Mississauga, Ontario (August 19, 2014) - A new report from the Mississauga Board of Trade and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce identifies the crucial steps that governments and the private sector must take in order to ensure that the 2015 Toronto Pan Am and Parapan American Games leave a positive, lasting economic legacy in Mississauga, the Greater Toronto Area and the province.
"We have a great opportunity to make our hosting of a major international sporting event very lucrative with long term benefits to our community, but it requires added focus, attention and commitment to capitalize on the full potential of the Games," says Sheldon Leiba, President & CEO of the Mississauga Board of Trade.
In less than a year, the Games will come to a close. If projections are accurate, they will bring 250,000 visitors to Ontario, generate $3.7 billion in new economic activity, and result in an expected 26,000 new jobs. While the Games are likely to provide a short-term boon to our economy, the lasting impact is much less clear.
According to the report, Beyond the Finish Line, Ontario needs to follow the lead of other major sporting event hosts and market itself more prominently to potential visitors from abroad.
"The Games have the potential to attract as many as hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the Americas," says Allan O'Dette, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. "But they won't arrive unsolicited - we need to step up our marketing game abroad."
The report also highlights the need to make sure that government's traffic reduction targets for the Games do not slow the movement of goods in the province by ensnaring transport trucks in gridlock. Congestion already costs the GTHA $6 billion in lost productivity annually. Observers anticipate that congestion in the region will worsen during the Games, partially as a result of the government's ambitious 20 percent traffic reduction target.
The business group also urges Ontario businesses to leverage the unique opportunity presented by the Games to establish deeper relationships with their Latin American and Caribbean counterparts. Ontario's exports to the region account for only 2.1 percent of Ontario's exports. The group applauds the Government of Ontario for spearheading the Toronto Pan American Economic Summit, a three day conference that will bring together 1,500 business leaders from across the Americas.
"Government cannot bear sole responsibility for the success of the Games. Businesses and all Ontarians need to get excited about their potential and take advantage of the tremendous opportunities they provide," add O'Dette.
"Now is the time to get our business, community and various levels of government fully engaged to ensure the Games are a success," adds Leiba.
As the voice of business since 1976, Mississauga Board of Trade is a private-sector, not-for-profit business organization representing and serving the interests of business in Canada's 6th largest city. As the forum for business, MBOT works together to influence public policy and promote a better understanding of the marketplace among policy makers, media and the general public.
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Media Contacts:
Sheldon Leiba
President & CEO
Mississauga Board of Trade
905-273-6151 ext. 270
[email protected]
www.mbot.com
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