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Toronto 2015 Pan American Games

Apparently in terms of number of events and number of athletes the 2015 Pan Am games will be the second largest sporting event ever held in Canada. Only the Montreal Olympics were bigger. The 2015 Pan Am games will draw more participants than either the Vancouver or Calgary Olympics, and more than either of the Winnipeg Pan Am games.
 
Apparently in terms of number of events and number of athletes the 2015 Pan Am games will be the second largest sporting event ever held in Canada. Only the Montreal Olympics were bigger. The 2015 Pan Am games will draw more participants than either the Vancouver or Calgary Olympics, and more than either of the Winnipeg Pan Am games.

The number of events for Toronto 2015: 365
Montreal 1976: 198

Number of athletes for Toronto 2015: 6,066 (athlete quota; will likely increase)
Number of athletes in Montreal: 6,084

So we are probably headed to largest sporting event in Canadian history here.
 
The Pan-Am games have all the fun of the Olympics minus much of the costs of hosting one.

You're not wrong, but the costs will still go through the roof as the estimates climb. One of the newspapers' website had a squib about the security cost estimates being blown through. IIRC, spokesperson wouldn't even provide a new estimate (which is responsible, actually, as that estimate will be criminally low, too.)

I like MetroMan's optimism -- this event will have a 'turning the page' feel to it. Unless Ford somehow gets re-elected, which I highly doubt, but he would throw his usual spanner into the works.
 
They provided a quote for the new price, I saw it somewhere.

Don't get anything wrong, these games are still expensive, roughly $2 billion, but its small change compared to a summer olympics which is probably 4-5x the price.
 
I honestly think we made a mistake with how we approached building for these games.

There seems to have been historically two approaches to PanAms......Winnipeg spent very little, used a combination of existing facilities or temporary/very basic facilities and had decent games......Rio said they wanted to build Olympic quality facilities so spent massive amounts on the 2007 but had Olympic ready facilities and, guess what, are hosting the Olympics.

It seems to me that we took a "goldilocks" approach and did not want our porridge, either, too hot or too cold. So we end up spending way more than Winnipeg but we end up without a single new venue that could be used in a future Olympics.

As much as I personally are looking forward to the games, I think our costs will forever be critically compared to Winnipeg and the Venues and infrastructure we end up with will be compared to Rio.
 
They provided a quote for the new price, I saw it somewhere.

Don't get anything wrong, these games are still expensive, roughly $2 billion, but its small change compared to a summer olympics which is probably 4-5x the price.

While Tourism Minister Michael Chan was assuring the legislature the Games were on time and on budget, the government announced the estimated costs of security will increase to $239 million from the last estimate of $206 million. The original cost of security built into the Toronto 2015 Pan Am budget was $113 million.

The security budget has doubled and the games haven't even started yet. It could might well triple by the end of the game. I would say it will be over 2 billion and this isn't even the Olympics. If Toronto were to host the Olympics, it might even double the cost of Vancouver because we can't do things on budget. If an increase of 113 million to 239 million is considered on budget, I'll hate to see what happens if we go over budget. They'll just keep asking for an increase on the budget so it "looks" like it's on budget.
 
If Toronto were to host the Olympics, it might even double the cost of Vancouver because we can't do things on budget.
Given that the Summer Olympics have about 4 times the number of athletes as the Winter Olympics.

The 2011 Pan Am games were twice as big as the Vancouver Olympics. Isn't Toronto 2015 costing less than Vancouver?
 
Given that the Summer Olympics have about 4 times the number of athletes as the Winter Olympics.

The 2011 Pan Am games were twice as big as the Vancouver Olympics. Isn't Toronto 2015 costing less than Vancouver?

That depends. Can the Toronto 2015 Pan Am games generate twice the revenue and publicity of the the Vancouver olympics? I don't think the Pan Am games are as popular as Olympics.
 
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That depends. Can the Toronto 2015 Pan Am games generate twice the revenue and publicity of the the Vancouver olympics? I don't think the Pan Am games are as popular as Olympics.
They not be ... but many of the costs are fixed, and not related to popularity.

I suppose ultimately ticket sales will measure that.
 
Had a chance to walk around the aquatics centre earlier in the week - impressive facility - looking real good inside.
 
Venues are currently under budget

TORONTO -- Organizers of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games released their four-quarter financial report today, saying the overall capital building program is continuing to come in under budget.

The report for the fiscal period ending March 31 says the Games incurred $92.8 million, including $66 million on venue construction during the quarter.

It says operating expenses during the quarter were $26.8 million, mostly spent in the areas of corporate, technology, transportation, events and ceremonies and community and cultural affairs.

With less than a year to go before the Games begin, the organizing committee says it has spent $126.9 million or 15.7 per cent of its total operations budget of $810 million.

The report says corporations have also put in an "incremental $43 million in value" worth of in-kind sponsorships for delivery of the Games.

Saad Rafi, the chief executive officer of the organizing committee, says the Games are expected to create 26,000 jobs.

"So far, of all the funding spent to procure the goods and services we need to make these games a success, 84 per cent has gone to Canadian companies," he said.

Today's quarterly report is the seventh in a series of regular, quarterly updates from the organizing committee.

The Toronto 2015 Pan American Games will take place July 10-26 and the Parapan American Games are August 7-15.
 
I think I will embrace the Pan-Am games. Sure it's not the Olympics but it's the build up for our athletes to the Olympics.
How many in this city jump on the bandwagon every 4 years to "support the athletes". These athletes don't just "show up". There is competitions like the Pan-Am and the Commonwealth games to prepare them for it.

It's like complaining that the national soccer team doesn't go to the World cup but never pay attention or support the national team when they are trying to qualify.

Plus athletes are normally attractive so that's another plus :p
 

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