Pan Am Games officially begin today

While competition has already been underway for several days, the 2015 Pan Am Games officially kick off tonight with an opening ceremony at Rogers Centre – called the “Pan Am Ceremonies Venue” for the duration of the games.

Besides the lighting of the Pan Am cauldron, the night will feature a special performance by Cirque du Soleil.

There was a bit of Pan Am connected panic last night as smoke was spotted spewing from the CN Tower’s observation deck just after 8 pm.

Social media lit up with people wondering what was happening, but it turns out it was fireworks being set off from the tower as part of a dress rehearsal for tonight’s opening ceremony.

Over the next two and a half weeks, athletes from 41 countries are participating in 36 Pan Am sports, with events scattered around the Golden Horseshoe from Oshawa to Welland, including the Pan Am Soccer Stadium in Hamilton.

Canada last hosted the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg in 1999.

Photo courtesy Twitter / @Ashton_Lawrence