Hosting a summer Olympic games

[jje1000]

While I'm not typically a fan of the Olympics circus, the use of the Seine, Eiffel Tower and Jardins du Trocadéro for the Paris Opening Ceremony was certainly innovative. Does Toronto have any existing parks or corridors that could accommodate such a presentation?

I personally thought the Seine stretched the energy too thinly & any installation/stage was ultimately dwarfed by the surroundings. Ironically in a stretched-out parade-like setting like this, I think the best seat was in front of the television as opposed to the stands.

Also there was somehow no weather contingency planning because this sort of spectacle clearly did not pan out lol

If anything, IMO the opening events should have taken place entirely within the Trocodero and Champs des Mars area, with the Eiffel Tower being the main backdrop/canvas for the tableaus- which as Celine Dion demonstrated, was spectacular with the right treatment.

 

[micheal_can]

I personally thought the Seine stretched the energy too thinly & any installation/stage was ultimately dwarfed by the surroundings. Ironically in a stretched-out parade-like setting like this, I think the best seat was in front of the television as opposed to the stands.

Also there was somehow no weather contingency planning because this sort of spectacle clearly did not pan out lol

View attachment 584167

If anything, IMO the opening events should have taken place entirely within the Trocodero and Champs des Mars area, with the Eiffel Tower being the main backdrop/canvas for the tableaus- which as Celine Dion demonstrated, was spectacular with the right treatment.

In this day and age, is there a sporting event that being there, in the stands gives you a better vantage than tv broadcasters give you? Of course there is the prestige of saying you were there, but that no longer matters to most people these days.

 

[jje1000]

In this day and age, is there a sporting event that being there, in the stands gives you a better vantage than tv broadcasters give you? Of course there is the prestige of saying you were there, but that no longer matters to most people these days.

I think in a typical stadium setting, a tv perspective does present a curated, abbreviated view as viewed through a periscope, and loses out on the panorama and enveloping energy one might sense viewing a singular spectacle while being in a massive crowd.

In the case of Paris, the Seine setting meant that television had the advantage because the cameras could be exactly where the tableaus were & film them with a more dramatic flair, while cutting out all the waiting.

I.e. they could zoom into the lady singing on the Grand Palais, while splicing the rather dull Parade of Nations scene with the dancing and fashion walk.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I have wondered why the city does not extend the Streetcar line from Bathurst and Front to the island and run the whole length of the island with a streetcar line.

There’s already a narrow gauge railway on Centre Island - though AIUI out of service since a flood washed out the bridge (shown below) and tracks. My vote would be to extend that across the island.

But skip the Olympics for Toronto. It would be a congestion nightmare while saddling our grandchildren with legacy costs.

 

[Towered]

There’s already a narrow gauge railway on Centre Island - though AIUI out of service since a flood washed out the bridge (shown below) and tracks. My vote would be to extend that across the island.

This is what I've been advocating for ages now! How is this not obvious to anyone on council????

 

[AlbertC]

Will just slot this here since the Seine River was brought up

Canadian triathlete vomits on TV after Olympic race which included swim in Paris’ polluted River Seine

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 — Canadian triathlon athlete Tyler Mislawchuk was shown on a live TV broadcast vomiting violently af...

malaysia.news.yahoo.com

 

[micheal_can]

Will just slot this here since the Seine River was brought up

Canadian triathlete vomits on TV after Olympic race which included swim in Paris’ polluted River Seine

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 — Canadian triathlon athlete Tyler Mislawchuk was shown on a live TV broadcast vomiting violently af...

malaysia.news.yahoo.com

Ever compete?
Ever push yourself to the limit?
Ever keep pushing?

Vomiting is possible. So are a whole host of medical problems. Doesn't mean the river wasn't a problem or not.As a swimmer,I would rather not swim in that river either.

 

[Towered]

Ever compete?
Ever push yourself to the limit?
Ever keep pushing?

Vomiting is possible. So are a whole host of medical problems. Doesn't mean the river wasn't a problem or not.As a swimmer,I would rather not swim in that river either.

I can say in the past there have been times doing intense weight training in the gym that I came close to vomiting. Strangely that only happened in my 20's, but never now in my 40's...

 

[lenaitch]

Vomiting is possible. So are a whole host of medical problems. Doesn't mean the river wasn't a problem or not.As a swimmer,I would rather not swim in that river either.

I have a couple of relatives that used to be serious triathletes (certainly not at the Olympic level, but competitive) and they have told me of all sorts of weird and wonderful 'bodily events' that can happen during and after a race.

 

[micheal_can]

I can say in the past there have been times doing intense weight training in the gym that I came close to vomiting. Strangely that only happened in my 20's, but never now in my 40's...

These swimmers are in their 20s.

I have a couple of relatives that used to be serious triathletes (certainly not at the Olympic level, but competitive) and they have told me of all sorts of weird and wonderful 'bodily events' that can happen during and after a race.

Oh,I know.

 

[kev1n1m]

Was thinking about what I'd like to see infrastructure wise if Toronto were to host the Olympic summer games.

Some ground rules before I would want to see Toronto move forward with a bid:

• Minimal new infrastructure. Potentially only an athletics/ceremony stadium
• Budget cap like Paris. $10-$15B, which could easily be swallowed by all three levels of gov.
• A commitment to housing, 15000 athletes, and housing for officials, media & security... ideally housing for 100k or more as part of the bid.

Infrastructure I'd like to see for a Toronto Olympics:

Transit

• Improved/modernized Pearson with connections to Line 5 & 6 in addition to electrified UP
• High speed rail to Montreal and host some events there, Ottawa too
• All planned transit finished, plus full waterfront LRT
• All GO lines operating at subway frequency within GTA
• Lines 1 & 2 are automated, have platform screen doors, new cars on Line 2
• Sheppard subway extended across top of city (at least Downsview to STC)
• Olympic lanes across the region then converted to HOV/HOT/HEV/BUS afterwards

Games

• All new athletes village, maybe somewhere in port lands, fully converted to housing afterwards. Maybe multiple villages to spread housing across region.
• All new housing built for officials, coaches, media, security officials, all converted to housing afterwards. No using cruise ships or hotels let's commit to housing.
• Specialized sports across SW Ontario (equestrian, canoe, etc.) to boost smaller cities and campus sports complexes.
• Montreal hosts games for soccer, rugby, and other stadium needs. Hamilton & Ottawa too.
• New athletics stadium for ceremonies... I have no idea where. Maybe Woodbine Park? On the site of island airport?
• Temporary wings built for seating at aquatics centre (scarborough) and velodrome (milton)
• As many temporary/outdoor venues as possible, like what's happening in Paris.
• No stone left unturned for recycled venues: film production sound stages, empty wearhouses, bigbox stores, College sports facilities, Pan Am facilities.

What would you like to see?

 

[just east of the creek]

Was thinking about what I'd like to see infrastructure wise if Toronto were to host the Olympic summer games.

Some ground rules before I would want to see Toronto move forward with a bid:

• Minimal new infrastructure. Potentially only an athletics/ceremony stadium
• Budget cap like Paris. $10-$15B, which could easily be swallowed by all three levels of gov.
• A commitment to housing, 15000 athletes, and housing for officials, media & security... ideally housing for 100k or more as part of the bid.

Infrastructure I'd like to see for a Toronto Olympics:

Transit

• Improved/modernized Pearson with connections to Line 5 & 6 in addition to electrified UP
• High speed rail to Montreal and host some events there, Ottawa too
• All planned transit finished, plus full waterfront LRT
• All GO lines operating at subway frequency within GTA
• Lines 1 & 2 are automated, have platform screen doors, new cars on Line 2
• Sheppard subway extended across top of city (at least Downsview to STC)
• Olympic lanes across the region then converted to HOV/HOT/HEV/BUS afterwards

Games

• All new athletes village, maybe somewhere in port lands, fully converted to housing afterwards. Maybe multiple villages to spread housing across region.
• All new housing built for officials, coaches, media, security officials, all converted to housing afterwards. No using cruise ships or hotels let's commit to housing.
• Specialized sports across SW Ontario (equestrian, canoe, etc.) to boost smaller cities and campus sports complexes.
• Montreal hosts games for soccer, rugby, and other stadium needs. Hamilton & Ottawa too.
• New athletics stadium for ceremonies... I have no idea where. Maybe Woodbine Park? On the site of island airport?
• Temporary wings built for seating at aquatics centre (scarborough) and velodrome (milton)
• As many temporary/outdoor venues as possible, like what's happening in Paris.
• No stone left unturned for recycled venues: film production sound stages, empty wearhouses, bigbox stores, College sports facilities, Pan Am facilities.

What would you like to see?

The next available slot for the summer Olympics are 2036, so possibly
enough time for even Toronto to complete some of the projects you envision. Not that the projects are not worthwhile, but this is Toronto, where it takes 70 odd million to build a couple of kilometres of bike lanes.

The Paris games are estimated to cost just under 10 billion US dollars. However, I am not sure if all costs are in, I am not sure if that includes security costs, the additional transit infrastructure costs etc. so a couple of questions there.

Architectural Record published the following article “Paris Prepares for the 2024 Summer Olympics….” which is worth a read as it details some of the new and reutilized uses of buildings in and around Paris. (Do not forget that surfing was held in the Pacific)

Paris Prepares for the 2024 Summer Olympics With a Strategic Mix of New Construction and Renovation

With only two purpose-built structures and a heavy reliance on existing venues, this year's games will be the least architectural—in terms of new construction—in decades.

www.architecturalrecord.com

 

[lenaitch]

Budget cap like Paris. $10-$15B, which could easily be swallowed by all three levels of gov.

What would you like to see?

For that money . . .

More CT/MRI/PET machines in more hospitals
No Emerg or other hospital services closures or suspensions.
Better mental health services.

I could go on.

 

[micheal_can]

For that money . . .

More CT/MRI/PET machines in more hospitals
No Emerg or other hospital services closures or suspensions.
Better mental health services.

I could go on.

The problem is, if we use that logic, even the Canada summer or winter games should not happen. But they do. And their spin offs can be good. Even if new facilities are built.

 

[jje1000]

The problem is, if we use that logic, even the Canada summer or winter games should not happen. But they do. And their spin offs can be good. Even if new facilities are built.

And on the other hand, big sporting events are useful in just forcing our bureaucratic states to get things done (unfortunately).

Pam Am was undoubtedly a net boon for our city in terms of the infrastructure left behind.