Canadian Olympic Committee President Marcel Aubut "is leading the charge for Toronto to bid" for the '24 Games, according to Paola Loriggio of the CP. A spokesperson said Aubut will “use the full power of his office” to push for the bid, which would mark the city’s third attempt to host the Olympics. Aubut "had previously hinted he would back the move but stopped short of openly promoting a bid." The Pan Am Games "have stirred talk of another Olympic bid in recent days." Toronto Mayor John Tory has said that officials would "weigh the pros and cons as soon as the Pan Am Games wrap up." Loriggio noted the cost of bidding, "as well as staging the Olympics, is among the concerns." Several published reports "have estimated a bid would cost at least" C$50M. Tory also stressed that he "doesn’t want to lead the city into another rejection" (CP, 7/25). Former VANOC CEO John Furlong said that with support for the Pan Am Games reaching a fever pitch last weekend -- fueled by Canadian athletes’ "unprecedented success at the multisport event -- it will be easier to rally public support for an Olympic bid." He added that mobilizing various levels of government and stakeholders before Sept. 15, the deadline for would-be host cities for the '24 Games to register their interest with the IOC, "may prove challenging, but it can be done." Furlong: "If the community decided this was the time to go for it, I think they’d have a pretty good shot. Because of the timing of the bids for 2024, if the city has this feeling, then it will probably have to move along fairly quickly and decide." Tory has said that the city now "has the facilities to hold international competitions and that 'nothing is off the table' when it comes to a possible bid." Paris, Rome, Boston, Budapest and Hamburg, Germany, "have indicated they will apply." The winning city will be chosen in '17 (GLOBE & MAIL, 7/25).
