Editorial — We don’t need another party

September 21, 2015 · 0 Comments

Toronto Mayor John Tory made the right decision in opting not to apply to have Toronto host the 2024 summer Olympics.
We can understand why many people in this area might have been anxious to make a bid, especially coming off the euphoria of hosting the Pan American Games earlier this year. And it is true that most of us enjoy a good party, and for many living in the Greater Toronto Area (and that includes Caledon), the Games largely represented a celebration.
But signing up to host something like the Olympics is not something that can even be attempted on a whim.
It’s necessary to finish with one party before planning for another.
It will take a certain amount of reflection on the parts of all of us in this area to determine if the Pan Am Games were a success, and if they really achieved what they were supposed to.
True, a lot of people from all over the Americas and beyond would have visited the area. But were there others who might normally have come, but who stayed away, not wanting to deal with crowds, traffic congestion, security concerns, etc.?
We suspect there are still a lot of people fuming about the lane restrictions and other traffic headaches during the Games.
And while we’ve been hearing this week that the Games realized a surplus, we don’t know for sure what the impacts were on businesses, especially in the tourism and entertainment sectors.
There are also some of us who might remember Toronto has twice sought to host the Olympics, and ended up being disappointed.
Seeking to host such an event requires a lot of thought and planning, especially in terms of where the financing is going to come from, what facilities are going to be needed, etc.
The door has not been closed to future bids. But all the necessary work has to be done before any serious attempt was made. The 2024 games are too close to get it all done right.
Another time, maybe.