Ontario auditor general Bonnie Lysyk says last summer’s Pan Am and Parapan Am Games in Toronto came in $342 million over budget. As well, the province still paid more than $5 million in performance bonuses. The government, on the other hand, insists the Games were on budget because the ultimate cost was roughly the same as the $2.4-billion bid budget in 2009. But Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk noted that by her calculations the original budget should have been closer to $2.2 billion and the total cost of the Games was $2.5 billion. There is much talk today of the pride Ontario can take in these events and an assurance that it was all good value. Value of course is a matter of opinion. Many will wonder if there isn’t a better way to achieve such competition short of these staggering amounts of money.
