Riverdale Rink Rat
Senior Member
TOAF, why the $200mn difference between those documents and NatPost's $700mn figure? Does the latter include other costs or facilities?
TOAF, why the $200mn difference between those documents and NatPost's $700mn figure? Does the latter include other costs or facilities?
TOAF, why the $200mn difference between those documents and NatPost's $700mn figure? Does the latter include other costs or facilities?
So, despite my never-ending kvetching about the costs, I'll enjoy at least one event at this Games. I was at BMO Field yesterday for the Maori/Canada match, and despite the cold it was lots o' fun. I will definitely be there to watch some of the 7s -- Canada, US, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay should all put decent teams on the field, and Canada should be a favourite for a gold medal.
So, despite my never-ending kvetching about the costs, I'll enjoy at least one event at this Games. I was at BMO Field yesterday for the Maori/Canada match, and despite the cold it was lots o' fun. I will definitely be there to watch some of the 7s -- Canada, US, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay should all put decent teams on the field, and Canada should be a favourite for a gold medal.
Sorry but Paraguay won't qualify.
The largest portion of the extra $1.1 billion is $700 million to build the athletes village in Toronto. The province hopes to recoup $65 million when the units are turned into 253 affordable rental apartments, an 8,000-square-foot YMCA and 500 residences for George Brown College students after the games.
Provincial officials also revealed the security budget for the Pan Am Games is $206 million, a fraction of the nearly $900 million spent on security at the Vancouver Olympics, but cautioned the figures are not final "and are likely to change."
There is a lower risk profile for the Pan Am Games and not nearly as many so-called high-profile targets as at the Olympics, they said to explain the security budget.
However, the Progressive Conservatives said the security costs seem way too low.
"Clearly these games, whenever they happen around the world they cost a fair bit more than $206 million for security," said PC Pan Am critic Rod Jackson. "If they keep going like this the total cost will approach $3 billion.
The province also announced the transportation budget for the games would be up to $90 million to shuttle athletes and officials to the various venues, which stretch from Niagara to as far north as the Orillia area and as far east as Oshawa.
There may be dedicated "priority lanes" on Toronto area highways to make sure the athletes can get to and from events, but officials said it's possible they would be implemented only when traffic is congested, not for the entire duration of the games.
The government will try not to inconvenience regular commuters when it takes steps to transport the athletes to events, said Transportation Minister Glen Murray.
"We'll be looking at HOV and flow lanes, but we're managing a delicate balance here," he said. "We do not want to crowd out our own citizens during an international event."
CTV_November2009 said:The Pan Am Games will cost $2.4 billion: $1.4 billion for the event and another $1 billion for an athlete's village. The plan is to convert it to a mixed-income neighbourhood after the games.
exactly, this doesn't come as a surprise, the pan am village costs have always been presented.
OK, but other than to obfuscate, why exactly were they always presented separately? That's patently ridiculous. And you wonder why those of us who think sporting facilities are usually a waste of money get our knickers in a knot.