Looking past Pan Am to the legacy

In just over seven months, Southern Ontario will play host to the 2015 Pan Am Games. By the time the games begin, billions will have been spent on venues and infrastructure. And all of it is being paid for by the taxpayer. But what happens after games?

That is the billion dollar question. What happens after the games? Will taxpayers see value in terms of legacy projects once the athletes leave the building?

This is one of the legacy projects, built from the billions of dollars Ontario taxpayers will spend hosting the 2015 Pan Am games.

Hamilton’s Tim Hortons Field is a stadium located on the site of the first major sporting event ever held in Canada — the 1930 British Empire Games.

Next summer, thousands of visitors and athletes are expected to converge on steel town to watch what is considered to be one of the premiere events in the Pan Am Games — soccer. And city officials say they will be ready.

Councillor Lloyd Ferguson: “We are going to put a lot of effort into beautifying our city. Also, you only get one chance for a first impression and visitors are coming in from the Queen E and the 403 and we’ve got to make sure it looks good and we’ve got to make sure the GO station is open so that people have a way to get in here by rail rather than get stuck in the big parking lot called the Queen Elizabeth Way.

But what about after the fans and athletes leave? Will Hamiltonians see any long term benefits from the costly competition?

Councillor Matthew Green: “Well, we don’t want it to be like a movie set where at the end of the day things are packed up and moved on. We want to see the beautification happen here in ward three stay in ward three and be part of that ongoing legacy. We want to make sure it’s accessible to the community that it’s not just a locked off situation when its all said and done. I can remember growing up near Ivor Wynne sneaking in and catching punts from Paul Osbaldiston, that I was part of that accessibility piece that I think is so important.”

Expect some pressure on city officials leading up to the games to ensure Hamilton sees some real long term, tangible benefits from the event. And with so many of the venues over budget and overdue, expect some more criticism directed towards the province on how they are managing the projects.