When the 17th Pan American Games started on July 10th of this past summer, most Torontonians seemed to be more annoyed by the warnings of traffic delays than anything else, and the now-fabled “HOV lanes” were a part of every newscast. Then, as if by magic, excitement began to grow with each new medal awarded to a Canadian athlete, and by the end of the first week, the entire country was excited and engaged in what had become the hottest ticket of the summer.
This week, David Peterson, the Chair of this very successful chapter of the City’s history, will open the season at the Empire Club with a look back at what made these games such a success, and what it all means for the City. On everyone’s mind will of course be the question…”Do we now take advantage of this success and bid for the Olympics?” The usual pro and con commentaries will ensue, with some Torontonians seeing this as a remarkable way to sell Toronto and its businesses to the world, while others will recall the “Bread not Circuses” movement that sprung up when we last had the opportunity of hosting the world’s largest international sports competition.
The archives of the Club are full of speeches on the promotion of the City and what it means to future growth, but there are also several speeches on the Olympic movement, which incidentally encompasses the Pan American Games ( defined by the Olympic Charter). Perhaps one of the most comprehensive speeches ever delivered at the Empire Club on this topic occurred on April 24th, 1975, when the Club welcomed Lord Killanin, President of the International Olympic Committee, on the occasion of the upcoming Montreal Olympic Games. After a somewhat whimsical prelude where he recalled being kissed by screen icon Joan Crawford during his previous stay in Toronto, Lord Killanin outlined in clear terms what the Olympic Committee’s view is on what the Host City should get out of the Games:
“By now you may be wondering what all the fuss is about. Why the trend to vast spectaculars and vast expenditures on structures and facilities? The answer to that lies not with the International Olympic Committee, nor with the National Olympic Committees, but with business, industry, and governments. With the skyrocketing surge of interest in the Games and the stupendous range of media coverage, business and governments saw a staggering opportunity to tell their stories to the world.
Host cities were able to capitalize on Olympic interest to justify the rapid development of infrastructures such as ring-roads, underground transport, new sports facilities, and so on. National governments saw an opportunity to tell the world, via Olympic exposure, about their tourist attractions, their industrial resources, their cultural standards, and their social objectives.”
Mr. Peterson will no doubt speak about some of the outstanding benefits to the City that came about as a result of the Pan Am Games’ huge success and will contribute to the conversation on the advantages and challenges of hosting a large, international event in one’s city. Many people are turning their minds to this very topic at the present time and will be listening closely.
