Toronto Mayor John Tory made the decision to not enter a bid for the city to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
At a news conference on Sept. 15, Tory stated, “I am not saying no to the Olympics. I am saying not this time.”
Right on the heels of hosting the Pan American Games this summer, timing was restrictive in gathering all of the necessary information to express intent to bid, including answering questions about funding and infrastructure. However, Tory stated that the success of the Pan Am Games shows that Toronto can host other major events.
In the midst of a federal election, the Olympics were not a considerable priority for members of senior governments with bigger, more pressing issues on their minds. This provided an additional challenge in gathering support for a potential bid. Other parties, such as the provincial and municipal governments and corporate partners, remained less than enthusiastic at the prospect.
In the weeks approaching the Sept. 15 deadline, Tory weighed the pros and cons of submitting a bid, taking into account the lack of enthusiasm from the provincial government and potential sponsors.
Toronto’s Economic Development Committee had considered a 2024 Olympic bid in January 2014 and the decision at that time was to defer the issue indefinitely. Obstacles foreseen at that time included the federal election and the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games in the months surrounding the bid deadline. The committee’s report also indicated that a Pre-Bid Phase analysis would have cost an estimated $1 million for consultant services and staff if the city had decided to pursue a bid.
Although this issue had been decided over 18 months before the bid deadline, the IOC announced plans to change the bid process in 2014, prompting speculation that Toronto might throw their name in for consideration.
Although the Canadian Olympic Committee would be the one to submit a bid, president Marcel Aubut indicated that he was waiting for Tory’s decision on the issue. Tory had previously stated that he would not be making a decision until after the close of the Parapan Am Games, leaving him just over a month to gather the necessary information. One of the most important questions, as with any event on this scale, comes down to the price tag and who is going to pay it.
The day before Tory’s announcement, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne stated, “Ontario is not going to put itself forward and be on the hook for all of the costs.” On its own, the bid would have cost Toronto up to $60 million. Tory had previously indicated that this bid would be largely financed by the private sector.
The budget for the Pan Am Games was set at $2.5 billion at the time of Toronto’s bid in 2009. Following the Games, Tourism and Sport Minister Michael Couteau told CTV News that the Games were $50 million under budget, however Wynne remains cautious and says that the final costs have not been confirmed at this time. Hosting the Olympics would cost between $3.3 billion and $7 billion, according to a previous municipal study – up to almost three times the cost of the Pan Am Games.
Toronto Councillor Gord Perks told CBC News, “The mayor made the right call.” Councillor Gary Crawford agreed, calling it a “prudent decision” on Tory’s part. Perks cited the city’s current funding challenges for transit, housing, and infrastructure improvements as more pressing than the Olympics. Some bid supporters, on the other hand, were hoping that a successful bid would allow the city to access funding for these needs. Tory disagrees with this idea, saying that the Games shouldn’t be used to free up money.
It seems that many involved parties believe that 2024 is not Toronto’s year for the Olympics, but that a bid is almost guaranteed at some point in the future. To this end, Tory plans to create a panel for advising the city on future bids for major events such as another summer or winter Olympics, the FIFA World Cup or a world expo.
The International Olympic Committee’s spokesman Mark Adams told CBC, “The International Olympic Committee highly appreciates what Toronto has done as it continues to work on a future candidacy.”
The Canadian Olympic Committee’s president, Marcel Aubut, is on board with postponing but remains “optimistic.”
The successful bid for the 2024 Olympics host city will be decided in 2017.
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