Olympic bid prompts 'a lot of unanswered questions,' Kathleen Wynne says

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne appreciates the enthusiasm for bringing the 2024 Summer Olympics to Toronto, but says there are too many questions to confirm a bid will be made.

Wynne had a conversation with Toronto Mayor John Tory about the potential Olympic bid on Tuesday morning at Queen's Park.

"I don't think at this point people have enough information," Wynne told reporters after the meeting. "If we still have questions, then the general public will have questions as well."

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Wynne said the thirst for an Olympic Games came from all the enthusiasm around the Pan Am and Parapan Games. She said she got swept up in it as well, going to as many sporting events as possible.

Los Angeles recently put in a bid for the Olympics, with city council voting unanimously to put forth the application to host the Games. In Toronto, the mayor would first have to write an expression of interest in a bid, and then go to city council for a vote.

"There's a certain degree of support out there, but it's often conditional," said Tory.

He said he would favour a "sustainable" bid using as many Pan Am and Parapan Am Games venues as possible. He said there would be no blank cheque for an Olympics in Toronto.

"There are very few people I find who say, 'No matter what, you should do this,'" said Tory. "What you have to nail down is, what are the costs?"

'Short timeline' to make bid

Wynne said while the governments in Ontario are exploring the possibility of a bid, expect a decision soon.

"We're coming in late in this process, so it's a short timeline," she said.

The deadline to submit a letter of interest for a bid is Sept. 15.

Both Wynne and Tory said they were caught off guard by the Olympic interest.

"If, six months ago, Mayor Tory and I came to you about a possible Olympic bid," Wynne said to the media, "I could only imagine the questions!"

Wynne said that prior to the Pan Am Games, the media were more concerned with transportation issues like HOV lanes than a possible Olympic bid.