The City of Toronto will not be bidding for the 2024 Olympics. Toronto had until last week to enter a bid, but mayor John Tory decided it wasn't the right time. Many people in the city support the move as the right one.
"I love this city and I want nothing more than to be able to show the rest of the world our spirit," said Tory last week.
Tory told people what the city means to him just before saying he would not enter a bid for the 2024 Olympics. But he held open the possibility of bidding for future Olympics and for other sporting events.
"Let me be clear. I am not saying no to the Olympics. I am saying not this time. In the end, it is not my job to be rash. It is my job to make the best decision for Toronto and I've decided not to submit a letter to the IOC. So that means we will not be a candidate city for the 2024 summer games," Tory said.
Tory says Toronto needs to focus on other issues for the time being, such as infrastructure and transit. He acknowledged that the success of the Pan Am and Para Pan Am Games during the summer demonstrated the city's ability to stage a major sporting event successfully.
One of the biggest advocates for an Olympic bid was Maurice Aubut, the head of the Canadian Olympic Committee.
"Toronto has proven, not only that they could technically deliver a great games, but it could be a people games. And imagine what was the Pan Am, just imagine what the Olympic could be," Aubut said.
Aubut and many other leading sports dignitaries were hoping for such a bid. But many residents, remembering the seemingly endless construction and traffic jams associated with the summer games, are more wary of a repetition. They heaped praise on Tory for making a wise decision.
Then, there's the cost, a $50 million dollar gamble that many believe would fail, especially since the city would be up against other richer competitors, such as Los Angeles.
For opponents, the news of a no bid, has led to a collective sigh of relief.
