Toronto awarded 2015 Pan American Games

By CARLOS RODRIGUEZ, Associated Press Writer Nov 6, 5:52 pm EST

GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP)—The 2015 Pan American Games are going to Toronto.

The Pan American Sports Organization awarded the games in a secret vote on Friday with Toronto receiving 33 votes to win on the first ballot. Lima, Peru, received 11 votes and Bogota seven. One vote of the 52 was null.

“This is a day of celebration, a moment of joy. We won this honor and are very thankful,” said Dalton McGuinty, the premier of Ontario. “The quality of the competition was very hard. Lima and Bogota were great rivals and I’m sure that they will host the games someday.”

Canada has held the event twice—in Winnipeg in 1967 and 1999. Toronto has failed in two bids to host the summer Olympics.

The 2007 Pan American Games were held in Rio de Janeiro, which used that success as a springboard to its winning bid for the 2016 Olympics last month.

The 2011 games are to be held in Guadalajara, which has faced major delays in organizing the event.

In its presentation on Friday, Toronto emphasized that many of the facilities needed for the games were already built. Officials suggested their option was “risk free” and said they were planning to build an athletes’ village and an aquatic center, no matter the outcome of the vote.

Toronto officials said the games would be held from July 10-26, with the Parapan American Games set for Aug. 7-14.

The Toronto delegation was headed by McGuinty and Mayor David Miller.

The delegations from Colombia and Peru were both led by heads of government — President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia and President Alan Garcia of Peru.

“We had hoped Bogota would be the venue, but we have to accept the results and move ahead. It was a clean fight,” Uribe said.

In his presentation just before the vote, Garcia urged voters to choose the venue on something other than financial concerns. Peru has never hosted the Pan American Games. Colombia held them once, in Cali in 1971.

“This is not a real estate auction, nor is it a competition about who is the richest,” Garcia said.

The first Pan American Games were held in 1951 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Only 10 of the 42 member nations in the Pan Am Sports Organization have hosted the games.

Updated Nov 6, 5:52 pm EST
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26 Comments

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  1. bluemoon
    26. Posted by bluemoon Sat Nov 7 12:10am EST

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    let all cheer toronto got the land transfer tax last year, gst ,pst ,and than they combine the two tax gst and pst together charge toronto more taxes , now they try to introduce us pay pam am taxes,now for what ever reasonbwhy is city of toronto alway broke or never make money , where is all the money gone to
  2. bluemoon
    25. Posted by bluemoon Sat Nov 7 12:08am EST

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    let all cheer toronto got the land transfer tax last year, gst ,pst ,and than they combine the two tax gst and pst together charge toronto more taxes , now they try to introduce us pay pam am taxes
  3. Jenn
    24. Posted by Jenn Fri Nov 6 11:26pm EST

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    Let McGuinty and Mayor David Miller and their politicians who support them pay for that out of their own pockets! We're in debt as it already is! Canada could be soon a 3rd world country before 2015 comes around! The money could have been used to fund more housing, jobs, security, health care and especially education that is beginning to lack step by step in every corner!
  4. huuuhhh
    23. Posted by huuuhhh Fri Nov 6 11:15pm EST

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    Pipebasher.. they say bout 250,000 people.. we get more than that every year for caribana which costs but a few million (most, if not all, sponsored by companies - not the city) So those numbers happen every year, so I don't see the need to spend billions on the PanAm.
  5. Piperbasher
    22. Posted by Piperbasher Fri Nov 6 11:09pm EST

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    I have yet to see any government figures to show the economic benefits of supporting this sort of thing actually outweighs tax spending? Is Toronto's tourism industry hurting so much that we actually needed this? How many people would actually fly in and see this anyway?
  6. bluemoon
    21. Posted by bluemoon Fri Nov 6 10:42pm EST

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    don't need it , spending 2.4 billion, for what ,not even top countries going , when was last time these countries won any olimpic gold, still wondering what happen to the 25 bilion the government did withmoney to bail out companies, first they say low 11 billion later on the say 14 billion , then it balloon to 25 billion ,where and what did they spend 25 bilion on don't ned our taxex rise because of 25 billion and 2.4 bilion spent games
  7. bluemoon
    20. Posted by bluemoon Fri Nov 6 10:36pm EST

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    hmm pam am games ,top country not going be their,only south america really when was the last time anyoff these country won gold, let alone medals, it will cost 2.4 billion, spent enough on bailing out companies in canada already they say debt in april was suppose to be in the low 11 billion, than they say 14 billion ,now 2 week ago week ago we found out our debt is close to 25 billion, now where is the 2.4 billion from , i hope they not going to rise are taxs, if they rise taxes i rather not have the pam am games, any of thses big event never makes money! 25 biilion debt to bail out companies almost double what the original amount the government say,where did the 25 billion go too, now government want to spend 2.4 billiuon on ther pam am games,personally i reaalyy don't want it in toronto , 2.4 billion we can do alot more better thing than spend 2.4 on games ,wonder where did the 25 billion went
  8. choud2403
    19. Posted by choud2403 Fri Nov 6 10:18pm EST

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    Why u guys think world will end by 2012? Which religion is saying that? I am still virgin. I guess I need to find a girl soon. I don't want to die being virgin.
  9. rannotmethinks
    18. Posted by rannotmethinks Fri Nov 6 10:08pm EST

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    Who cares? Better T.O. than here!
  10. huuuhhh
    17. Posted by huuuhhh Fri Nov 6 9:54pm EST

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    Great.. the most taxed city in Canada is about to get a new tax - the PanAm tax.
  11. <i>willhuntley@...</i>
    16. Posted by willhuntley@... Fri Nov 6 9:44pm EST

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    Too bad the world is going to end in 2012!!!
  12. <i>kels333@...</i>
    15. Posted by kels333@... Fri Nov 6 9:22pm EST

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    You'd think they want the games to be held in a world class city. Well, with the traffic we have now and the anticipated growth with no plan in place to solve it by the car hating politicians......good luck. Not to mention the TTC wanting to jack prices once again.
    Can't wait for all the visitors.........HA
  13. Express
    14. Posted by Express Fri Nov 6 8:47pm EST

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    Crappy economy and Toronto is going to foot the bill, so the people can come here to play. Raise the taxes for the cost over runs and expenses incurred.
  14. Conrad C
    13. Posted by Conrad C Fri Nov 6 8:40pm EST

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    Iam so glad a Canada City is hosting the Pam Am game. Just hope my city Edmonton will host some big sport event soon. Also we should pray the world will not end at Decemebr 2012.
  15. 0530
    12. Posted by 0530 Fri Nov 6 8:20pm EST

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    All for the glory of people
  16. Farmboyz
    11. Posted by Farmboyz Fri Nov 6 8:00pm EST

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    You people whine too much. Crying about taxes is why it's so slow to get things done in Canada. Unlike in Europe, where taxes are really high, but no one cares. Because they expend there energy fighting for services, and making the quality of life better. Not blubbering about taxes.

    The Pan Am Games will be fun. No, it isn't the Olympics. But, that doesn't mean Toronto can't put on a really good event. It will help build infrastructure, and make the city a better place.
  17. no google
    10. Posted by no google Fri Nov 6 7:50pm EST

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    Have a nice five years of propganda Toronto...
  18. listen up
    9. Posted by listen up Fri Nov 6 7:35pm EST

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    another trip to the sunny south for these fools....no wait , were the fools paying for it! uuugggg
  19. A
    8. Posted by A Fri Nov 6 6:43pm EST

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    the Olympics will be a disaster. I've never heard of the Pan American Games. Is it new?
  20. golfdave44
    7. Posted by golfdave44 Fri Nov 6 6:38pm EST

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    Big deal
  21. twodots.geo
    6. Posted by twodots.geo Fri Nov 6 6:35pm EST

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    This will be a disaster.
  22. Car
    5. Posted by Car Fri Nov 6 6:34pm EST

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    U can brag about the money spent for this kind of stuff but no one's ever gonna go out on the streets of the lame city of Toronto even when they triple-tax us for their private stuff. The excuse is...we are 'civilized'. Poor excuse for just being sissies. If you smash the windows of cityhall or Queenspark each time McGuilty puts up a new tax, they'd think twice the next time!
  23. um ayhem
    4. Posted by um ayhem Fri Nov 6 6:23pm EST

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    screw this, they wanna charge us TST on top of GST, PST, and HST just to waste them on such pointless events. I'm might as well give them my entire pay cheque and quit my job, arghhhhh what the hell is wrong with Canada now people.
  24. usurhead
    3. Posted by usurhead Fri Nov 6 6:06pm EST

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    as long as they can pay for it- let them have it!
  25. Pipester
    2. Posted by Pipester Fri Nov 6 6:06pm EST

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    Just be thankful it wasn't the Winter Olympics and the Leafs had to represented Canada. LOL
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