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Watching the opening ceremony to Guadalahara I'm beginning to grasp the scale of the PanAm games. They might not be the Olympics but such a creative city as Toronto is going to have a fantastic opportunity to express itself to the Americas and to the world. Even if nobody else was watching, this is going to be a treat to Torontonians. Think LuminaTO x 1000. No doubt many peripheral cultural and arts festivals will tie in around the PanAm games. I'm seriously excited about TO2015 for the first time!

Also, what occurred to me is that we're going to be the official one year countdown to Rio2016. There is bound to be a tie in. TO2015 organizers are working to ensure that our event is used as a qualifier for Rio so we'll get the most elite athletes competing.
 
I wonder if the Velodrome is coming to Toronto.

Toronto Pan Am boss: ‘We feel very good about where we stand’

Is it true that 25 percent of the 50 proposed venues have not been sewn up?
“No, that’s not true at all. From the bid book, a lot’s going to change, but we’ve solidified those plans. If anything, the number of venues is going to drop as we simplify and consolidate what our venue plan’s going to be. At this point, we’ve got four sports that we have to finalize. Velodrome, which is the obvious one. We have to finalize baseball/softball and find a home for shooting. Those are the things which are outstanding. Everything else, we’ve got a good home for, and we’ll be ready to start announcing those things in November.”

Is there a deadline for finding a new home for the velodrome?
“There’s no real deadline. We’ve got our (request for proposal) out.”

More........http://sports.nationalpost.com/2011...-boss-we-feel-very-good-about-where-we-stand/
 
I'd love for it to come to Toronto. We have such a vibrant cycling community. No doubt that even a tiny percentage of bike enthusiasts is ready to go pro athlete if we provide the facilities for them to train in.

That will also open up opportunities to host international competitions in cycling.

I think that Exhibition Place is the perfect spot!
 
I would actually be quite interested in watching Cuba and a couple of the other countries play baseball. Actually, I think Cuba typically outdoes us in the medal count.
 
CIBC lead sponsor of Pan Am Games in 2015

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce has landed the lead sponsorship of the Pan Am games in Toronto, the bank’s largest ever sponsorship deal.

“As the spotlight now turns to 2015, CIBC looks forward to working to working with the Toronto organizing committee to make the 2015 Games a tremendous success,” Gerry McCaughey, chief executive of CIBC, said in a statement Thursday.

The current Pan Am Games are wrapping up in Guadalajara.

CIBC will also be the lead partner of the Games, standing “shoulder to shoulder” with the organizing committee, said Roger Garland, chair of the board of TO2015.
He said he is “extremely pleased by this incredible show of support from CIBC.”

Stephen Forbes, executive vice-president of marketing and communications at CIBC, said the bank sees enormous opportunities in contributing to a major sporting and cultural event.

“We are proud to associate our brand with what will no doubt be a significant event that will inspire a generation of young athletes and be a source of tremendous pride for our communities,” he said in a statement.

http://business.financialpost.com/2011/10/27/cibc-lead-sponsor-of-pan-am-games-in-2015/
 
There's been rumblings that people responsible for the aquatic centre at UofT Scarborough campus are trying to get the velodrome built there as well. I was hoping for Exhibition Place or Ontario Place which are looking for a raison d'être and could use such a facility. Until recently, I wouldn't have imagined Ford being pro PanAm but given his expression waving the flag at the closing ceremonies, I think he may have caught the bug. Maybe he'll pitch the velodrome for the port lands right next to the ferris wheel.

P.S> Shouldn't we drop "bid" from the title of this thread?

EDIT: I change my position. I think that UofT is the perfect place for it. These kinds of facilities should be built in the places where athletes are being trained. The exception would be if it were for a spectator sport that would draw thousands of people who would stimulate the commercial economy around it in which case downtown would be better. So hopefully UofT gets the velodrome.
 
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MetroMan said:
There's been rumblings that people responsible for the aquatic centre at UofT Scarborough campus are trying to get the velodrome built there as well. I was hoping for Exhibition Place or Ontario Place which are looking for a raison d'être and could use such a facility. Until recently, I wouldn't have imagined Ford being pro PanAm but given his expression waving the flag at the closing ceremonies, I think he may have caught the bug. Maybe he'll pitch the velodrome for the port lands right next to the ferris wheel.

P.S> Shouldn't we drop "bid" from the title of this thread?

EDIT: I change my position. I think that UofT is the perfect place for it. These kinds of facilities should be built in the places where athletes are being trained. The exception would be if it were for a spectator sport that would draw thousands of people who would stimulate the commercial economy around it in which case downtown would be better. So hopefully UofT gets the velodrome.
Click to expand...

i wish the aquatic centre was built at either york uni, ryerson, downtown uoft, or downsview. all places easily accessed by transit. i have the same wish for the bike centre.
 
Riverdale Rink Rat said:
Won't UT Scar be on/near the new Eglinton line? Or will it not be built that far yet?
Click to expand...
No ... the line only goes to McCowan/Ellesmere, with future plans to extend it to Nielson/McLevin (Malvern Town Centre) north of the 401. Also the Eglinton line won't open until 2020 (though there's been some talk of some earlier phased openings ... but I can't imagine that even first piece they are building west of Yonge will be ready until 2017 or so).

UT Scarborough is at Ellesmere/Morningside ... and was to be serviced by the Scarborough/Malvern LRT which was to have started at Kennedy Station, east along Eglinton, north on Kingston Road, north on Morningside to Sheppard.

There were never any plans to construct this 13-km LRT line for the Pan-Am games, though there were discussions about building the final 2.5 km of this as a spur off the Sheppard East LRT which was to have opened in 2013.
 
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TO2015 is pleased to announce that Milton Education Village is now being considered as the selected site for the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games velodrome.
 
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I see Paul Henderson (the Olympian and not the hockey great) has some comments on the costs of the Pan Am games.

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/01/02/henderson-letter-outlines-skyrocketing-pan-am-games-costs

I agree that:
1) existing venues should be used instead of building new ones.
2) the same venue can be used twice since most events do not last the entire duration of the games,
3) temporary facilities are preferred to white-elephants,
4) it should be scheduled when most top athletes will attend.

I am not sure that combining the Pan Am and Pan Para Games would save money. Is it easier to manage a giant games or a large games followed by a small games?
 
password1125 said:
Rumor has it cricket will be added to the program.
Click to expand...

Cricket is currently a demonstration sport but Cricket Canada is lobbying to have it installed as a full sport. The site earmarked for this sport is currently northern Brampton (currently nothing there either) but there could be a venue change announced shortly.
Stay tuned.
 
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