tourism Hamilton.

Others are consultants or from media firms. Most hope they get tipped for the next stage.

"When you've been with the group that wins the Games, you hope you can carry on in the next stage," said Bob Johnston, the architect who designed the proposed 15,000-seat stadium for Hamilton.

With the bid company wrapping up, the Canadian Olympic Committee will shepherd the rights to 2015 until an organizing board can be struck and bid administrator named.

The COC has 90 days to do that but president Michael Chambers said he hopes it can happen earlier.

"We'll have a head-hunter look for a CEO and work on a board which will have representation from all levels of government and sport."

Expect Hamilton businessman David Braley to be asked to sit on the board. He was on the bid board and Gary Lunn, Secretary of State for Sport, said Friday night that Braley was there to protect federal government interests.

Candidates for CEO include Jagoda Pike, who held that job in winning the bid, and the CEO of the COC, Chris Rudge. He will be leaving that post after the Olympics in Vancouver.

Both declined comment as they left the Pan Am congress here.

David Peterson, who chaired the bidding group, could be back in the same role with the organizing group.

It will oversee the $1.4-billion Games and $1-billion athlete's village, including contracting all construction and Games operations.

In Hamilton, work will continue on studying traffic patterns related to the proposed West Harbour stadium site, said David Adames, the executive-director of Tourism Hamilton and the city's pointman for the Pan Am bid.

He said he will begin assessing what test events Hamilton would want to run at the stadium and velodrome. Both should be ready in July, 2014, a year out from the Games.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What I'm most excited about the most is a lot of stuff will finally get done and completed in the City of Toronto. Usually high priority infrasructure upgrades always take forever to get completed. There's usually all talk for years and years and years before a shovel even goes into the ground. Now with the 2015 Pan American Games, Toronto had a deadline to meet so things will definitely get done.

I'm most excited to see the TTC's Transit City plan to be fast tracked and the numerous new LRT lines to be complete by 2015. Also the expansion of the Subway lines into Vaughan Region to be completed much earlier. Add to the fact that I'm hearing that a new Downtown Relief Subway Line might get the Greenlight as well.

I'm also hearing that the CN Tower's project to renovate its base and the park there have now been fast tracked.

I'm pretty sure a lot more details will be leaking out within the month.

The Pan Am Games might not be the biggest International Sporting event in the world but atleast it gives Toronto officials a reason to make sure projects are complete by a strict deadline. Can't wait! This will definitely improve the quality of Toronto's next Olympic bid.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Games bid chair returns to life as U of T chancellor

November 09, 2009

Vanessa Lu

Toronto Star

GUADALAJARA, Mexico

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/669159

After ensuring a decisive win on the first ballot to host the Pan Am Games in 2015, David Peterson returns to his other life this week.

Among Peterson's duties will be presiding over seven convocations as University of Toronto chancellor.

"I've done my job. I was asked to deliver a victory," said Peterson, who headed the bid.

The former Ontario premier says it's time for a host corporation to be formed to run the Games. A board will be named quickly, with the province appointing three directors, including the chair. The federal government appoints three, Toronto appoints one, the Canadian Olympic Committee four and the Canadian Paralympic Committee one.

A national search will be held for the chief executive officer, who must be in place within 90 days. It is a crucial job to run the day-to-day operations.

Jagoda Pike has served as Toronto 2015 bid president and chief operating officer. She also chaired Hamilton's bids for the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Hiring for the Pan Am Games' operations will slowly ramp up, with probably 500 staff in total.

"Development needs to start now," Peterson said. "The only thing I know for sure is everything takes longer than you think."

While some from the bid team will move over to the new corporation, senior adviser Bob Richardson says different skill sets are needed.

"This is a massive building project. You need people with construction, design and architectural experience. You also need people who understand the operations of games and sports."

The $1.4-billion bid includes money to upgrade existing sports facilities across the GTA, as well as build an aquatic centre and high-performance training centre in Scarborough, a new track and field stadium, velodrome and practice pool in Hamilton, and a 10,000-seat soccer stadium in Burlington. It also calls for $1 billion to build the athletes' village in the West Donlands on Toronto's waterfront.

Actual construction on sporting facilities likely won't begin until spring at the earliest because the work will need to be tendered and sign-offs required.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Search is on for Pam Am Games CEO

Canadian Olympic Committee hires head-hunter to create

November 30, 2009

John Kernaghan

The Hamilton Spectator

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/681671

The 2015 Pan Am Games movement has hired a talent hunter to identify a shortlist of candidates to run the day-to-day operation as it builds to the $1.4-billion showcase.

And at the same time, Hamilton's David Braley is emerging as a potential candidate for chair of the Games host company.

The Canadian Olympic Committee late last week named executive search firm Odgers Berndtson to prepare a list of prospective CEOs.

That came on the heels of the 2015 Pan Am bid board winding up its business with a celebratory clink of glasses last Tuesday. It signalled a new stage as some board members move on while others may hope to carry on with the mission of delivering the 2015 Games.

"We toasted the victory which we were able to deliver substantially under the ($10-million) budget," said bid chair David Peterson.

"It's still a nice feeling and exciting with an enormous opportunity for Hamilton," said Braley, a city businessman and bid board member.

Next up is a brief period in which a small transition team appointed by the COC holds the reins until a Games organizing board of directors is named by year's end.

It will have four members named by the COC, the Ontario and federal governments hold three spots each and the Canadian Paralympic Committee and City of Toronto one.

The key role is chair, a volunteer position to be filled by the provincial government, the lead agency in the 2015 Pan Am initiative.

"I don't think so," Peterson said when asked if he was interested.

"My job was to deliver the win and that job is done."

Braley should be a candidate, says fellow city businessman Ron Foxcroft, because he has rare experience in running a major international sports event.

He chaired the 2003 World Road Cycling Championships in Hamilton, which produced an estimated economic impact of $48.3 million and a $1.1-million profit for the sport locally. Half of the latter amount went to create the National Cycling Centre Hamilton and half to support young racers through development programs at the Canadian Cycling Association Foundation.

Braley prefers to work quietly in the background, noted Foxcroft, a close friend, and work with an administrator who handles communication aspects.

His sports portfolio includes turning the British Columbia Lions into a money-maker and running the Canadian Football League as interim commissioner.

Peterson said Braley should certainly be on the organizing committee: "He made some good contributions to the bid process."

Braley, who began campaigning for the 2015 Pan Ams four years ago, has a vision of marrying $170 million in new facilities in Hamilton and Burlington with research at McMaster University, which is slated for a $35-million pool in the Games blueprint.

The car-parts magnate has said of his management style: "I set the tent and leave the details to others. If things start to go sideways, then I step in."

Braley, who represented the federal government's $500-million stake in the Games on the bid board, believes current Canadian Olympic Committee CEO Chris Rudge would be an excellent candidate for the Pan Am CEO job.

Toronto 2015 bid CEO Jagoda Pike, a former Hamilton Spectator publisher, said the disbanding of the bid company was a "bittersweet" time, but declined comment on her future.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Hamilton's David Braley named to Pan Am board

December 28, 2009

Hamilton Spectator

http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/696663

Hamilton has its man on the 2015 Pan am Games host board.

David Braley, who has worked to get the Games for four years, was named yesterday to the group which will oversee the $1.4-billion sports showcase.

“Braley probably has the most rounded credentials around in terms of business and sports,” said city businessman Ron Foxcroft.

Braley is president of Orlick Industries, owns the British Columbia Lions football team and ran the 2003 Road World Cycling Championships in Hamilton.

Braley also sat on the bid board and was instrumental in getting a pool and velodrome for Hamilton back in the bid footprint after budget cuts.

He joins chair Roger Garland, a Toronto chartered accountant and long-time director of Four Seasons Hotels, and 10 others on the board.

Following are the board members:

· Marcel Aubut, President-Elect, Canadian Olympic Committee

· Sylvie Bernier, Chef de Mission for Canada, 2008 Olympic Summer Games; Olympian and Pan Am Games Athlete and Medallist – Diving

· Martha G. Billes, Canadian Tire Corporation

· David Braley, President, Orlick Industries Limited

· Michael Chambers, President, Canadian Olympic Committee

· Tony Gagliano, Executive Chairman, CEO of St. Joseph Communications

· Sandra Levy, Director, Human Resources, Magna Exteriors and Interiors Corporation; Olympian – Field Hockey

· Carla Qualtrough, BSSc, LLB; President, Canadian Paralympic Committee; Paralympian

· Chris Rudge, CEO and Secretary General, Canadian Olympic Committee

· Victoria Winter, Partner, Beard Winter LLP; Pan Am Games Athlete and Medallist – Dressage

· Andrew Wright, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, CB Richard Ellis

Link to comment
Share on other sites

'Enormous' job challenge ahead for new Pan Am chair

December 29, 2009

John Kernaghan

The Hamilton Spectator

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/696817

The man in the seat where the Pan Am buck stops said he was surprised at the $700-million building job that lies ahead for the 2015 Games.

Roger Garland, named yesterday as host board chair, noted the Games' infrastructure budget is bigger than the Vancouver Olympics budget, which is about $580 million.

About a quarter of Pan Am construction, or $170 million, is slated for Hamilton and Burlington.

The wide footprint amounts to an "enormous" job that will boost athlete, sport and community development, said the former luxury hotel executive.

Garland, who has been involved in promotion of the arts community in Toronto, is a chartered accountant who spent 25 years as a director of Four Seasons Hotels.

He told a media teleconference yesterday he hopes to convene a host company (or HostCo) board meeting soon with the priority of hiring a CEO and management team.

Hamilton's man on the 2015 Pan Am Games board is David Braley, who has worked to get the Games for four years. He was unavailable for comment yesterday.

Braley sat on the bid company board as a federal government designate. He'll also watch over the feds' $500-million commitment in this new role.

"Braley probably has the most rounded credentials around in terms of business and sports," said Hamilton businessman Ron Foxcroft.

"It's great to see that," said city Pan Am pointman David Adames, executive director of Tourism Hamilton.

"David represents the federal government and Hamilton, plus brings continuity from the bid to host board," Adames said.

Braley is president of Orlick Industries, owns the B.C. Lions football team and ran the 2003 Road World Cycling Championships in Hamilton.

He was instrumental in getting a pool and velodrome for Hamilton back in the bid after cuts reduced the Games' budget to $1.4 billion.

Garland, appointed to oversee the Games by Premier Dalton McGuinty, said the CEO job requires many skills.

"Whoever is going to be running this project will have to have a very good understanding of development, construction, getting infrastructure in place, running projects to budget and on time. It requires someone with quite a broad business background, and an understanding of event management would be useful as well."

Possible candidates for the job include Canadian Olympic Committee CEO Chris Rudge, named yesterday to the Pan Am board, and Toronto 2010 bid company CEO Jagoda Pike. The name of Canadian Football League commissioner Marc Cohon has been speculated in Toronto media reports.

Pike, the former Toronto Star and Hamilton Spectator publisher, has declined to comment.

Rudge said recently he hasn't thrown his hat in any ring.

He is focused on Vancouver 2010, but said he was flattered to be considered a candidate and would talk if anyone was to contact him post-Olympics.

While the HostCo board gets started, Hamilton city councillors will receive an update Jan. 11 on the status of the process leading to development of two facilities for the city -- a $100-million stadium and $11.3-million velodrome.

McMaster University is in line for a $35-million pool to be used for training during the 2015 Games and Burlington is slated for a $23-million soccer facility.

On Feb. 18, Adames will report to council on a consultant's study setting out the business case for the stadium and then two sites, the city's preferred West Harbour and an airport lands location.

The board members:

Marcel Aubut, president-elect, Canadian Olympic Committee.

Sylvie Bernier, Chef de Mission for Canada, 2008 Olympic Summer Games; Olympian and Pan Am Games athlete and medallist in diving.

Martha G. Billes, Canadian Tire Corp.

David Braley, president, Orlick Industries Limited.

Michael Chambers, president, Canadian Olympic Committee.

Tony Gagliano, executive chairman, CEO of St. Joseph Communications.

Sandra Levy, director, human resources, Magna Exteriors and Interiors Corporation; Olympian in field hockey.

Carla Qualtrough, BSSc, LLB; president, Canadian Paralympic Committee; paralympian.

Chris Rudge, CEO and Secretary General, Canadian Olympic Committee.

Victoria Winter, partner, Beard Winter LLP; Pan Am Games athlete and medallist in dressage.

Andrew Wright, executive VP and managing director, CB Richard Ellis.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

New Pan Ams boss drafted by Ticats in ’81

February 11, 2010

Vanessa Lu

Torstar News Service

http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/720521

The 2015 Pan Am Games will be led by a business executive with international experience and a passion for sport — and who was drafted by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1981.

Ian Troop, who began his career at Procter and Gamble and then moved to become president of ConAgra Foods International, will take on the all-important chief executive officer’s post, overseeing planning and operations for the $1.4 billion Games to be held in July 2015.

Troop is expected to travel to Vancouver this month to see the Winter Olympics up close and learn from VANOC’s experience.

“He is a self-starter who has built organizations from the ground up and has proven he can motivate and lead diverse groups in challenging environments,” Roger Garland, chair of the 2015 organizing committee, said in a news release.

Most recently, Troop was operating adviser to OMERS private equity, a $42 billion pension fund.

Troop will be in charge of a $1.4-billion budget for the Pan Am Games that will include venues spread in 17 municipalities across the region stretching from St. Catharines to Barrie to Oshawa. As well, he will oversee construction of the $1 billion athletes’ village in the West Donlands that will house 8,500 athletes, coaches and officials. Parts of the village will be turned into affordable housing after the games.

The federal and provincial governments have committed to chip in $500 million each in the $1.4 billion budget, and the province is guarantor should there be any shortfalls.

An avid sports fan, Troop was high school athlete of the year at Kipling Collegiate and went on to play university football at Wilfrid Laurier University. He was a member of the 1978 team that was inducted into the Laurier Hall of Fame.

He was an Ontario University Athletics all-star, and in 1981 was drafted by the Hamilton Tiger Cats.

He lives in Georgetown with his wife Nicole and their children Sofia, who plays hockey, and Spencer, who plays football.

Bob Richardson, a senior adviser on the bid team, called Troop a great choice.

“He’s got significant business experience. He’s obviously somebody who loves sport,” Richardson said in an interview from Vancouver. “He brings a variety of skills to the table.”

As well, Troop has spent time in Mexico – a crucial member of the Pan American Sports Organization, which oversees the games.

The games, which are held every four years, are open to athletes from 42 countries from across the Americas and the Caribbean. In certain sports, the games will be qualifiers for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

491d376049bebddceb7fe3b56b14.jpeg

Ian Troop will quarterback the 2015 Pan Am Games in Southern Ontario.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

City picks west harbour site for Pan Am stadium

February 18, 2010

Emma Reilly

The Hamilton Spectator

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/723814

The city has approved the West Harbour as the future site of the Pan Am Games stadium.

The motion passed 10-5 with Councillors Bob Bratina, Brad Clark, Margaret McCarthy, Brian McHattie, and Sam Merulla voting against the location. Councillor David Mitchell was absent.

The city is still waiting to hear what the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and other private partners can bring to the table to build a larger, 25,000-seat, $150-million version of the stadium as the new home for the Ticats.

The Pan Am plan calls for a 15,000-seat, $102-million stadium to stage track and field, the premier sport of the Games.

Edited by Apple
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ont. hints at ‘Own the Pan Am podium’ program for 2015 games

February 23, 2010

Canadian Press

http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/726978

Ontario will find ways to support its athletes and promote a strong presence at the podium as it hosts the 2015 Pan Am Games, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Tuesday.

"You can't just get the Games, you've got to use that as an opportunity to put in place supports for your young people so that they can succeed," McGuinty said.

"One of the things that we're going to have to do now is ensure that we marry up with the 2015 Pan Am Games new kinds of support for our youngest athletes... to make sure they've got the kind of support that helps them to excel."

McGuinty’s words came as he fielded questions about how well athletes will do after Canada's goal of winning more medals than any other country at the Vancouver Games was abandoned Monday.

Own The Podium was a five-year program looking to give athletes the medical support, training opportunities and high-tech equipment to win the medals race. It has invested $117 million in athletes, including $66 million from taxpayers.

Even though Canada has so far only won 10 medals, McGuinty said he was proud of the country's performance in Vancouver. He noted that gold-winning ice dancing pair Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir got financial support early on thanks to a program developed by his government.

The same is true for speed skaters Christine Nesbitt and Kristina Groves.

"They've all been Quest for Gold Recipients, including the ones who won last night," McGuinty said. "These young people beaver away in relative anonymity and now they've been catapulted into stratospheric prominence. They needed a bit of help to get there and I'm proud that we were able to participate in that."

While no fund or plan will be revealed in this year's budget, McGuinty said there will be several years to plan for the Games, which will be held in Toronto.

The two-week Pan Am Games have a budget of $1.4 billion for the sporting event itself and $1 billion for an athletes' village.

The federal and provincial governments are each on the hook for some $500 million, while municipalities and private investors will pay the remaining $428.5 million.

Toronto won the major sports competition in November, beating two South American cities. The win was an important one for Toronto - a city that has lost two Olympic bids. Hamilton, which will host some of the events, has also lost bids for two Commonwealth Games.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seems like the opening ceremonies will be done in 3-D, might be the first.

Ontario along with RIM showed off the 3-D technology in Vancouver.

Where did you heard that? :blink: That would be very interesting, and since the OC will happen once again on a domed stadium, that would make things more easier.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Hamilton called ‘most lively’ host city for Pan Am Games

John Kernaghan,

The Hamilton Spectator

Hamilton leads the Pan Am Games footprint in enthusiasm, Toronto 2015’s chairperson says.

“Hamilton is the most lively partner,” Roger Garland said.

“People here are energized by the Games.”

He joked that he hopes Toronto catches the fever.

Garland and host corporation CEO Ian Troop visited the city yesterday to meet Mayor Fred Eisenberger, city staff and officials at McMaster University. Hamilton is expected to deliver the Games track and field facility plus a velodrome,while McMaster is slated for a $35-million training pool.

Eisenberger said the meeting yesterday began the process of planning to deliver the facilities.

Troop said he’d heard the stadium “was a strong plan with a good partnership.” He couldn’t specify when Hamilton needed to firm up its plan and said if there are any issues around the stadium, there would be a way to resolve them.

“We have a lot of venues but I don’t see anything we can’t work through with the team we’ll put in place.”

Troop said yesterday’s meetings “put the plan on a glide path” and the host corporation would use the expertise of Infrastructure Ontario as planning moved forward.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Rail link on track, Pan Am officials say

By JONATHAN JENKINS, Toronto Sun

Last Updated: March 18, 2010 11:13pm

http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/03/18/13281346.html

The Union-Pearson rail link will be finished in time for the Pan American Games in 2015, organizers said Thursday.

“We’ve had good meetings with the ministry of transport as well as Metrolinx and we’re quite confident that will be ready in time,” Games CEO Ian Troop said during a conference call with reporters.

“We feel good that that will be an important infrastructural piece that will be triggered by the Pan American Games.”

The promise of a rail line connecting Union Station and Pearson International Airport was first made in 2002, but little tangible progress has been made.

Just last week, Mayor David Miller blamed squabbling between the province and the federal government for stalling the plan and said he was concerned the train may not be running in time for the Games, which will attract about 10,000 athletes and officials, and an estimated 250,000 tourists.

Ontario had at one point hoped to have shovels in the ground on the project in early 2009 but has yet to finalize a contract with SNC-Lavalin, the engineering firm that will build the link.

But Roger Garland, Pan Am Games chairman, said he was sitting with SNC officials when Miller made his comments last week and they assured him the rail line is moving forward.

“They are working on this at the moment and are quite confident they’ll meet the deadline,” Garland said.

Transportation will be a huge challenge for the Games, as the venues are spread around the Golden Horseshoe.

Garland said organizers are well aware of the issue and are working with the ministry of transportation and Metrolinx, the regional transit authority, to find solutions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

So it looks like Hamilton is having conflicts with the Track and Field Stadium. The Ticats have have until July 8th to reach a deal and that date was extended too.

I still think its retarded having track an hour away from the athletes village. I would have built a venue at York University instead.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...