Juan_Lennon416
Senior Member
There is a Port Lands Study somewhere out there and I don't know if an Olympic Stadium will be part of the vision
Otherwise, what are our options? Downsview, Mr Christies...?
There is a Port Lands Study somewhere out there and I don't know if an Olympic Stadium will be part of the vision
Firstly. I don't think Toronto has the stomach to have an Olympics given all the "Pan Scam" whiners right now. There will be a lot of "No! No! Nien! Never! Boondoggle!" whining.Toronto has an opportunity to present a fairly centralized bid, with the IOC-friendly skyline view behind the stadium, etc.. (this is all marketing).
I like our chances better in this race compared to 2008. But you have to think the IOC will want to go back to Europe. Will they go three consecutive Summer Olympics outside of Europe? (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, 2024 Europe or North America?)
Then my take -- do not leave Hamilton out.
We have to milk existing facilities including the new soccer/football stadium we have here in Hamilton. The brand new Tim Horton's field, glitches and all, meets the necessary world class criteria and has capacity for temporary end-zone seating for a temporary expansion of attendance to a quoted 40,000 people, which is bigger than London 2012's smallest soccer field. We can handle being one of the fields for the soccer events. London Olympics 2012 needed six soccer fields. Toronto 2024 will require multiple, too.
By 2024, we will have 15-min electricified service to Burlington, and the Hamilton LRT should be running (if not delayed). We essentially set hard-deadlines for these infrastructure megaprojects announced, and help ensure that these needed infrastructure projects happen. That in itself, is very worth the price of Hamilton's participation.
Don't bring Olympics yet -- population is a bit too skeptical due to world sports scandals --
But if it happens.... then TORONTO 2024 includes HAMILTON!
The biggest negative I see would be the stadium - other than they Olympics, what would it be for? Although if it could be reconfigured for baseball, the Jays could move there, and out of the Skydome which is already really long in the tooth as stadiums go.
Leveraging that 2008 bid, if there were venues at Ont Place, TO Islands(?), Ex and Rogers centre - and athletes village (plus venues) at Portlands. The City may also repurpose a ferry to do a circuit of those cites as an additional way to get athletes and fans to the events. Maybe even throw in an express ferry from/to Hamilton - and Oshawa if they also have venues.
Might be a waste of $$ since you'd need to build appropriate docks for the ferries, and I doubt it would be sustainable afterwards.