Sports

Will bring jobs, 250,000 visitors, new facilities for region

GUADALAJARA, MEXICO, November 6, 2009 – Toronto and the Golden Horseshoe region has been chosen to host the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games. The decision was made by the Pan American Sport Organization (PASO) in Guadalajara, Mexico.

“We are thrilled,” said Toronto 2015 Bid Chair, the Hon. David Peterson. “We would like to thank PASO and in particular, PASO President, Mario Vasquez Rana for having confidence in us and allowing us this great honour. We will work hard to stage the best Pan and Parapan Am Games ever.”

The Pan American Games are among the premium amateur athletic competitions in the world. Toronto 2015 is expected to attract 10,000 participants and 250,000 visitors from the 42 participating countries in North, South and Central America and the Caribbean.

“We look forward to welcoming the PASO family and athletes from across the Americas and Caribbean to Toronto in 2015,” said Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty. “In fact, we hope they’ll stay a few weeks to enjoy a province that offers a non-stop summer of fun and excitement.”

“Canada is excited to be chosen to host the Americas in 2015,” said the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of State (Sport). “The Government of Canada will continue to work with the Government of Ontario, Toronto and the other municipalities, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee, and the future 2015 Toronto Organizing Committee in the years to come to ensure the success of the Games.”

Toronto was chosen as host site over competitors Bogota, Colombia and Lima, Peru. The winning city’s $1.4-billion plan is built around a core of existing and proven world-class facilities used for professional sports, six new athletic venues and a well-designed, sustainable athlete’s village on Toronto’s waterfront. New venues include a stadium for athletics, indoor velodrome, Canadian Sports Institute facility and Aquatics Centre, as well as two additional 50-metre pools.

“It was our enthusiasm to welcome the world, our love of sports and the way people from more than 100 countries have come together to build a dynamic, safe and green city that made the difference,” said Toronto Mayor David Miller. “I know all of Toronto will join us in making every athlete and visitor feel welcome and at home. The Games presents us with a tremendous opportunity to make the kinds of investment in social and sports infrastructure that will benefit Toronto for decades to come.”

“For us, the Games’ legacy of new competition and training facilities for Ontario’s and indeed Canada’s athletes is most important,” said Michael Chambers, President of the Canadian Olympic Committee which formally submitted the bid. “They will provide much needed new and improved training and competition opportunities for high-performance athletes in and around the Toronto area, and provide valuable community resources for promoting physical fitness and health, especially among our youth.”

The Pan Am Games are a major international multi-sport event, held every four years for athletes of the 42 PASO member nations. The Pan American Games consists of all Summer Olympic sports, plus other non-Olympic events, and serve as an Olympic-qualifier for a number of participating sports. The Toronto 2015 Pan American Games will take place July 10-26 and the Parapan American Games August 7-14. The last edition of the games was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in July 2007 and the next is for Guadalajara, Mexico in October 2011.