Toronto Olympics

Toronto mulls an Olympic bid once again

Toronto is poised, once again, to consider whether or not the city should make a bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics. There hasn't been too much talk about hosting the Games since Mayor Rob Ford shot down rumblings about a 2020 bid over three years ago, but in the interim the city commissioned Ernst & Young to produce a feasibility report on a 2024 bid, which will finally go before the economic development committee on Monday.

You'd have to think that the idea of making a run for 2024 will face significant opposition. While the report lays out some of the obvious benefits of hosting the Olympics -- most notably the increase in Toronto's global brand, cultural capital, and provision of new infrastructure -- the costs associated with bidding are themselves exorbitant (upwards of $60 million), not to mention what the Games would cost should the bid be successful (which could reach almost $7 billion).

The Olympic dream is a stubborn one in Toronto, bolstered perhaps by previous bids for both the 1996 and 2008 Games. But even as Rob Ford's wings have been clipped at City Hall, this is a place where the fiscal responsibility remains a major buzz word, and that's not the best environment for embarking on costly Olympic bids.

What do you think? Is now a good time to go after the Olympics once again?


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in City

Doug Ford just got even tougher on Ontario bike lanes with new measures

Toronto's $27 billion Ontario Line just crossed its biggest construction milestone so far

Rare Canadian gold coin sells for over $1.5 million

Toronto ranked among the top 100 best cities in the world for 2025

A full list of all the items included in Canada's holiday GST cut

Liquid soap sold at stores across Canada recalled due to contamination

Canadians to get GST cut on groceries and new $250 rebate ahead of holidays

Snow is finally coming to southern Ontario and here's when it will hit