coolcanadian
Banned
Nearly six years after a push for Expo 2015 fell apart, there’s a movement afoot for Toronto to consider bidding for the World’s Fair in 2025.
“It’s very early in exploration. The conversations are very casual. It’s information-gathering,†said Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam.
Wong-Tam (Ward 27, Toronto Centre-Rosedale) said she is speaking to business leaders and trade unions, among others, to see if there is an appetite to mount a bid for the international exposition that showcases technology, architecture and culture from around the world.
“So far the reaction has been very warm to enthusiastic,†she said.
In 2006, city council, lead by then-mayor David Miller, was firmly behind Toronto making a bid. The federal government pledged to contribute $600 million to cover infrastructure, security and other costs.
In 2006, a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers estimated the event would generate up to $600 million for the municipal sector, with $300 million of that going into city coffers, as well as $2 billion for the province and $2.7 billion for the federal government, Wong-Tam said.
Another study estimated the cost at about $2.8 billion, and that the event would generate about $13.5 billion in new GDP, create 215,000 jobs and $8.4 billion in wages and salaries.
Benefits to the city would include employment and a renewed waterfront.
The deadline to make a bid for Expo 2025 would be in 2016.
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1181321--toronto-councillor-looks-into-bid-for-expo-2025