Olympics: councillors go for the whim

In surprise decision, city votes to explore 2024 bid while also pursuing Expo 2025

It’s the longest of long shots, but Toronto is once again flirting with the idea of hosting an Olympic Games.

In an out-of-the-blue decision Friday, city council voted to investigate the possibility of a 2024 bid.

Those in the Olympic and sport community reacted with surprise and skepticism. It’s been more than a decade since Toronto last went through the gruelling and expensive pro- cess, only to lose the 2008 Games to Beijing. With London less than two months away, the debate as to whether major cities should even host Olympic Games has once again been raised.

So does Toronto really want to go down that road again? Do we even stand a chance?

Toronto’s case would no doubt be helped by the fact the city is set to host the 2015 Pan American Games.

With Quebec likely to bid for Winter Games in ‘22, T.O. will have a hard case to make

Hosting that event in 2007 paved the way for Rio de Janeiro to win the 2016 Olympics. But the odds are still against us. For one thing, Paul Henderson, who led the charge in the 1996 bid, noted that Quebec City will probably make a play for the 2022 Winter Olympics. A country would never be awarded back-to-back Games.

Canada, with a population of 33 million, has already had three Olympics in less than 40 years. India and its more than one billion residents have never hosted.

Canada will have a hard time making the case, said Bruce Kidd, a University of Toronto professor who sat on the board for Toronto’s last two bids. Furthermore, he added, Toronto doesn’t have its “domestic house in order” at the moment.

“On the one hand, I would be delighted to see another bid. On the other, we’ve got to present ourselves as a progressive city, and walk the talk, which at the moment we’re not doing.” Bob Richardson, who was the chief operating officer for Toronto’s bid against Beijing, said there’s no sense putting in the work if the city doesn’t have a chance.

“There’s no point in being involved with ‘mission: impossible.’ You never quite know on these things, nothing is a slam dunk.”

Contacted Friday afternoon, Dimitri Soudas, executive director of communications with the Canadian Olympic Committee, said it would be premature to comment on city council’s decision, but that “we will act in the best interest of our athletes and sport in Canada.”

It’s been less than a year since Councillor Doug Ford euthanized the makings of a 2020 bid, declaring Toronto was in no position to host the Games. But on Friday, Mayor Rob Ford backed a motion to consider whether Toronto should go for the 2024 Games. Doug Ford was absent from the vote.

Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong tagged the request to an agenda item dealing with a potential 2025 World Expo bid. “If I had to choose, there’s no question: the Olympics. It’s the most important global event a city can host. The economic benefits, the job creation, the buzz it would give the city and the infrastructure that would be left would be amazing,” he said. The motion passed 26-8. That report is to be submitted to council’s economic development committee next March.

Right-winger Minnan-Wong has made a habit of clashing with progressive Councillor Kristyn WongTam, who is heading the Expo initiative. Asked if she felt MinnanWong launched the motion to cause trouble, Wong-Tam replied: “I don’t know. I have no comment.”