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Toronto Expo 2025

So city staff pour cold water on the idea of Expo 2025. Like, surprise. The question is, why would anyone ask them? I wouldn't ask a bunch of bureaucrats for an opinion on something that involves lofty thoughts.

I adore Kristin Wong-Tam for pushing this idea. I hope she wins her case. I want the Expo.

Phooey on Mayor John rah-rah Tory.
 
So city staff pour cold water on the idea of Expo 2025. Like, surprise. The question is, why would anyone ask them? I wouldn't ask a bunch of bureaucrats for an opinion on something that involves lofty thoughts.

I adore Kristin Wong-Tam for pushing this idea. I hope she wins her case. I want the Expo.

Phooey on Mayor John rah-rah Tory.
You mean, why ask the people who actually understand how infrastructure building works? "Can we complete a massive river diversion project through contaminated post-industrial land in time to turn it over to developers running a hard deadline" is not a 'lofty' matter.

The whole hare-brained concept is dead on arrival. Bury the corpse and move on.
 
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So city staff pour cold water on the idea of Expo 2025. Like, surprise. The question is, why would anyone ask them? I wouldn't ask a bunch of bureaucrats for an opinion on something that involves lofty thoughts.

I adore Kristin Wong-Tam for pushing this idea. I hope she wins her case. I want the Expo.

Phooey on Mayor John rah-rah Tory.

Makes sense. Council always rejects expert opinion on major infrastructure projects, so why would Expo 2025 be any different? But since we are talking about Toronto here, why don't we crank the dial to eleven and move the extravaganza to Scarborough Town Centre? Folks in Scarborough deserve an Expo.
 
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/20...ittee-agrees-not-to-pursue-expo-2025-bid.html

It's funny they say that they could use money that would be dedicated for the Expo to build transit instead. All of us know that there will be $0 spent on transit during the same time period since city council will waste the next 10 years bickering over whether or not they will build the Scarborough subway, let alone any new form of rapid transit.
 
Still though even without an Expo I think the public would all be on board with putting in a major civic attraction into the Port Lands. We've already lost Ontario Place. I'd like something that's a mixture of Ontario Place, Science Centre, CN Tower, ROM, AGO - and designed with kids/families in mind. What that could be I have no idea.
Ontario Place still exists, it hasn't gone anywhere.

Ontario Place would have been a good site for the Expo, better than starting from scratch in The Portlands.
 
Ontario Place still exists, it hasn't gone anywhere.

Ontario Place would have been a good site for the Expo, better than starting from scratch in The Portlands.
That was the most ridiculous thing about the "green" Expo. Rejuvenating the Ex and Ontario Place grounds would have been a far more environmentally responsible choice, but that wouldn't have been sexy enough.
 
That was the most ridiculous thing about the "green" Expo. Rejuvenating the Ex and Ontario Place grounds would have been a far more environmentally responsible choice, but that wouldn't have been sexy enough.
The 3 levels of government, Waterfront Toronto and developer interest was always going to push for the revitilization of The Portlands, and things were in motion on that front long before the Expo bid was even around.

So I don't think there was ever a need for an Expo bid to jump-start the revitalization of the Portlands. The EX and Ontario Place (and Waterfront Transit plans) sure as hell needed some kind of jump-start.

Missed opportunity for the city for certain. The Expo at Ontario Place could have been the catalyst to us having our own Millennim Park tourist+local attraction. Hell, we could even have made the Rail Deck Park a part of the EX+OP Expo bid.
 
The main reasons I'll always support all of these large scale events is because they set deadlines, mobilize a huge volunteer work force, bring international attention to the city, and make us feel good about ourselves. We actually have to build the transit and infrastructure in a timely manner to protect our reputation. Want to make bureaucrats actually get things done? Commit them to a deadline. No wonder city staff dump on it: It's hard work. My prediction is that, after shunning all such international events, we hand wring over budget shortfalls, transit construction slows to a trickle, debt rises, and taxes go up. Oh wait a minute, that's already happening. The main difference between getting a World's Fair and not bothering to bid for one is that one gives you something substantial that didn't exist before. Not bidding doesn't guarantee a single benefit to the city. There will never be enough money.
 
Couldn't help yourself, could you? Thankfully I have my own standards, and they're not yours.
You guys might as well be playing Sim City, as burying the Gardiner, extending the Allen and Expo 20XX are three things that will never happen - under any circumstances.
 

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