Are the 2008 Olympics really the miracle cure needed to kickstart Toronto into the 21st century?
According to smooth-talking financier Robert Fung, 'this city is in decline'. The Olympics could bequeath certain things to Toronto that it wouldnt otherwise have, like a total waterfront revitalization. So says this cheerleader hired by three levels of government.
If Fung proves out to be more substance than big talk, we could, by hosting the Olympics, score $2 billion in tax revenues alone. That's not even counting the equivalent of more than 100,000 one-year jobs, bound to send construction workers into cheers of glee.
Shouldn't absolute reliance on one two-week sports gala to revolutionize our waterfront call for some caution?
As Toronto Free Press columnist, former General Manager of the Toronto Harbour Commission Gary Read dared to ask in a recent column, 'What is it that BIDCO proposes for the Olympics?'
'It wants to build a large residential community in the eastern portlands. It wants to move the industries and the jobs out of that area; it wants to destroy port-related infrastructure and replace it with sports facilities; it wants to build roads and bridges; and it wants to divert the course of a river.'
'In short, it wants to revolutionize the waterfront. This will be something that the 2.5 million citizens of this municipality will have to live with for the next century and beyond.'
Like Councillor Mike Walker, who accused his fellow councillors of refusing to ask the necessary questions to ensure that the $2.7-billion bid is sound, we fervently hope the politicians really know what they are doing.
It was only last December when a travelling delegation of city politicians were shocked to discover that Toronto isn't even a blip on the European radar screen as a place that's fun and adventurous to visit.
From cosmopolitan Amsterdam, Mayor Mel Lastman, his councillors and bureaucrats reflected upon how promotion strategies by Tourism Toronto, a GTA-wide marketing alliance gets no results and is also found lacking in the prime area of economic development marketing as well.
In our mayor's own words: Tourism Toronto 'hasn't done anything to my knowledge. Not one penny of our money has gone to do anything for the City of Toronto. I haven't seen any business come in because of it.'
Tourism Toronto, strong criticism notwithstanding, is paid $4 million annually from the public purse.
Now we have all but two of slaphappy city councillors voting to endorse the city's $2.7-billion Olympic bid, on the basis that the bid will rescue 'a city in decline'. (When Councillors Mike Walker and Ila Bossons spoke against the bid, their colleagues wanted them out of the council chamber so that it would appear the vote on the bid was unanimous.)
Transforming Toronto's waterfront and derelict portlands into a multi-billion-dollar retail, residential and recreational showcase depends on a report now being rewritten by the federal, provincial and city governments after presentation of a first draft.
Boosterism is at least one part hype, and difficult to argue in the face of spin doctors. But surely government should not be looking at the Olympics as an elixir cure for all of Toronto's economic ills.
Some, including Toronto Free Press would feel better about the 2008 bid if just getting them here were already in the bag.
We would soon be part of the cheering committee if having Toronto host the games didnt depend so much on the word of elected politicians from all government levels.
From a municipal point of view, we would be much more reassured if civic leaders were building a plan to revitalize Toronto block by block with a variety of long term strategies--starting with replacing Toronto Tourism--rather than peddling the Olympic bid to the masses as some kind of magic wand.
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
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