Toronto 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games: What’s Happening?

This is an update to my previous blogs:

• Ontario Revitalizes West Don Lands Via Constructing Athletes’ Village Now for 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games

• You’re Invited: Celebrate Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games Handover Ceremony Oct. 30, 2011

Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games will be the largest international multi-sport competition ever hosted in Canada:

• More than 10,000 athletes, coaches and delegates from the Caribbean, Central America, South America and North America will compete in 48 sports at more than 40 venues,  spread across 17 municipalities of the Greater Golden Horseshoe Region
  • The venues will be divided into three zones:
    • Central Games Zone (Toronto, Mississauga and Markham)
    • West Games Zone (Hamilton)
    • East Games Zone (Oshawa, Ajax and Pickering)
  • In addition there will also be venues located outside these zones in Barrie, St. Catharines, Palgrave, Minden and Welland
  • Please click here for a list of competition venues that will be used during the 2015 Pan American Games in Ontario, Canada

• The Pan Am and Parapan Am Games feature a wide range of sports  as follows:
  • 28 Olympic Sports
  • 9 Non-Olympic Sports
  • 11 Parapan Sports
  • The final roster of sporting events for the Toronto 2015 Games will be finalized in the near future

• The Toronto 2015 Pan American Games (a.k.a Pan Am Games) will be held July 10-26, 2015

• The Parapan Am Games (a.k.a Parapan American Games) will be held August 7-14, 2015
  • Parapan Am Games is like the Paralympics

The three-year countdown for the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games (aka the “People’s Games”) begins today!

Today, the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015) celebrated its three-year countdown to the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games “with a commitment to culture that characterizes its innovative approach to hosting a multi-sport competition”:

• At Nathan Philips Square, the celebration began with the raising of a TORONTO 2015 flag at Toronto City Hall and a proclamation declaring July 10 Pan Am Day in the city of Toronto

• Two cultural projects-part of the TO2015 Arts and Culture program-were unveiled during the festivities:
  • “Play Me, I’m Yours” sees 41 pianos, painted by artists from Pan American countries, placed across the city core for public use
    • For more details on “Play Me, I’m Yours”, please visit streetpianos.ca.
  • The second project, “Fresh Eyes by Arrivals.ca,” is a multimedia initiative focused on the experiences of new immigrants:
    • Throughout July, Toronto City Hall will be the site of Fresh Eyes, an innovative photographic installation created by Arrivals.ca, a team led by Toronto artist Devon Ostrom
    • Giant photographs capturing the eyes of new Canadian citizens primarily from Pan American nations fill the windows of city councillors’ offices overlooking Nathan Phillips Square at Toronto City Hall
    • For more info on “Arrivals.ca” and the TO2015 Arts and Culture program, please visit TORONTO2015.org
  • “Both cultural projects, like the day’s performances, embody the region’s diversity, creative energy and strong links to Pan American and Caribbean culture.”

This video (12:50 duration) presents “TO2015 announces Cluster Footprint”:

Ontario will get significant economic benefits from hosting the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games, such as:

• creating more than 15,000 jobs

• attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors

• showcasing Ontario on the world stage

Also, construction work is right on schedule, including:

• Canary District:
  • Construction of the “Canary District”
    • has been underway since January
    • creating an additional 5,200 jobs
  • is the the new waterfront community in the West Don Lands
  • will welcome more than 10,000 athletes, coaches and officials as temporary tenants during the Games
  • wherein the Pan-Am athletes’ village will be re-imagined as full residential environs after the games are over:
    
    • The following video presents “Welcome to The Canary District” in Toronto, Ontario, Canada: “Imagine a new city within a city, beside a park, nestled by a river, imbued in history, enriched with art, inspired by culture, designed for healthy living and celebrated throughout the world.”

• The start of construction of a high-performance complex that will house the Pan Am Aquatics Centre, Field House and Canadian Sport Institute of Ontario in Scarborough:
  • Creating 150 construction jobs
  • Constructed on the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus (located northeast of Morningside Avenue and Military Trail), providing the best possible facilities such as:
    • gymnasia
    • multipurpose program areas
    • fitness and training facilities
  • In 2015, this new athletics facility will host the aquatics, fencing and modern pentathlon components of the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games, being held in Ontario for the first time
  • Please click here for info on the various project features as well as the Community and Green Benefits
  • Following the Games it will provide much needed training and recreation space for students at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus (UTSC), high-performance athletes, sports teams and local residents
  • Construction of the complex will begin in July 2012 and is scheduled to be completed in summer 2014
  • The complex will be jointly owned by the City of Toronto and the University of Toronto

This video presents “UTSC Aquatics Centre and Field House”:

• Negotiations in progress for all the other new and improved sport and recreation facilities with construction to begin later this year or in 2013

• Confirmation of the Caledon Equestrian Park  in Palgrave as the official host of the equestrian events
  • Caledon Equestrian Park is a municipally-owned facility that will host dressage and show jumping competitions during the Games
  • In preparation for the Toronto 2015 Games, the park will receive capital investment from the Government of Canada, Town of Caledon, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and Equestrian Management Group for upgrades and improvements, which will include:
    • A new main stadium building
    • Permanent spectator seating areas and areas for temporary Games-time seating
    • Relocation of and improvements to stabling areas
    • A new grand prix ring, warm up rings and training areas
    • A new indoor riding arena
    • Infrastructure improvements such as services and grading
    • Other related amenities such as blacksmith area and veterinary area
  • Construction is targeted to begin in fall 2012 with completion by the spring of 2014
  • Ontario will be supporting the cost of venue overlay and Games operations through its $500 million contribution to the TO2015 budget
  • This video (15:03 duration) presents “TO2015 Pan/Parapan Am Games Venue Announcement – Palgrave”:
    • The official venue announcement for the equestrian events of the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games: The Caledon Equestrian Park in Palgrave, Ontario:

• Unveiling of the improvements of the Welland International Flatwater Centre  which will welcome the canoe and kayak sports
  • In preparation for the Toronto 2015 Games, the Welland International Flatwater Centre will receive capital investment from the Government of Canada and the City of Welland for upgrades and improvements. These will include:
    • Canal expansion – The canal will be widened to accommodate additional lane space to meet international competition standards
    • Two new buildings
      • A new timing tower which will keep time and score and provide technical delegates, officials and judges and anti-doping officials with appropriate space
      • Athletes centre with change and washrooms, athlete medical area and storage for equipment
    • Upgrades to the existing site and field of play
  • Construction will start in fall 2012
  • Ontario’s contribution will support short-term facility improvements, equipment and the overall operations for the 2015 Games, including the kayak and canoe events held at the Welland International Flatwater Centre

This video presents “PANAM #03 Welland International Flatwater Centre”:

The Games are also helping to accelerate the delivery timeline of the Air-Rail Link and Union Station redevelopment.

Please note that:

• Venues are projected to be ready for test events in 2014

• The Athletes’ Village completion target date is early 2015

Please click here to get an overview of the TORONTO 2015 Games’ budget.

Ontario, Canada: Newsroom

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