Hamilton councillors get update on Pan Am games

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(Updated)

We’re less than six months away from thousands of fans and athletes from around the globe, descending on Hamilton and the greater Golden Horseshoe for the Pan Am Games.

Hamilton will be a big part of this summer’s Pan Am games hosting men and women’s soccer. And with just months to go, organizers say Hamiltonians can expect a world class event.

Ticket sales are solid leading every other Pan Am sport. At three-thousand, Hamilton can also boast of being the first municipality to reach it’s volunteer quota, doubling its original target.

Soccer practice venues have switched from Mississauga to three local high schools — St. Jean de Brebeuf, St. Thomas More and Bishop Tonnos as well as City View Park in Burlington.

Parking is still a work in progress but transportation routes have been finalized with free access to anyone with a Pan Am ticket.

As for the festivities surrounding the games, the city is spending $600,000 to make sure Hamilton puts on a world class party.

Shelly Merlo, City of Hamilton: “It’s 16 days of the arts, culture celebrations, multi-cultural celebrations. We’re looking at venues such as Gage Park the Hamilton waterfront and downtown Hamilton soccer central being the hub.”

The biggest headache so far has been construction of Tim Hortons Field where every soccer game will be played.

Hamilton Councillor Lloyd Ferguson: “It’s unconscionable what has happened to the stadium. It’s gone from being unfortunate to being ridiculous. They are now saying you heard our staff say it’s probably the end of February. It probably means the end of March. It probably means the end of April. Quite frankly we don’t care because we are not using it but the darn thing had better be finished and ready for the Pan Am games and the next Ticat season.”

Of course every party has a price tag and at two and a half billion dollars and soaring. Only time will tell if the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games are worth the financial hangover.