Pan Am Games disaster!

[Peanut]

Sure it might take longer to go home but how about hanging around downtown and seeing a free Serena Ryder, or Jann Arden or Lights concert?

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by craigwd

I'm making the trip to Toronto for a week to the games and am planning on attending several events. Whenever I check Ticketmaster the tickets are nearly all gone. So I don't understand the whole "nobody is attending thing".

I'm excited for the Games, I enjoy watching them every 4 years just like the CWG and OG. My friends in Toronto are also excited.

People need to realize that sometimes it's worthwhile to put up with a little inconvenience once in a while when the payoff is so worthwhile. What is the probability of another multisport games occurring in the near future?

So what if it takes a few more minutes to get to work? Leave earlier, take trandit, enjoy the summer day, take some time off to see a sport you've never seen live before.

Sure it might take longer to go home but how about hanging around downtown and seeing a free Serena Ryder, or Jann Arden or Lights concert?

There is more to life than work, there is more to sport than hockey. I fully expect to have a great time and I expect those with an open mind and those who embrace sport to have a great time as well.

I for one cannot wait.

I would totally go if I were there.

But i read nobody was going and that hotel rooms were being retuned.

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/canada/toro...fill-1.3125501

[Fozzie_DeBear]

If no one is going to the games...will traffic volume really be an issue?

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by Peanut

I'm still laughing about that weird hole they found in the ground and law enforcement/media was all "OH MY GOD!!! A terrorist plot to sabotage the PanAm Games has been foiled!! We found their underground headquarters. Or bomb assembly site. Or something. But what a close call for the huge PanAm games event. Terrorists."

And then it turned out to just be some dude's secret underground man-cave/masturbation hideaway.

Great name for a sex toy shop.

[PeteMoss]

I've never lived in Toronto... about 2 hours away, but its transit always seemed fine to me when visiting. They have subway, street cars, buses, regional trains. If I go up to a Jays game I just drive up to a close city and take the train in for like 10 bucks.

Yes it can suck to drive in... like every big city in the world. And if you are just cutting through, there are ways around most of it using the toll highway (which is crazy expensive but its an option).

As for these HOV lanes - yeah I'm sure they suck and I wouldn't have bid on these games, and I'm sure its frustrating for regular commuters but there are other options to get into town - they're running extra go trains which would get you into Toronto from most places these people are commuting from.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by starseed

I would move if not for the food.

Toronto has food? Wish we had some.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Fozzie_DeBear

If no one is going to the games...will traffic volume really be an issue?

sure because one lane is basically closed. Even in downtown Calgary with all the one ways, if one lane is closed it bogs down traffic, can't imagine it in Toronto.

[Zarley]

How typically Toronto, to take what should be a fun sporting event and suck the fun right out of it by endless complaining and over-regulation.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

sure because one lane is basically closed. Even in downtown Calgary with all the one ways, if one lane is closed it bogs down traffic, can't imagine it in Toronto.

Wait, I am mistaken/confused? I thought the lane was available for high occupancy vehicles. It's not locked out or blocked off or replaced with a bike lane.

Isn't that the point of HOV lanes?

[LChoy]

My 2 cents from what I witnessed here so far

People around me know about the games, and a majority of the people I talk to plan to see the events live. For the popular sports, tickets are hard to find, but they are available if you look hard enough.
Traffic is a decisive issue here. The Gardiner, one of the major arteries into the downtown core was suppose to be updated and expanded by now. Except politics and bickering kept the project grounded so far. There is concerns with some of the facilities being outside of Toronto, that getting to them would be a concern. In my opinion, it will be a wait and see thing to see if the HOV lanes end up working, or create a massive headache for those driving to and from Toronto for work.

LChoy

[shermanator]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Is this going to be one of the worst sporting events in the country's history?

This seems like quite the hyperbole based on the article itself. OH NO ITS JUST THE WORST SPORTING EVENT EVAR!

From what I read, those who had 3+ occupants got by just fine, while those who didn't were inconvenienced. Perhaps they should keep it around to disincentivize the single occupant vehicle lifestyle.

[bluejays]

The problem with having an event like this in Toronto, is that generally if something is seen as a second rate team or event, people just don't care. It's not arrogance or anything like that, but Toronto generally supports marquee events. This is arguably a tier or two below the Olympics.

[jayswin]

Ha, that's such a Toronto thing to say. "We don't support anything we consider to be second rate, it's not arrogance it's just that we don't support events that don't match our awesomeness!".

[Vulcan]

It's a good way to get government financed sports facilities. Calgary should go for it to get a new stadium. I was a kid when the British Empire games were held in Vancouver where the miracle mile was run. Some events can be pretty historic. Right now Canada has a new dash champion and this could be his party.

Nothing is official, but it's hard to imagine anyone knocking Andre De Grasse off Canada's track and field team for the upcoming Pan Am Games.
The 20-year-old sprinter from Markham, Ont., dominated the field in the men's 100 metres at the NCAA track and field championships on Friday, clocking 9.75 seconds with a 2.7 wind aide, just over the legal limit of 2.00.

http://panam.cbc.ca/news/article/art...pionships.html

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by flameswin

Ha, that's such a Toronto thing to say. "We don't support anything we consider to be second rate, it's not arrogance it's just that we don't support events that don't match our awesomeness!".

I know you're just joking, but it really isn't arrogance. Growing up in Toronto, it's just the way it is when it comes to sports. Aside from the Leafs, when the team isn't doing well, people just tune them out. I think because it's generally such a business-focused city, that people like spending their money on non-amateur sports. It's really not arrogance, it's just that way when it comes to sports in the city.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by fleury

I know you're just joking, but it really isn't arrogance. Growing up in Toronto, it's just the way it is when it comes to sports. Aside from the Leafs, when the team isn't doing well, people just tune them out. I think because it's generally such a business-focused city, that people like spending their money on non-amateur sports. It's really not arrogance, it's just that way when it comes to sports in the city.

Yeah, it was pretty tongue in cheek, if anything we're seeing the same effect on a smaller scale in Calgary over the past decade.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by fleury

I know you're just joking, but it really isn't arrogance. Growing up in Toronto, it's just the way it is when it comes to sports. Aside from the Leafs, when the team isn't doing well, people just tune them out. I think because it's generally such a business-focused city, that people like spending their money on non-amateur sports. It's really not arrogance, it's just that way when it comes to sports in the city.

But Toronto is never ever ever ever ever going to get the Olympics. So if you always wanted to see (insert goofy sport here) and cheer on some Canadians then this would be the only chance.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Another article suggesting this will be a big flop/waste of money

Still, these are the most expensive Pan Am Games in history, with a budget of $2.5 billion. In economic terms, it is hard to see how Ontario, already running record deficits, will derive a benefit that makes up for the cost.

When it bid for the games in 2009, Ontario produced an economic impact analysis, which concluded that the games would create 26,000 jobs and grow Ontario’s real GDP by $3.7 billion. That report is not public and a spokesperson for Ontario’s Pan Am Games Secretariat suggested a reporter file a Freedom of Information request to obtain a copy. The spokesperson did not respond to numerous requests for an interview with someone who could explain the economic benefit.

But already there are signs that the 250,000 tourists that organizers expect for the Games may not show up. Organizers set the 1.5-million tickets starting at $20, but have sold fewer than half, and the games start in a week. Hotels in Toronto fear they will welcome fewer visitors than they did last summer.

“We are very, very worried,” says Terry Mundell, president of the Greater Toronto Hotel Association, which represents 170 hotels across the city, with 36,000 hotel rooms. “A lot of our hotel partners are running below their levels from last year.” He remains hopeful that guests will book at the last minute.

And, as Mundell points out, city authorities have been sending out conflicting messages to potential fans. They plead with commuters to carpool or use transit during the games or work from home. At the same time, they want everybody to come to town to see the Pan Am Games.

Which is it: come to Toronto, or don’t come to Toronto?

“The overwhelming message of these Games is ‘Stay away from Toronto, it’s going to be chaos.'” says Todd Smith, MPP, Prince Edward-Hastings

http://business.financialpost.com/ne...d-angry-locals

[starseed]

Seriously. The only message I am hearing about these games from random people is that they are annoyed about, and bracing for, the traffic delays. I don't know anyone going to the games, only people planning to avoid the traffic chaos.

This is a case of the politicians not understanding their electorate. I cannot believe they spent $2.5 billion on this without even finding out if people would even be interested in watching.

Toronto will now never get the Olympics.

At the very least, we have had some infrastructure/facility upgrades, and hopefully that will be good for the future of amateur sports in the city. So not a complete loss I guess.

[FlamesAddiction]

I live and work in Durham Region, just east of Toronto. Some of the games are actually being hosted here (boxing for sure, and a couple others but I can't recall which). It is probably going to double my commute time from 30 minutes to 1 hour.

That's not the worst part of it though. Part of my job involves having to get permits for road closures and right-of-way occupation. Since the start of May, most of the municipalities have stopped looking at permit applications because their traffic planning divisions have been overwhelmed with things related to the Pan-Am games. The City of Toronto has pretty much kyboshed all permitting from May until the end of August (some municipalities even until September). As a result, we had to lay off 2 people and force others to take their vacation time. Clients are also pissed off at us even though there is nothing anyone can do.

In fact, we have one job site where the work is on private property, but the city has temporarily banned trucks and heavy machinery from being able to use the road during the games, so work has to be stopped for the duration of the games.