Toronto bid for the 2008 Summer Olympics
# Toronto bid for the 2008 Summer Olympics

Toronto 2008 was one of the five short-listed bids for the 2008 Games, presented by the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Toronto received permission to represent Canada from the Canadian Olympic Association (chosen over Vancouver). On January 16, 2000, the bid committee received a financial support guarantee from the province of Ontario, and it was sent to the IOC along with the bid book.

Toronto's bid was led by a Toronto citizen John Bitove, a businessman and founder of the Toronto Raptors of the NBA. The bid focused the Olympic events on a compact area along the city's Lake Ontario waterfront. The Olympic village would have been built on reclaimed industrial areas, and the city's plans called for construction of a new rapid transit network connecting the venues.

The evaluation committee spoke highly of Toronto's bid. In particular, they noted the city's financial plan, the concentration of athletes into a central Olympic area, and existing transportation infrastructure as positives. The Evaluation Report stated that

   the compact sports concept based on a unique site adjacent to the city centre with good transport links and a legacy to sport make the bid very attractive. The major challenge is the capacity of the combined private sector and government alliance to deliver the waterfront sports venues and Village developments (...) However, the Commission is confident that this could be achieved and that Toronto would stage an excellent Games.

By June 2001, Toronto and Beijing were in close competition for selection as the host city. That month, the mayor of Toronto, Mel Lastman, made a derogatory remark about the city of Mombasa, Kenya, just before a trip to that country to lobby IOC officials. The comment provoked controversy around the world, and particular concern among African delegates to the IOC. Press reports suggested that the comments may have influenced the decision of the IOC.

It was the second time that Toronto had lost a bid to host a Summer Olympics, as they bid for the 1996 Games, but lost to Atlanta. But two years later, the Canadian city of Vancouver bid to host the 2010 Winter Olympics and won.

## Bid details

According to organisers, 70% of the venues needed to host the Olympics in Toronto had already been built. The proposed venues concept comprised:

### Competition venues

| Venue | Location | Olympic sport(s) | Paralympic sport(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Olympic Waterfront Cluster ||||
| Air Canada Centre | Toronto | basketball | wheelchair basketball |
| Ashbridge's Bay Beach | Toronto | beach volleyball | |
| Toronto Downtown | Toronto | cycling (road race, individual time trial) | cycling (road race, individual time trial) |
| Exhibition Place Aquatic Centre | Toronto | aquatics (waterpolo), modern pentathlon | |
| Metro Toronto Convention Centre | Toronto | fencing, judo | fencing |
| Molson Canadian Amphitheatre | Toronto | weightlifting | powerlifting |
| National Tennis Centre | Toronto | tennis | tennis |
| National Trade Centre | Toronto | badminton, gymnastics (artistic, rhythmic, trampoline), table tennis, taekwondo, modern penthathlon | boccia, judo, rugby, table tennis |
| Olympic Aquatic Centre | Toronto | aquatics (diving, synchronized swimming, swimming) | aquatics (swimming) |
| Olympic Archery Centre | Toronto | archery | archery |
| Olympic Modern Pentathlon Equestrian Centre | Toronto | modern pentathlon | equestrian |
| Olympic Sailing Marina | Toronto | sailing | sailing |
| Olympic Shooting Centre | Toronto | shooting (rifle, pistol) | shooting |
| Olympic Stadium | Toronto | athletics, football (final) | athletics |
| Olympic Velodrome and Multisport Centre | Toronto | cycling (track, road race, individual time trial), wrestling | cycling (track, individual time trial) |
| Richmond Green | Richmond Hill | baseball | |
| SkyDome | Toronto | baseball, softball | |
| Ricoh Coliseum | Toronto | handball | volleyball (standing) |
| Toronto Olympic Regatta Centre | Toronto | canoe (sprint, slalom), rowing | |
| World Cup Triathlon Course | Toronto | triathlon | |
| York University Arena | Toronto | | basketball (intellectual disability), goalball, volleyball (sitting) |
| Other venues ||||
| Brampton Centre for Sports and Entertainment | Brampton | basketball | |
| Copps Coliseum | Hamilton | boxing | |
| Durham College | Oshawa | softball | |
| Frank Clair Stadium | Ottawa | football (group matches) | |
| Hardwood Hills | Oro-Medonte | cycling (mountain bike) | |
| Hershey Centre | Mississauga | volleyball (indoor) | wheelchair basketball, volleyball (standing) |
| Ivor Wynne Stadium | Hamilton | football (group matches) | |
| Caledon Equestrian Park | Palgrave, Ontario | equestrian | |
| Oshawa Skeet and Gun Club | Oshawa | shooting (trap and skeet) | |
| Vaughan Grove Sports Park | Vaughan | football (group matches) | |
