TORONTO – The deadline for Toronto to formally submit a bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics is just a day away and a new poll suggests public support may be waning.
A Mainstreet Research/Post Media survey released on Monday reveals 50 per cent of respondents would approve an Olympic bid while 47 per cent would not.
The approval rating is a drop of 8 percentage points compared to a poll conducted after the end of the Pan Am Games last month and those opposed has increased by 9 per cent.
“As people learn more about the benefits and costs of an Olympic bid, opinions have become more divided,” said Quito Maggi, president of Mainstreet Research, in a media release.
“A bid for 2024 may be a risky proposition and with the current climate of economic uncertainty, the city is split.”
VIDEO: Political heavyweights are against idea of Toronto hosting 2024 Olympics
Just last week, the City of Mississauga voted against supporting an Olympic bid and former Toronto mayor Rob Ford came out publicly calling it a bad idea.
Mayor John Tory has said he will not convene city council ahead of the Sept. 15 deadline but will hold a vote on whether to proceed with a bid should he file a letter of interest.
Critics argue the whole letter of intent process has been shrouded in secrecy with the details and costs of a potential Toronto proposal kept under wraps.
Still, the Canadian Olympic Committee reportedly voted unanimously last Friday to give president Marcel Aubut authorization to sign off on a letter of interest.
The COC head has been a vocal supporter of Toronto submitting a bid to host the Games.
The Mainstreet Research telephone survey polled 2,451 Toronto residents on Sept. 8 with a margin of error of +/- 1.98 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
Comments