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2020 Olympics and the DRL

S

sixrings

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There has been some talk lately about Toronto bidding for the 2020 summer olympics. The hope is that our 2008 waterfront bid would do well again in a bidding war with less countries bidding because of the economic meltdown. It is also speculated that the 2020 Olympics could simply be Rob Fords way of getting a stadium so he could relocate a NFL franchise. Either way there is plenty of talk about the possibilities of a 2020 games here.

Now I understand that Olympics usually end up costing the city money. However at the same time it usually provides income from other levels of government as well. In torontos case it is difficult to get its fair share from the province and the federal government because alot of the country resents Toronto. However this would make a unique situation that would see Toronto gets its fair share.

As much as it would cost the city, would you be pro 2020 Olympics if you knew that it was a very likely way we would get a eastern portion of the DRL constructed from danforth to Downtown? If there was a timeline and basically a revenew source could the TTC actually construct a short DRL from the danforth to Union or Queen?
 
I doubt they'd be able to get it open in time. Ottawa started planning their tunnel in 2007, and it's not scheduled to open until 2018. Eglinton has a similar timeframe. I'd love to see it fast-tracked, but I'm not optimistic.
 
Part of what slows down any transit expansion is political will and finances. If it was apart of the bid to get people close to the eastern waterfront then there could be some motivation. To be honest I wouldnt care if we promised it and didnt get it done on time. We would embaress ourselves for the month but if were were 80% the way complete by the games then I am sure we could finish the rest in a reasonable time frame.
 
Um, what talk? Talk on online forums like this one?

The odds of any Canadian city making a competitive bid to host the games within a decade of another Canadian city hosting them are near-nil. The deadline for expressions of interest is in a month. It isn't happening.
 
I think talks will heat up very soon. Today marks exactly 1 year away from the start of the London games. Fan590/Rogers Sportsnet and TSN are advertising hard about the upcoming Olympics. I'm sure discussions will pick up on the airwaves and eventually get the Fords on the air talking about the potential of 2020 Olympics in Toronto.
 
Platform 27 said:
The odds of any Canadian city making a competitive bid to host the games within a decade of another Canadian city hosting them are near-nil. The deadline for expressions of interest is in a month. It isn't happening.
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Montreal and Calgary were 12 years apart. Also, it will be 24 years since the last summer Olympics in NA.
The situation for the COC is do they go for Toronto 2020 or Quebec City 2022. They will make a bid for one of the two.
 
The DRL would only be on the Olympics agenda if it would aid in moving people to and from venues. That could mean just the eastern half, or just the western half, or instead getting something random from a politicians fantasy map like extending Sheppard to the airport or extending the Spadina Line to Orangeville.
 
Based on what taking place in TO these days as well the next 3 years, PC being elected this fall, we will be the laughing stock by going after this very expensive 2020 Olympics.

After everyone gets over laughing about how we put on the 2015 PAN AM games, it will be some time before we can start the climb up the ladder to get an other world wide event.

Have nice dreams about sugar plum 2020-2040 Olympics, as that will the only place you will see them for TO.
 
drum118 said:
Based on what taking place in TO these days as well the next 3 years, PC being elected this fall, we will be the laughing stock by going after this very expensive 2020 Olympics.

After everyone gets over laughing about how we put on the 2015 PAN AM games, it will be some time before we can start the climb up the ladder to get an other world wide event.

Have nice dreams about sugar plum 2020-2040 Olympics, as that will the only place you will see them for TO.
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Please enlighten me on the laughing stock of the Pan-Am games.
 
1) When does the awarding of the 2020 Olympics take place? I'm assuming it's before the 2015 Pan-Am Games. I would think that maybe the 2024 games would be more realistic, because then Toronto can (hopefully) tout the 2015 Pan-Am Games as a success.

2) I wouldn't want Ford anywhere near the Olympic bid. He's even more prone to bonehead comments than Lastman was, and it could be argued that he single handedly cost Toronto the 2008 games.
 
2011
September 1 – Deadline to submit the names of cities interested in hosting the 2020 Summer Games.
October – IOC will hold an information seminar for 2020 applicants.

2012:

February 15 – Submission of the application files and guarantee letters to the IOC.
May – IOC executive board decides which cities are approved as official candidate cities.

2013:

January – Submission of the official bid books.
March and April – Visits of the IOC evaluation commission to each bidding city.
June – Report of the IOC evaluation commission.
September 7 – Election of the host city.

So yes the winning bid is decided before the 2015 games
 
The Vancouver bid cost $37 million, if I'm reading that reference right. I don't think our current conservative political crowd (Ford, Hudak, Harper) would be up for that kind of strategic investment at this point.

However, I've noticed the Ford's haven't called anything sports-related as "gravy", so the book is open for 35 more days.
 
Mapleson said:
The Vancouver bid cost $37 million, if I'm reading that reference right. I don't think our current conservative political crowd (Ford, Hudak, Harper) would be up for that kind of strategic investment at this point.

However, I've noticed the Ford's haven't called anything sports-related as "gravy", so the book is open for 35 more days.
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Well yeah, it's only gravy if it's something that doesn't affect you or something you don't like. It's easy to call libraries gravy when you've never been in one.
 
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