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Toronto 2015 Pan American Games

Anecdotal -- I've gone to hang out at the PanAm stuff at Harbourfront, at the Cauldron and at NPS. Lots of people at NPS (last night) enjoying the music, taking pictures of the sign, etc., but on the way there and back, businesses in the area didn't seem any busier than usual. At Harbourfront, people are in those pop-up bars/snack places, but again, it seems like business as usual because Harbourfront in the summer is always busy. At the cauldron -- well, no business, just photos with the flame :)

Overall so far, I think the Games have been fun and good for the city -- we've come across as friendly and welcoming, and we've handled traffic well :)
 
PinkLucy said:
Overall so far, I think the Games have been fun and good for the city -- we've come across as friendly and welcoming, and we've handled traffic well :)
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The G&M story isn't doubting that some businesses in the city haven't benefited from the games, the problem is not all the restaurants and bars in the city have benefited and the Toronto Star has swept those businesses under the rug to make a case the games is a 100% success story and every business is succeeding when in reality their not.
 
animatronic said:
That would make sense if anyone outside of Toronto were actually watching. My guess is that 90% of the butts in seats and eyeballs on the TV will be GTA residents.
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You may be right, I don't know. Any exposure for an artist is good exposure though, or potentially good exposure, whether to a domestic crowd or international one. The point is, this potential opportunity - even if only theoretical - should have been provided to local artists.
 
Tewder said:
'Absolutely'? I know the internet isn't exactly a forum for moderation or subtlety of thought, but F** no! To claim that racism is 'central' to Kanye opposition is utter nonsense when clearly in this context it's about nationalism/civic boosterism. To be crass about it, there wouldn't have been a peep if a black Canadian had been chosen... and yeah sure, it's a crass argument in response to a crass assertion.
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Re-read the link: rejecting Kanye doesn't make you a racist, but it speaks volumes about what many project Canadian culture to be and despite not being considered an overtly racist nation, there is a very real degree of racial discomfort in this country towards things that are non-white per se.

Again, the whole national/civic-boosterism simply veils this harsh reality which many refuse to acknowledge. ("But we're so multicultural! We accept everyone!")

And if a black Canadian rapper were chosen instead, I'd wager there would be some objections to a rap performance not representing the spirit of the games or something along those lines.
 
Translude15 said:
And if a black Canadian rapper were chosen instead, I'd wager there would be some objections to a rap performance not representing the spirit of the games or something along those lines.
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I don't know -- my first thought was "why not Drake?" Others posted about that too.
 
Translude15 said:
Re-read the link: rejecting Kanye doesn't make you a racist, but it speaks volumes about what many project Canadian culture to be and despite not being considered an overtly racist nation, there is a very real degree of racial discomfort in this country towards things that are non-white per se.

Again, the whole national/civic-boosterism simply veils this harsh reality which many refuse to acknowledge. ("But we're so multicultural! We accept everyone!")

And if a black Canadian rapper were chosen instead, I'd wager there would be some objections to a rap performance not representing the spirit of the games or something along those lines.
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Nonsense. There is no evidence for what you or the writer of the article are claiming, it is lazy and sensationalist conjecture pure and simple.

This protest is about Kanye's citizenship, not his race or genre of music. Again, this wouldn't be an issue whatsoever if a Canadian artist of any colour/race had been chosen... and your 'but we're so multicultural! We accept everyone' point lost relevance in this city in about 1974. Yes, there are always going to be crackpots and a-holes out there, ready to jump onto any bandwagon presented, but let's not give them any more importance than they are due... none.
 
CodeMonkey said:
A Tale of Two Cities
  • The Globe & Mail - Pan Am boom is a bust for many downtown Toronto businesses.
  • The Toronto Star - Pan Am Games already a bonanza for Toronto hotels, pubs (Downtown reaps rewards of sporting event on first weekend, report finds)
Who's right's? Who's Wrong? You decided!
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Okay, for those who want the Cole Notes between the two stories; basically part's of the city restaurants and bars are benefiting from the Pan Am Games, while others have lost business. The latter story , The Toronto Star, only focused on restaurants and bars that are benefiting while ignoring the rest to promote the games benefits. I think it's safe to say, that Toronto Star's financial sponsorship in the games have effected it's journalistic integrity.
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Why don't you read the Globe story? Here are the actual stats from the globe story:

Consumer transaction data from Moneris shows a slight increase during the opening weekend of the games, from July 10 to 12. In the downtown area from Bloor to Waterfront, Jarvis to Bathurst, spending was up about eight per cent from the same weekend in 2014, and almost four per cent up from a week before.

Hotels, restaurants and entertainment spending saw some of the highest increases week-over-week. Restaurant spending was up almost 11 per cent from the week before, while bar spending was up almost 20 per cent.
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Businesses aren't doing so good eh? Of course not every business will benefit. There is nothing in the world that would benefit all businesses at once. At the end of the day, as story from one or two restaurant owners isn't enough to judge how successful the games have been for businesses. The actual stats from the entire core show that business has increased.
 
CodeMonkey said:
I did, and if you read my post, I said some businesses are benefiting better than others. My point was the Toronto Star omitted that fact to sell a preconceived narrative that the games are benefiting everybody, when it's really a mixed result.
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The Globe and Mail is the only media outlet saying its a bust. Google it. Every other outlet is saying the games have been good for business. You clearly just have beef with the Toronto Star. Don't let that cloud your judgement.
 
Tuscani01 said:
The Globe and Mail is the only media outlet saying its a bust. Google it. Every other outlet is saying the games have been good for business. You clearly just have beef with the Toronto Star. Don't let that cloud your judgement.
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It's not really the only media that saying it's been a bust. That title goes to the Toronto Sun and National Post who feed off that anger, except on opening day, when they said go and enjoy the Pan Am Games, that was kind of a scary moment from them. :confused:

But my point again was, the Toronto Star has purposely omitted the fact that some business are suffering to sell the idea that whole city is booming from the games, when it's not all as the G&M story has pointed out. I'm not saying and the G&M story is not saying the games are a dismal failure, and that business haven't benefited from the Pan Am Games, that will only happen if they do get Nickelback to perform the closing ceremony; but it has effected other businesses in the city that where promised a huge influx of customers from the games.
 
CodeMonkey said:
It's not really the only media that saying it's been a bust. That title goes to the Toronto Sun and National Post who feed off that anger, except on opening day, when they said go and enjoy the Pan Am Games, that was kind of a scary moment from them. :confused:

But my point again was, the Toronto Star has purposely omitted the fact that some business are suffering to sell the idea that whole city is booming from the games, when it's not all as the G&M story has pointed out. I'm not saying and the G&M story is not saying the games are a dismal failure, and that business haven't benefited from the Pan Am Games, that will only happen if they do get Nickelback to perform the closing ceremony; but it has effected other businesses in the city that where promised a huge influx of customers from the games.
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You're making a big deal out of nothing. The Star is reporting on a report by Moneris. Its not some big conspiracy. The report states everything the Star has stated in their story. If you got 'every single business in this city is booming' from the Star article, then you are drawing your own conclusions. The Star has made no such conclusion itself. It simply put out the facts that were provided to it.
 
My wife works in retail and at her store it was very busy the week before PanAm because everyone was stocking up to get out of the city. This last week it was slow because everyone in the neighbourhood is up in Muskoka. Overall revenues will be relatively the same as every other summer, but if you compare two weeks ago to last week in isolation business is way down.
 
Tuscani01 said:
You're making a big deal out of nothing. The Star is reporting on a report by Moneris. Its not some big conspiracy. The report states everything the Star has stated in their story. If you got 'every single business in this city is booming' from the Star article, then you are drawing your own conclusions. The Star has made no such conclusion itself. It simply put out the facts that were provided to it.
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I didn't say it was a conspiracy? o_O

If you read both stories there are overlaps that both say business are benefiting, but that where the Toronto Star stops, this is an news organization that been going after other news organizations over journalistic integrity and flops in coverage and when someone else points out their flaws, it's nothing. I'm merely pointing out the hypocrisy of the Star. No conspiracy, no collusion, none of that.

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And I don't know where you've been, but we've been making a bigger deal out of nothing lately over the Kanye West performing at the closing ceremonies.
 
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