What Toronto can learn from the 2015 Pan Am Games legacy ahead of next year's World Cup

If done right, Toronto's turn hosting the World Cup has the potential to create a community legacy for the city.

That's according to one of the architects of the Pan Am Games, which the city hosted a decade ago.

"I'm certain in the moment, the World Cup will captivate Canadians and the world," David Shoemaker, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee, told CBC Radio's Metro Morning this week. 

But, he said, it can also extend so much further. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup right around the corner, experts are using the 2015 Pan Am Games as a successful example of how Toronto can host big sporting events with a focus on long-lasting, community-building projects.

"When done right, when done with a vision … the impact of the World Cup could last for generations," he said. "Look carefully at Toronto 2015."

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The focus around FIFA next year has been on its price tag. According to a 2024 report, the tournament will cost the city of Toronto $380 million, substantially more than the initially projected costs in 2018 of $30 to $45 million. 

However, Shoemaker says, "When you invest in sport, the return on the investment comes across in multiple ways," and the Pan Am Games can serve as a "blueprint."

Toronto's Pan Am project included 10 new facilities, an air-rail link and a waterfront athletes' village. But Shoemaker points to the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre in Scarborough as a standout.

"It hosted everything and it's left a lasting impression for the community around it," he said, adding that everyone from young kids in city programs to high-performance athletes in training still use the facility.

Similarly, Shoemaker said the Mattamy National Cycling Centre velodrome in