rfmcdonald | [BRIEF NOTE] On the unlikelihood of a Toronto-Buffalo cross-border Olympics (Reply)

The idea of a Toronto-Buffalo binational bid for the Olympics does have a certain very superficial appeal. I've blogged here back in 2005 about how Buffalo, among other cities in upstate New York, has been intermittently interested into plugging into the relative prosperity of southern Ontario, southern Ontario and upstate New York belonging (say some) to a a single wider megalopolis notwithstanding the lack of evidence that basic transportation services like a dedicated rail line connecting Toronto with Buffalo would actually be viable. Toronto-Buffalo sports collaboration has been more viable, though thankfully plans to relocate the Buffalo Bills permanently to Toronto have been nixed repeatedly (again, there is no clear financial benefit to having a NFL football team in Toronto, plus stealing Buffalo's team is just sad) and the Bills Toronto Series is enough for most local fans of NFL football.

The whole project of a binational Olympics would ultimately fail on the border question. How likely is it that the US-Canadian border could be made sufficiently permeable to, among others, millions of tourists transiting to and fro across a sensitive border area in any plausible time period? Lesley Ciarula Taylor's recounting of the idea in the Toronto Star last Friday is hopeful but, to my mind, just talks at length about something unrealizable.

A Toronto city councillor’s idea for the first binational Olympic Games in Toronto and Buffalo is gaining steam.

“With the closeness of our two nations, it potentially raises the opportunity,” Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown told the Star on Friday.

“Toronto is a great international city. I am flattered that a Toronto city councillor mentioned the idea of partnering with the city of Buffalo.”

York Centre Councillor James Pasternak floated the idea in an interview about how Toronto could possibly afford to host an Olympics when the current London Games are costing $15 billion.

“The current Olympic bidding and hosting process is unsustainable, as cities can no longer afford to host a multi-billion dollar, two-week Games,” said the first-term councillor, who has a degree from the London School of Economics.

“We believe that Buffalo, with its current sports facilities and resources, and of course with American government backing, could be a great partner.

“I’ve been to Buffalo many times. I think it has great facilities. It is almost like a sister city to Toronto. I think it makes a great choice,” Pasternak said

Flattered as he is, Brown laughed long and hard at the idea of splitting the cost of the 2024 Games with Toronto.

“Believe me, if I had $7.5 billion to spend, I would spend it all in Buffalo and not spend it to bring an Olympics,” said Brown.

Still, he praised Pasternak for “thinking outside the box” and said he’d be happy to talk if a bid ever got past the idea stage.

Brown, elected in 2005, embraced the proposal as Toronto’s acknowledgement of “all the positive things happening in Buffalo,” including a $250-million waterfront project that has been one of his priorities.

Buffalo could also contribute its baseball and hockey stadiums to the Olympic mix, as well as an Olympic-class swimming pool, he said.