Toronto, Hamilton awarded 2015 Pan Am Games

Amateur sport advocates across the country are celebrating a major victory.

Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe region, which includes Toronto and Hamilton, has been awarded the 2015 Pan Am Games.

It’s the first major games victory for the Toronto-area – the city failed twice, in previous bids for the 1996 and 2008 Summer Olympics.

Although the Pan Ams are largely seen as a development event for the Olympics, the event will bring hundreds of millions of infrastructure improvements to the region.

There will be money for public transit upgrades in addition to the new sport facilities that will be constructed for the Games.

Plans call for a new $150 Million outdoor track and field stadium in Hamilton, as well as $170 million for another aquatics and sports training centre at the University of Toronto.

The U of T’s Varsity stadium recently underwent a facelift, complete with a new track surface, in preparation for the 2008 Canadian track and field championships.

Four new Olympic-size pools will also be constructed in the region.

The new sports facilities are expected to attract more amateur athletes to the region and establish a legacy for the future.

The price tag on the Pan Am Games is estimated to be about $2.4 Billion, including $1 Billion for the athletes’ village, which will eventually become mixed income housing. $1.4 Billion will be raised through public funding from all levels of government.

Visit the official website of the 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games for more information.