‘Now is not the right time’ for Olympic, World Expo bid: Norm Kelly

Watch the video above: Expo or Olympics? Council debates bids for both. Jackson Proskow reports. 

TORONTO – Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly believes “now is not the right time” to consider a bid for the 2024 Olympic Games and the city’s councillors debating the idea, agree.

The city’s Economic Development Committee voted 5-0 to defer indefinitely a motion to study a formal bid for the 2024 Olympics.

But those same councillors voted 3-2 to explore a bid for the 2025 World Expo.

Kelly wouldn’t suggest an appropriate time to bid on the Olympics while talking to reporters at city hall Monday but suggested council should deal with more “pressing issues” like infrastructure, gridlock and the cleanup from July’s flooding and December’s ice storm.

“Time is running out. I think these are critical challenges and we must respond and we must involve our provincial and federal counterparts, our partners in this,” Kelly said. “We don’t need an Olympic bid to do that. That just muddies the water. “

Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong suggests the city should wait, at least until the next term of council.

“My understanding from looking at the reports is that I don’t think that actually puts us in a difficult position in regards to the Olympics,” he said. “I’ve spoken to individuals involved in previous bids; they believe that all the requirements and all the reports and studies that need to be done, could be done in time.”

He also suggested the cost of the studies ahead of an official bid could be covered by private sector interests.

Minnan-Wong also worried that costs are “skyrocketing” as increased vigilance is put into security and policing. On Monday, a Russian militant group in the country’s North Caucasus claimed responsibility for last month’s suicide bombings at a train station and threatened more violence at the upcoming Sochi Olympics.

WATCH: City councillors weigh-in on Olympic Games, World Expo debate

But there are supporters who suggest an Olympic bid could renew international attention on Toronto:

The preliminary report, completed by Ernst & Young, indicates there are several obstacles standing in the way of a successful Expo bid.

One major roadblock is that the federal government has already indicated in the past it does not support World Expos as “it believes that World Expos are irrelevant in the modern internet age.”

Canada won’t be participating in the upcoming Expo 2015 in Milan, Italy and the federal government did not support Edmonton’s bid for Expo 2017.

As for councillors’ opinions on the Expo? Minnan-Wong compared it to “the minor leagues.”

“It’s the difference between the, all due respect, between going to a Leafs game and a Marlies game. Not to say anything against the Marlies, but you know, the NHL is the NHL,” he said. “The Olympics are the NHL and the Expo is kind of like the minor leagues.”

But Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam said the expected audience of a World Expo makes it anything but a “minor” event.

“There’s anticipated audience attendance of 40 to 55 million persons, there’s a member nation treaty that involves 167 nations,” she said. “I can’t see why it would be considered a minor event. Canada has had a very successful history in hosting expos and this type of success we can continue to build on.”

READ MORE: Group of politicians, business leaders want Toronto to host Expo 2025

The cost for a World Expo bid is estimated at between $10 to 15 million and $1 to $3 billion to host.

However, the report indicates the event would significantly improve Toronto infrastructure and transit.

The Expo would also bring in an estimated $40 to $55 million in revenue for the city which would be driven primarily by tourism dollars.

And former mayor Art Eggleton said an Expo could be the catalyst the city needs to get aging infrastructure and worsening gridlock under control.

“This could be a catalyst for getting that done, this could be a means of bringing the different orders of government together to help pay for those things that Toronto needs,” he said. “It will create enormous pride, enormous spirit in this city in addition to that.”

The Ernst & Young study says Toronto’s Port Lands would be the most likely and “best suited” site to host the event.