Pan Am Games Venues - Markham Pan Am Centre, Etobicoke Olympium and Pan American Field Hockey Centre

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Opportunity The Pan American and Parapan American Games are one of the world’s largest international multi-sport events. The games are held every four years for athletes of the 41 member nations of Pan American Sports Organization and the 26 member nations of the Americas Paralympic Committee. The games are comprised of all Olympic Summer Games sports as well as traditional Pan American sports.  In the summer of 2015 Toronto hosted the games. In order to host the games, it was necessary to make major investments in sports and recreation infrastructure around the city. Infrastructure Ontario and Toronto 2015 worked collaboratively with the Town of Markham, City of Toronto and University of Toronto to build and renovate selected sites to accommodate a variety of competition and training venues for the Games. Innovations Under Ontario’s Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP) model, the private partner agreed to provide the venues by a fixed date at a pre-determined price. Any extra costs incurred by the private partners were their own responsibility. Results The project resulted in two new venues and the renovation of a third, providing an economic boost to the region, increasing access to sport and recreation infrastructure, and encouraging the development and promotion of recreational activities and amateur sports. During the Games the new Markham Pan Am and Parapan Am Centre hosted water polo, table tennis and badminton competitions. Now local residents have access to the 50-metre Olympic-sized pool, triple gymnasium, community all-purpose rooms, meeting rooms and a two-level fitness centre. The new Pan Am Field Hockey Centre is Ontario’s first international level field hockey venue. The two-field centre at the University of Toronto’s downtown St. George campus has the capacity to host both local and international levels of the game. Post-games it is used by national and provincial teams. The refurbished Etobicoke Olympium, which was used as a training site for aquatics disciplines including swimming, water polo, diving and synchronized swimming during the games now provides local residents with access to an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a leisure pool, gymnasium and fitness centre. “The McGuinty government is a proud supporter of the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games. The development of sport infrastructure such as these new facilities is a direct result of our government’s support for the Games. Our investment, along with the contribution of the other private and public sector partners in the Games will ensure that the construction of these world-class sport venues will help stimulate local economies, create jobs and contribute to a high quality of life.” - Honourable Bob Chiarelli, former Minister of Infrastructure

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