TORONTO – NDP Leader Tom Mulcair and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne are split on their support for a Toronto Olympic bid.
The premier said Monday she hadn’t decided whether her government will support a bid for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games by the city if one is made.
But Mulcair waded into the debate on Monday while on a campaign stop in Vancouver, saying that despite concerns he’s still open to the idea of a bid.
READ MORE: Support for Toronto 2024 Olympic bid slipping: poll
“I don’t think we should shut the door to that bid,” Mulcair said. “I think they would do well to get the first step done and to keep that door open.”
Mulcair added that concerns remained about what the social benefits and Olympic bid would be, but said there were social housing opportunities with an Olympic Village.
“There will be concerns about cost from Montreal. Talk to me about how much Olympics could cost if they are not done right,” he said.
“But the recent success — and it really was a success — of the Pan Am games means that a lot of top level infrastructure is already there and I think it’s well worthwhile getting into the game at least at this first step to make sure the door is kept open.”
Mulcair added that he had spoken to Toronto Mayor John Tory about the possibility of a bid and added that sending a letter is the first step.
“I know there are going to be lots of concerns and I shared a lot of them but I also think that it’s the type of thing that gives hope to people,” he said.
“I think that seeing Canada’s most important city – Toronto – getting those Olympics, I think that’s a door we should keep open.”
Wynne said that as far as she knows, Tory has not decided whether to submit a letter to the International Olympic Committee expressing the city’s interest in the Games.
Tory has until Tuesday to make up his mind and has repeatedly said he plans to take all the time available to him to make his decision.
He has said he only began researching the feasibility of a bid as excitement built for the Pan Am Games, which were hosted by Toronto and surrounding communities this summer.
Tory doesn’t need approval to file a letter of interest with the IOC but he needs the support of city council as well as the provincial and federal governments to proceed with a bid.
Toronto unsuccessfully bid for the 1996 and 2008 Olympics.
Los Angeles has voted in favour of bidding for the 2024 Games, which it estimates would cost about $6 billion in public and private spending.
Hamburg, Paris, Rome and Budapest, Hungary, are other declared bidders.
With files from Erica Vella and The Canadian Press
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