CTV News Ottawa

Updated: Fri Nov. 06 2009 7:00:53 PM

ctvottawa.ca

Politicians from all three levels of government promised commitment and passion if the Pan American Sports Organization granted Toronto the 2015 Pan Am Games -- now they will have to deliver.

On Friday, Toronto won the right to host the games on the first ballot at a PASO meeting in Guadalajara. The ballot was a secret one.

Mayor David Miller described the process this way in postings to Twitter, a social messaging service:

• They have given the envelope
• 50 votes cast. Only one ballot needed. Announcement is: toronto

Canada's largest city had been competing against Lima, Peru and Bogota, Colombia.

"Thank you for the confidence you have shown in Toronto," Miller said after the vote.

"And now it's on to 2015 and the best Pan Am Games ever!" said a beaming Premier Dalton McGuinty, and paid particular tribute to David Peterson, a former Liberal premier and the chair of the bid committee.

Toronto sold itself based on its multiculturalism, safety, facilities and support from all levels of government.

"We are all tremendously proud of the exciting city we have built together," Miller said earlier during the bid presentation. "We cannot wait for this opportunity to share our city with you, our neighbours."

He described it as "Toronto's time."

McGuinty said: "We want the 2015 Pan Am Games to be the best ever. The Toronto Games will be friendly, worry-free and will be delivered with precision and pride. Toronto will be proud to host the 2015 Games, and you'll be proud of the job that we will do."

Gary Lunn, Canada's minister of state for sport, said athletes, officials and members of the "PASO family" will not require a visa or any additional paperwork. They will get exclusive customs lanes.

Canada and Toronto have "exceptional records for personal safety," he said. "The government of Canada will provide significant support to the Games security team ranging from protection to emergency response."

The federal government will provide $500 million to the Pan Am and Para Pam Am Games, he said.

Voting delegates from PASO are expected to begin deliberations at around 4 p.m. A decision might come by 6 p.m.

It was Toronto's third time vying for the prestigious hosting position.

Lunn told Canada AM earlier he's not sure what went wrong with the two previous bids, but that this time around, Toronto's bid committee was feeling "very, very confident."

The last time southern Ontario hosted a major international sporting event was in 1930 when Hamilton secured the Commonwealth Games.

The Pan Am Games happen every four years in the year before the summer Olympic Games. The multi-sport event sees athletes from all over the Americas competing in much of the games featured in the summer Olympics.

Guadalajara will host the next Pan Am Games in 2011.

No Games Toronto

The Pan Am Games will cost $2.4 billion: $1.4 billion for the event and another $1 billion for an athlete's village. The plan is to convert it to a mixed-income neighbourhood after the games.

Ottawa and Queen's Park are putting up $500 million each towards the cost of the games, while municipalities and private investors will pay the remaining $428.5 million.

The bid did not have the support of everyone in the city. A contingent of people who call their group No Games Toronto have protested it all along.

The group had been planning to show up at an event on Queen's Quay Friday night where people were expected to gather to hear the announcement live, according to Joeita Gupta, spokesperson for No Games.

Murphy Browne, a Toronto resident who helped organize a protest against the games back in October, said the city should spend the $2.4 billion it will cost them to host the event on more pressing matters.

She told ctvtoronto.ca that a large demonstration at Queen's Park on Thursday by students and anti-poverty groups highlighted Toronto's financial shortcomings.

"The government has no money to take care of people who are in need in this community. It's cold and people are living on the street -- that's more important than a one-week mega sporting event," she said.

She also pointed to a recent recommendation by the city's public transit system to raise fares and the Toronto District School Board's fight to keep their pools open as other reasons why the games are a waste of money.

"(The public) school board doesn't have money to keep their pools open but the city wants to build an Olympic-sized pool," she said. "How can the city rationalize closing community pools?"