If you believe the promoters of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games Committee, snagging the athletic gala will prove an enormous shot in the arm for the city.
For starters, the committee claims the Pan Am Games could generate close to $2-billion in economic activity; building the facilities will create 17,000 jobs; and the games will lure an estimated 250,000 tourists to the GTA.
Alas, the estimated cost of the games is pegged at nearly $2-billion, to be split by the provincial and federal governments as well as Toronto and other municipalities. Yet, surprisingly, according to Toronto's Pan Am prophets, going full-speed ahead with a multibillion investment during a dire economic meltdown actually makes good fiscal sense.
