Should Toronto bid for the 2036 Olympics?

[Zeitgeist]

Toronto lost a 1996 bid to host the Olympics to Atlanta and lost a 2008 bid to Beijing.  Canada has only hosted one Summer Olympics, in Montreal in 1976.  I’d hoped to see Toronto host an Olympics in my lifetime. The next three games are spoken for.  Canada needs to build up its summer program as it did its winter program.  Central Canada needs Olympic level training facilities.  Should Toronto bid for the 2036 Olympics?

[Shady]

Yes they should. ?

[BubberMiley]

Maybe when the IOC gets its costs under control. Now it just seems like a chance to blow billions of dollars.

[QuebecOverCanada]

No.

In Montreal, it took decades to just pay for a still broken stadium from the 1976 games.

I have no trust in public authorities to carefully spend, manage and deliver the Olympics. 

[Zeitgeist]

I actually think the Olympics have a lot of value beyond the monetary value of their television rights and ticket sales.  It inspires youth to aim high and creates a culture of high standards that impacts other areas of the economy, if handled well.  

[Yzermandius19]

On 8/2/2021 at 7:19 PM, Zeitgeist said:

I actually think the Olympics have a lot of value beyond the monetary value of their television rights and ticket sales.  It inspires youth to aim high and creates a culture of high standards that impacts other areas of the economy, if handled well.  

it is never handled well, the inspiration of the youth is not worth the billions spent

Edited August 9, 2021 by Yzermandius19

[Zeitgeist]

I disagree.  We get new facilities and a culture of athletic excellence from hosting an Olympics.   That spirit translates to other areas.  Toronto could use more and better facilities, especially as it’s the hub of 40 percent of Canada’s population.  I also think Quebec should host a Winter Olympics eventually.  Yes it means government investment, but cities make a lot of money in television rights and ticket sales.   You get new transportation infrastructure and a big tourism boost.  

[RedDog]

Absolutely not! Toronto can’t fix a host of problems or pay its bills. They last thing this country needs is a billion dollar stadium to add to that city’s stadium collection.

If there is so much as ONE homeless person sleeping on the sidewalk, any Olympic folly or other similar is utter ridiculous.

[Argus]

On 8/2/2021 at 12:51 PM, QuebecOverCanada said:

No.

In Montreal, it took decades to just pay for a still broken stadium from the 1976 games.

I have no trust in public authorities to carefully spend, manage and deliver the Olympics. 

Due in no small part to massive corruption in the Quebec construction industry. No one builds anything on time or budget in Quebec. 

[Argus]

Ontario is broke. And that's without pouring more money into LTC homes and health care. We don't have the money for a sports extravaganza. 

[Shady]

On 8/2/2021 at 12:47 PM, BubberMiley said:

Maybe when the IOC gets its costs under control. Now it just seems like a chance to blow billions of dollars.

Mitt Romney can run it and show you how to make a profit, like he did in Salt Lake City in 2002.

[Shady]

3 hours ago, Argus said:

Ontario is broke. And that's without pouring more money into LTC homes and health care. We don't have the money for a sports extravaganza. 

Mitt Romney can run it and show you how to make a profit, like he did in Salt Lake City in 2002.
 

“Official state estimates of the economic impact showed the Salt Lake Olympics yielded $100 million in profits, $4.8 billion in sales, 35,000 job years of employment and $1.5 billion in earnings for Utah workers during 2002.

Since then, the state's ski and lodging industries have enjoyed record-setting years, with a 42 percent increase in skier visits. Direct expenditures from skiers and snowboarders have increased 67 percent from $704 million in 2002-03 to $1.2 billion in 2010-11.”

https://www.ksl.com/article/19155597/economic-impact-of-2002-olympics-still-felt

[ironstone]

I suppose some places that hosted the Olympics did well financially at the end of the day but many others did not. Ratings aren't that great for the most recent Games and frankly I don't think most people care about the Olympics. The Olympics are primarily about money and actual sports rank much lower in importance. Why not have the winter and summer games at fixed sites?

PHOTOS: What Abandoned Olympic Venues Look Like Today (businessinsider.com)

Personally I would rather see those billions destined for the Olympics used for upgrading basic infrastructure.

[Zeitgeist]

5 hours ago, ironstone said:

I suppose some places that hosted the Olympics did well financially at the end of the day but many others did not. Ratings aren't that great for the most recent Games and frankly I don't think most people care about the Olympics. The Olympics are primarily about money and actual sports rank much lower in importance. Why not have the winter and summer games at fixed sites?

PHOTOS: What Abandoned Olympic Venues Look Like Today (businessinsider.com)

Personally I would rather see those billions destined for the Olympics used for upgrading basic infrastructure.

But the sale of TV rights and tickets (post-pandemic) can help pay for a lot of infrastructure.  The Olympics can force the issue on getting a lot of transportation, housing, sports, parks, and other infrastructure built within a short time frame.  It’s also a fun, motivating, unifying event that raises a country’s profile and brings in tourism dollars.  

[RedDog]

Citing Winter Games is folly. Calgary made a profit too. Such games don’t need a billion dollar stadium, a world class multi-pool and diving facility, a velodrome, a MUCH larger Olympic Village, etc.

I suggest humanity is about past such showboating shit at public expense.

Edited August 24, 2021 by RedDog

[Michael Hardner]

6 minutes ago, RedDog said:

1.  Calgary made a profit too. 

Right, but that's because everybody in Calgary is so smart and not arrogant. Unlike the rest of CanaDUH.

[Nationalist]

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

Edited December 30, 2021 by Nationalist

[Zeitgeist]

On 12/30/2021 at 12:50 PM, Nationalist said:

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

Why?  Obviously I don’t support it during a pandemic, but later on it could fast track infrastructure for the city (affordable housing. subways, sports facilities, etc.).   

[Nationalist]

18 minutes ago, Zeitgeist said:

Why?  Obviously I don’t support it during a pandemic, but later on it could fast track infrastructure for the city (affordable housing. subways, sports facilities, etc.).   

Why? They've been trying to build a cross-town LRT line here for 5 years now.

Toronto is a logistical and foundational nightmare. Put the Olympics somewhere that needs a boost. Halifax comes to mind. Or winter Olympics in Kelona. Anywhere but Toronto. That would be a bloody mess.

[Zeitgeist]

1 minute ago, Nationalist said:

Why? They've been trying to build a cross-town LRT line here for 5 years now.

Toronto is a logistical and foundational nightmare. Put the Olympics somewhere that needs a boost. Halifax comes to mind. Or winter Olympics in Kelona. Anywhere but Toronto. That would be a bloody mess.

I just think it can be used to pay for stuff we already are doing or that we need.  The Don remediation costs billions.  Hybrid Gardiner?  Ontario Line?   Might as well get some money and tourist dollars out of TV rights and seat sales.  Funny this is a very pre-pandemic discussion.  Hosting an Olympics right now is ridiculous.  

[Nationalist]

17 minutes ago, Zeitgeist said:

I just think it can be used to pay for stuff we already are doing or that we need.  The Don remediation costs billions.  Hybrid Gardiner?  Ontario Line?   Might as well get some money and tourist dollars out of TV rights and seat sales.  Funny this is a very pre-pandemic discussion.  Hosting an Olympics right now is ridiculous.  

True it is silly while we're in a lock-down but...its a distraction too.

IMO...they've already limited the width of space available for the Gardiner. Perhaps a new structure with a third level underground but...even that's likely not feasible anymore. Besides that, there's not enough money in an Olympics to pay for half of such a project. The DVP could be widened, or you could go underground.

But IMO the failing of Toronto is its basic design premise. Which appears to be, 'make the most from as little space as possible.' This is a huge city full of tiny little houses on postage stamp yards, sharp corners, skinny little roads and no parking. I swear...Toronto was and is designed by people not concerned with anything more than 5 years down the road.

[Zeitgeist]

30 minutes ago, Nationalist said:

True it is silly while we're in a lock-down but...its a distraction too.

IMO...they've already limited the width of space available for the Gardiner. Perhaps a new structure with a third level underground but...even that's likely not feasible anymore. Besides that, there's not enough money in an Olympics to pay for half of such a project. The DVP could be widened, or you could go underground.

But IMO the failing of Toronto is its basic design premise. Which appears to be, 'make the most from as little space as possible.' This is a huge city full of tiny little houses on postage stamp yards, sharp corners, skinny little roads and no parking. I swear...Toronto was and is designed by people not concerned with anything more than 5 years down the road.

It lacks a Central Park or Michigan Avenue.  University Ave is nice.  Toronto Island.  Always feels done on the cheap. Always corporate and reliant on developers.  That’s the era our city is expanding in, faster than any major North American city.  New York and Montreal were built up earlier, in times of cheap non-unionized labour and skilled tradesmen.  

[leafsfan23]

Yes.

Here is why:

1) The IOC is shying away from huge builds. They want as much of the infrastructure existing as opposed to being built. If this were the old IOC, Toronto would have to build a new velodrome, but the one in Milton (even though smaller than normal, would be fine). 

2) Through a venue plan I created on my end, only 2 venues (could be 1) needs to be built and stay after the games: The Olympic Stadium. This can be downsized and used for whatever purpose (Argos etc.)

3) An Athletes Village that can be used 100% for housing needs. Villages are built to be sold off for profit after games. Why not reimagine this to have use the village to house the city's neediest people? This would be another example of using the games to benefit the city

4) The IOC is providing Paris 2024 with $1.2 billion USD in cash to help with the cost of hosting the games. This is a third party that would be investing in our city. Only $100 million euros in public money is needed for a Paris Games.

5) The Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games were under budget. The headlines says "over" but that is incorrect. The province had to cover a $500 million shortfall since the feds cut part of their support. Still the games only cost Ontario an additional $342 million dollars, which means it was under budget. 

 

[eyeball]

No. The Olympics should be held in Greece. Forever.

Simply putting the contending lap-dancers and whores out of the business of sucking the IOC's ****'s is good enough reason for me.

Edited January 25, 2022 by eyeball

[Zeitgeist]

1 hour ago, eyeball said:

No. The Olympics should be held in Greece. Forever.

Simply putting the contending lap-dancers and whores out of the business of sucking the IOC's ****'s is good enough reason for me.

Yeesh Eyeball, take it easy.