[canmark]

CIBC offering discounted tickets to PanAm Games as a Canada Day gift

Tomorrow until noon on Thursday, you'll be able to buy PanAm Games tickets at 25 per cent off.

To make the purchase, visit TORONTO2015.org/ticket and use the promo code: CIBCPANAM.

 

[The Golem]

I think you've missed my point. The problem isn't the event itself, but the idea that hosting an international sporting event is the only way that infrastructure improvements will ever occur should be under nonsense. If you want people to get interested in the game, it should be about the game itself, not the idea that hosting an brand name sporting event will give you an shining new train or streetcar.

If not for Mayor Ford, Scarborough would have a shining new 7-stop LRT running right now. That was the original plan, to have it going in time for the Pan Am Games (for events at the new U of T aquatic centre).

Instead, they get nothing for at least the next decade.

 

[rdaner]

A few pix taken off of the internet of the Flatwater Centre in Welland. Beautiful addition to Ontario's sporting facilities.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

The canoe/kayak facility is lovely. It builds on an existing facility, and the upgrade costs (including widening the canal(!)) were budgeted at $10M and seem to have come in at around that. It gives Welland a canal-based tourist attraction and will probably draw both athletes and bicycle/kayak tourists to Welland when they're visiting Niagara/NOTL that otherwise would not bother to come see the canal.

And yet, and yet... $10M? At least it will be available as a training facility for future rowers/canoeists/kayakers training for the World Cup circuit and Olympics, rather than one of the Pan Am sports that are Pan Am-only.

I will say this -- your post made me Google it and discover the Great Niagara circuit bike path, which I will put on the list for a vacation at some point. And I guess that's the idea, right?

 

[Tewder]

The canoe/kayak facility is lovely. It builds on an existing facility, and the upgrade costs (including widening the canal(!)) were budgeted at $10M and seem to have come in at around that. It gives Welland a canal-based tourist attraction and will probably draw both athletes and bicycle/kayak tourists to Welland when they're visiting Niagara/NOTL that otherwise would not bother to come see the canal.

And yet, and yet... $10M? At least it will be available as a training facility for future rowers/canoeists/kayakers training for the World Cup circuit and Olympics, rather than one of the Pan Am sports that are Pan Am-only.

Never heard of the Henley Regatta?? It's one of Canada's oldest sporting traditions right there in St. Kitt's!! The facilities for the Panams are just an upgrade to a venue for an already immensely popular yearly event. Money well spent, in other words.

 

[kaboi]

There's a better solution: get them to take transit

And it's not even the only solution! With all the complaining it's been easy to overlook that NOBODY is barred from using the HOV lanes. They haven't been walled off and reserved entirely for Pan Am activities. ANYONE can use them...they just need to have three people in the car. That's it.

But instead of spending say twenty minutes or so picking people up on the way to the highway and then zipping their way in via HOV lane, they're insisting on spending an hour and a half in traffic and bemoaning their powerlessness to ease their own commute.

It's amazing to me how many drivers see themselves as victims of traffic congestion instead of its cause. And the politicians, what a disappointment. They could be using the Pan Am HOV lane rules as an opportunity to promote more thoughtful driving behaviour and transit use on a permanent basis.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

Never heard of the Henley Regatta?? It's one of Canada's oldest sporting traditions right there in St. Kitt's!! The facilities for the Panams are just an upgrade to a venue for an already immensely popular yearly event. Money well spent, in other words.

I have heard of the Royal Canadian Henley. I do not believe it uses this facility, but maybe they will start doing so. From the Henley website:

"The Royal Canadian Henley Regatta is hosted on the body of water known as Martindale Pond. The pond was once part of the First and Second Welland Canals and old canal locks can be seen at two locations on the Pond. Henley Island, the centre of regatta operations, is located at the 1200 metre mark on the regatta course. Access to Henley Island is via Henley Island Drive. The Grandstand overlooks the Finish Line in what is known as Old Port Dalhousie, a community now part of St. Catharines. The Grandstand entrance is on Main Street."

That's not the Welland course, is it?

 

[howl]

I have heard of the Royal Canadian Henley. I do not believe it uses this facility, but maybe they will start doing so. From the Henley website:

"The Royal Canadian Henley Regatta is hosted on the body of water known as Martindale Pond. The pond was once part of the First and Second Welland Canals and old canal locks can be seen at two locations on the Pond. Henley Island, the centre of regatta operations, is located at the 1200 metre mark on the regatta course. Access to Henley Island is via Henley Island Drive. The Grandstand overlooks the Finish Line in what is known as Old Port Dalhousie, a community now part of St. Catharines. The Grandstand entrance is on Main Street."

That's not the Welland course, is it?

Nope. The Welland International Flatwater Centre is about 25km south of St.Kitts, south of Welland, just north of Pt.Colborne. It is essentially at the other end of the Welland canal.

 

[rdaner]

In a personal quest to learn a bit more about the smaller venues for the Pan Am Games, I did some internet research on the University of Toronto at Scarborough Tennis Centre. A nice addition to a rapidly growing campus.

http://www.toronto2015.org/venue/university-toronto-scarborough-tennis-centre

I couldn't find any suitable large scale photos of the overall venue but hopefully we can see more as the Games approach.

 

[animatronic]

I think we could host the Pan Am Games and a majority of Torontonians wouldn't even know they were going on.

It's fun to read the posts from seven years ago.

 

[salsa]

I will say this -- your post made me Google it and discover the Great Niagara circuit bike path, which I will put on the list for a vacation at some point. And I guess that's the idea, right?

I've been on the Niagara circuit a few times. It's well worth the trip.

 

[James]

It's fun to read the posts from seven years ago.

You should try doing that in the "Baby, we got a bubble?" thread in the real estate forum section!

 

[animatronic]

You should try doing that in the "Baby, we got a bubble?" thread in the real estate forum section!

Yeah - I clicked on page 1 without realizing it and thought we were already planning a bid for the Commonwealth Games or something.

 

[Tewder]

I have heard of the Royal Canadian Henley. I do not believe it uses this facility, but maybe they will start doing so. From the Henley website:

You are correct RRR. It is a different facility to the Henley. I believe that both are being used for the games.

 

[christiesplits]

Toronto-area hotels concerned about Pan Ams
http://news.nationalpost.com/toront...g-tourist-draw-toronto-hotel-association-says