FOR LOVE OF THE GAMES: OTTAWA TO BACK TORONTO OLYMPIC BID

          Ottawa Prime Minister Jean Chretien "is ready to
     support" Toronto's bid for the 2008 Summer Games and "will
     announce in the next few weeks a major federal plan to
     promote the bid around the world," according to Walker &
     Harper of the TORONTO STAR.  Under a plan already approved
     by Chretien, Ottawa "will spend millions of dollars to sell
     the bid, will appoint key officials to oversee the project,
     and assign senior bureaucrats to work in Toronto on the
     city's bid."  Chretien is expected to announce that the
     federal government "will immediately spend" C$10M to launch
     the effort.  Though the price tag of "fully backing"
     Toronto's bid "is expected to initially be" C$10M in cash
     and services, Chretien's official endorsement "will allow
     Ottawa to begin negotiations on big ticket items that could
     cost the government billions" (TORONTO STAR, 11/26).