Toronto Strong Contender For Olympic Games - IOC President

[TO City of Light]

USA is hardly likely to make a bid for the Summer Olympics until the US Olympic Committee and the IOC mend some badly damaged fences and until Homeland Security is a bit more welcoming of foreigners visiting the country.

Canada will pay dearly for its inability to mount a national bid. Whatever city bids for Canada will be the target of endless sniping by all other parts of the country as well as many in the host city itself. This makes it hard to pour the sort of money into the event that other countries appear willing to do.

In many countries the Olympic bid becomes a point of national pride - Athens, Beijing, Rio, and this trend is likely to increase in future. Gone are the days when only a handful of countries could mount a serious bid.

So Canada, including Toronto, enjoy Vancouver because it is the last Olympics we will see in the lifetimes of may of us. And that's a good thing isn't it. Now we can put all those billions into housing for the poor, reducing taxes, public transport and all those other things that the detractors say we should.

Oh, and by the way, we really are too parsimonious as a nation to hold events like the Olympics, Expos, World Cups, etc.



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[Calrissian]

So Canada, including Toronto, enjoy Vancouver because it is the last Olympics we will see in the lifetimes of may of us. And that's a good thing isn't it. Now we can put all those billions into housing for the poor, reducing taxes, public transport and all those other things that the detractors say we should.


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Except that, Vancouver wouldn't be riding around on the Canada line sky train were not for getting these Olympics.. and most likely, Toronto will continue to debate and put off any new major investment into any type of infrastructure without any hard deadline to work to.. as sad and pathetic as that sounds.... I really really want to believe otherwise, but have witnessed very little evidence to the contrary.

And, yes, you can cite Transit city as evidence, but even that, as many on this forum feel is nothing really useful, is being pulled apart by various groups, and even proposed to be put on hold or killed by hopeful new administration.

Not that I believe this to be right or best way to get things done, an Olympics would hold any plans to fruition. The pan am games, to a lesser extent, are hopefully going to do this for a line to the airport, some of transit city, beefed up regional go service, and other city infrastructure enhancements.

 

[GenerationW]

A big obstacle is Marcel Aubut's desire to have Quebec City host the 2022 games (which seems absurd).

Why is it absurd? I'd give a '22 Q.C. bid a decent chance of succeeding.

 

[adma]

It makes sense that no American cities would bid--they're mostly bankrupt, so why let debt spiral out of control?

In that light, I think of the Atlanta Olympics being the the LA Olympics what the Montreal Olympics were to Expo--the earlier event encapsulating an (apparent) peak-of-powers moment, the later encapsulating the brink of a tailspin...

 

[afransen]

Quebec City lacks a sufficiently tall mountain. There are some workarounds, but they are just that. Also, I think the US might take another kick at the can. Also, I could see the games going to Asia then back to Europe before coming back to NA.

 

[Darwinkgo]

Quebec City lacks a sufficiently tall mountain. There are some workarounds, but they are just that. Also, I think the US might take another kick at the can. Also, I could see the games going to Asia then back to Europe before coming back to NA.

Mont-Sainte-Anne with 625m of vertical is not enough? Calgary's Nakiska was only a tad higher at 779m.

 

[jn_12]

Why is it absurd? I'd give a '22 Q.C. bid a decent chance of succeeding.

I guess it would depend on its competition, but on its own, this would be a case of a bid being too close to the last one. No country has ever won a Winter Olympics only 12 years after its prior win. Only Innsbruck has hosted a winter games that soon after having hosted it 12 years before and that was only because Denver's bid was rejected in a referendum and Vancouver-Whistler passed on the event, so they needed somewhere to go that already had the infrastructure and could host on relatively short notice. Meanwhile, only the Americans have hosted a summer games that soon after hosting a previous games (LA 84, Atl 96) and they only got that because of all the sketchy behind the scenes stuff that isn't allowed to happen anymore.

Considering two European countries and Korea are bidding on 2018, that could have a pretty significant impact on 2022. If Korea gets it (which i think they should), it opens the door to a return to North America in 2022. If Europe some how gets it, I think Asia/Oceania (New Zealand) will get it in 2022, making 2026 more likely for North America.

 

[TOareaFan]

Mont-Sainte-Anne with 625m of vertical is not enough? Calgary's Nakiska was only a tad higher at 779m.

"Le Massif features a dramatic 700-yard vertical drop, the highest east of the Rockies." I think it is also (or is planned to) connected to Quebec City by rail.

 

[junctionist]

I think people across the country would be thrilled to have it in Toronto. Canadians would love to have the Olympics in Canada in general, and would concede that it's only logical that the Olympics would be held in the largest city, especially given the fact that it hasn't hosted them yet. In no way could a Toronto bid seem unfair to the rest of the country given that three cities in Canada other than Toronto have hosted them.

 

[TrickyRicky]

I could buy Hipster Duck's argument with regard to the summer games; however, I think we will see another winter olympics, perhaps Quebec City, in our life-times. I think the point about the summer olympics needing to be a national statement and undertaking is a good one.

The winter olympics is small, quirky and relaxed, a perfect fit for a host country like Canada. And let's face it there are only so many countries that really care and participate in Winter sports. There are probably more people in this world who have never seen snow than people who know anything about the winter olympics.

As for the argument about the olympics as an infrastructure and development deadline. Sure, I think this is valid. Sometimes I have parties for the purpose of kicking my own ass into getting things done at home. But really the mature path is to set goals and move forward for ourselves, not because we care to have the eyes of the world on us and not because we care what others think.

 

[TOareaFan]

I could buy Hipster Duck's argument with regard to the summer games; however, I think we will see another winter olympics, perhaps Quebec City, in our life-times. I think the point about the summer olympics needing to be a national statement and undertaking is a good one.

Agree.

The winter olympics is small, quirky and relaxed, a perfect fit for a host country like Canada. And let's face it there are only so many countries that really care and participate in Winter sports. There are probably more people in this world who have never seen snow than people who know anything about the winter olympics.

Add in the fact that there are far less countries that could actually host the winters. Canada is amongst the largest most economically secure countries that could host the winters.....it would not shock me if the IOC's view of Canada is as a really safe "go to" host for winter games that happens to also share time zones with the large US tv money!

 

[urbandreamer]

How about Seattle?

 

[old boy]

I think people across the country would be thrilled to have it in Toronto. Canadians would love to have the Olympics in Canada in general, and would concede that it's only logical that the Olympics would be held in the largest city, especially given the fact that it hasn't hosted them yet. In no way could a Toronto bid seem unfair to the rest of the country given that three cities in Canada other than Toronto have hosted them.

We'll see how well Toronto does with the Pan Ams, and if those games come off as they might, I think the IOC would encourage another Toronto bid. The city has had 2 excellant bids thwarted by circumstances out of it's control. From the IOC's point of view, it ups the ante other cities have to put up to compete with a Toronto bid . If you're of a cynical mind cast you you can say Toronto is being offered the opportunity of playing the sucker, again. However, if you look at the benefits a city like Vancouver achieves from hosting the Games, you might say, how can Toronto, so experienced at bidding, not mount another bid. If you think there are a lot of Canadians complaining about the Vancouver games now, just imagine the whining you'd hear if Toronto ever won the Games. The GTA sure could use the transportation upgrades alone.

 

[jn_12]

^ The problem with that is that we would have to bid before the Pan Ams took place. We'd actually be bidding 2 years prior. And if you wait beyond 2020 you run the risk of the US getting the games and forcing us to wait another 20 or so years. If we don't go for 2020, we might be risking not having a chance until 2050 or so.

 

[junctionist]

We'll see how well Toronto does with the Pan Ams, and if those games come off as they might, I think the IOC would encourage another Toronto bid. The city has had 2 excellant bids thwarted by circumstances out of it's control. From the IOC's point of view, it ups the ante other cities have to put up to compete with a Toronto bid . If you're of a cynical mind cast you you can say Toronto is being offered the opportunity of playing the sucker, again. However, if you look at the benefits a city like Vancouver achieves from hosting the Games, you might say, how can Toronto, so experienced at bidding, not mount another bid. If you think there are a lot of Canadians complaining about the Vancouver games now, just imagine the whining you'd hear if Toronto ever won the Games. The GTA sure could use the transportation upgrades alone.

I think the whining risk is highly exaggerated. I haven't heard anything outside of some Vancouver residents who were concerned about funding. And even if some whine, who cares? That always happens, but I see plenty more Canadians cheering and celebrating rather than whining. One can either pursue a great event like the Olympics or listen to a vocal minority who whine. The latter option isn't very interesting.