Toronto 2015 Pan American Games

[lister]

If this was 100% private money then I'd be all for Pan-Am, Olympics, Commonwealth, etc Games. We all know that's not the case and the taxpayer will get stuck with an enormous bill.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

Wellllll.... maybe I should change my mind...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...al-touts-toronto-for-olympics/article1271429/

Picked up the G&M and read the article today. See the bottom of the link (Where would the money go?):

Of the $1.5bn the bid would cost, $1bn(!!!) would go into 'The Pan American Village' --

"If Toronto wins its bid to host the Pan Am Games in 2015, it expects to shell out about $1.5-billion. Where will the money go?

The Pan American Village: $1,000,000,000

The village, to be constructed on the West Don Lands and later transformed into a waterfront community, will feature a welcome centre, residential accommodations for up to 8,500 residents, a dining hall, and office and meeting spaces for athletes and officials...."

So, essentially 2/3rds of the money will go to finishing West Don Lands years early, and including all kinds of new and fancy stuff. If they keep the park and walkable/bikeable streets, but add a big community centre (maybe with a huge new pool complex? Dare to dream...), and y'all pay for this huge new upgrade to my 'nabe with your tax dollars, I'll be happy to pony up my few extra hundred dollars.

Hmmm.... if you're totally selfish about where they put the new paint and carpet (my apartment, not yours), are you still being 'civic-minded'?

 

[TOareaFan]

If this was 100% private money then I'd be all for Pan-Am, Olympics, Commonwealth, etc Games.

What other non-profit ventures are 100% private money? Just curious.

We all know that's not the case and the taxpayer will get stuck with an enormous bill.

Do we all know that? What would the bill be for? If it is for left over improvements to transit and housing and transportation and sporting infrastructure (things that we are relatively short of) is that not an appropriate use of public funds? Or should the private sector be footing the bill for affordable housing, transit infrastructure and community sporting facilities?

 

[APTA-2048]

Toronto Star: Pan Am VIPs ride GO, while 1,600 fume

Dan Robson
STAFF REPORTER

All aboard the Pan Am Express – carrying fewer than 20 passengers and at least 1,600 empty seats.

Late last week, GO Transit informed commuters that the 8:07 a.m. train from Port Credit to Union Station would be cancelled yesterday, due to "equipment not being available."

Instead, the "equipment" carried six Pan Am Games delegates and a handful of officials from the committee bidding to bring the Games here in 2015, from Union Station to Hamilton.

The roomy ride was part of a pampered two-day tour of the GTA for the Pan Am evaluators, who make their final decision in November.

GO Transit called hosting the delegates an "honour," but paying passengers called it something else.

"It's stupid," said Delilah DeRose, a regular commuter who took an early train yesterday because of the equipment shortage. "(GO Transit) does whatever they want. They really have us, don't they," she said, waiting for the train home. "How else are we going to get to work?"

Other commuters from Port Credit voiced similar frustrations.

"It doesn't surprise me," said Jodie Hale, adding GO should have at least provided a better excuse.

Hale added she had to go out of her way to get to the train station early yesterday morning because of the special treatment given to the VIPs.

So did GO rider Lisa Williams. "It's an inconvenience," she said.

Bob Richardson, senior advisor for Toronto's Pan Am bid committee, said the exclusive train ride was necessary to show off the region's transportation capabilities.

"It's what happens when you live in a major city, and are competing for a major event," he said, noting that GO Transit did the same thing during the bid to bring the 2008 Olympics to Toronto.

"I would say 99.9 per cent of the population will be supportive," said Richardson, adding the Games would bring $1.4 billion to the GTA.

"I think taking a GO Train out, proportionally, is extremely responsible," he said.

Instead of leaving at 8:07 a.m., Port Credit commuters and others down the line packed into a later train that's usually an express from Oakville to Union Station.

That train arrived at Union at 8:32 a.m., two minutes later than the original train would have, said GO spokeswoman Vanessa Thomas, who called it an "isolated" event.

Thomas downplayed inconvenience caused by the Pan Am visit, saying the impact was "minimal" in part because passenger volumes on GO trains are traditionally low this week, with many people on vacation ahead of the long weekend.

The Port Credit train was back in service for the rush-hour ride home; the Pan Am delegates returned to Toronto in a helicopter.

 

[TOareaFan]

^ twas a bad PR decision to comandere a whole train and an even worse one (presumably by GO) to try and hide the real reason the train was not available for its regular service......to think that this would not come out was naive and silly.

Apparantly they returned to Toronto by Helicopter....not sure how that showed them, either, how transportation works in this city.

I am pretty sure I saw them leave town last night (around 6:45) too....I was driving down Simcoe and an OPP motorcycle cop was blocking the intersection at Front.....then one of those luxury busses/limos escorted by two OPP cruisers and 3 other OPP motorcycle cops blew along Front then down Simcoe and along Bremner to Reese.....where they turned left and, I bet, then cruised escorted along the Lakeshore.....again, giving them a true feeling of how traffic gets around this town!

 

[Disparishun]

Apparantly they returned to Toronto by Helicopter....not sure how that showed them, either, how transportation works in this city.

(...)

then cruised escorted along the Lakeshore.....again, giving them a true feeling of how traffic gets around this town!

I think you're mistaken as to the purpose of these trips, TOareaFan -- it was clearly not to give them a true feeling of how traffic gets around this town. Rather, it was a mix of treating them as VIPs and familiarizing them with how some of the participants would move between the facilities.

 

[EnviroTO]

Why couldn't they simply give them their own rail car rather than a whole train and work it into the schedule of trains already headed to Burlington?

 

[AKS]

^ I agree. They should have just isolated the train to one cab for them. Or else travel off peak.

I think the helicopter ride back was necessary because the city wanted to show them the amount of water we have for water sports event. Also, they probably wanted to show off the waterfront to them because we spent so much money on it. It's something to flaunt about I think.

 

[TOareaFan]

I think you're mistaken as to the purpose of these trips, TOareaFan -- it was clearly not to give them a true feeling of how traffic gets around this town. Rather, it was a mix of treating them as VIPs and familiarizing them with how some of the participants would move between the facilities.

"Bob Richardson, senior advisor for Toronto's Pan Am bid committee, said the exclusive train ride was necessary to show off the region's transportation capabilities. "

 

[TOareaFan]

^ I agree. They should have just isolated the train to one cab for them. Or else travel off peak.

I think the helicopter ride back was necessary because the city wanted to show them the amount of water we have for water sports event. Also, they probably wanted to show off the waterfront to them because we spent so much money on it. It's something to flaunt about I think.

Because looking at a map you can't tell how big lake ontario is?

I think the single car iso thing would probably have been poo poohed by any security consultant......I, really, don't have an issue with the comandeering of the train....but how people felt the best thing to do was "lie" about it and hope no one would find out the real reason...is silly. At the end of the day, a Port Credit rider got to Union 2 minutes later than usual in a slightly more congested car than usual....if GO had explained that up front and how the car was needed to showcase our region to the world people would still have grumbled (I believe) but not as much as they are now because GO hid behind the words "equipment availibility" now it comes out and people are angry.....why authorities think they can't trust the public with the truth is beyond me.

 

[wyliepoon]

"Bob Richardson, senior advisor for Toronto's Pan Am bid committee, said the exclusive train ride was necessary to show off the region's transportation capabilities. "

While I think using a whole GO train to shuttle the delegation was a mistake, putting them on a train was probably a right idea for the bid team. Despite all the criticisms about GO and the TTC, Toronto does have a better rail transit network than Bogota's non-existent system and Lima's seven-station subway.

 

[AKS]

Because looking at a map you can't tell how big lake ontario is?

Well, seeing a map and seeing it in person has a totally different feel. Otherwise people wouldn't need to travel. They can just look at photos and say "oh I saw that before"

 

[TOareaFan]

Well, seeing a map and seeing it in person has a totally different feel. Otherwise people wouldn't need to travel. They can just look at photos and say "oh I saw that before"

Have to disagree.....seeing it on a map certainly shows how big it is (which was what it was suggested they were doing).....traveling and experiencing something is more about experiencing things....going in the water as opposed to looking at it from a helicopter.

 

[AKS]

I don't know. For me I prefer to see it in person, even if I don't touch it. Like I went to Mt. Fuji area. Even though I couldn't climb it (can't touch or walk on it). I went to take a look at it in real life.

 

[GenerationW]

The question really is whether Toronto is a big sports city, or just has interest in a few sports like hockey and soccer. History and observation would suggest that Toronto isn't really a great sports town. It's a good hockey and soccer town. That's about it. Basketball? The only team in the whole city that draws a crowd is the Raptors. None of the other teams get any support at all. Same goes for baseball. The Blue Jays draw quite poorly as far as MLB teams go, the other baseball teams are completely neglected. Toronto is a no man's land when it comes to football, yet astonishingly many want a 2nd pro team. Toronto can't even support the one it's got. Track and field, volleyball, rowing, cycling, gymnastics, swimming, etc? Um, better off going to Europe if you like those sports.

Torontonians seem to be living in this delusion that this is a great sports town simply because they have pro sports teams in soccer, football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. Well, any city of 6 million could support all 5 with its eyes closed. The true gauge is to ask yourself how many sporting events you've gone to this year? What can you comment on the state of our 4x100m medley teams? What do you think of Jessica Zelinka? Did you think the men's 8s were going to beat the Germans last weekend? How many high school or college sports events have you attended this last year? Do Torontonians know what the oldest pro football team on the continent is? Where was the first documented baseball game played?

A few Torontonians might have a clue, but 98% of us don't, or don't care. That's the damn truth whether people here want to hear it or not.

In terms of pro sports, Toronto is a Leafs town, and every one else is fighting for the leftovers after the Leafs suck up most of the oxygen.

If we get a second NHL team (and I can't see it not happening), I predict at least one of the other pro teams won't be here long-term.

As for those Pan-Am delegates, I wonder what other expenses were covering for those freeloaders.