City of Toronto proud to host the Parapan Am Games

The City of Toronto is pleased to welcome athletes, their families and visitors to Toronto for the 2015 Parapan American Games. The City is proud to be the Host City of the largest ever Parapan Am Games which will see more than 1,600 athletes from 28 countries compete in 15 sports at 11 different competition venues. The Parapan Am Games will officially begin when the cauldron is lit at the new CIBC Pan Am/Parapan Am Athletics Stadium at York University this evening.

"The Parapan Am Games are a jaw-dropping display of the power of human beings to excel, to overcome and to be strong" said Mayor John Tory. "We are excited and ready to welcome athletes and visitors to our great city for these Games. Residents, visitors and a new generation of future athletes will be inspired. Toronto has already seen great triumphs with the Pan Am Games and we will see more with the Parapan Am Games"

Top athletes from across the Americas will showcase their talents at the Parapan Am Games. Several venues in Toronto are hosting competitions in archery, athletics, cycling (road), football 5-a-side, football 7-a-side, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis. The 2015 Parapan American Games also serve as a qualifier for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in all sports.

The new Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CIBC Pan Am Aquatics Centre and Field House) will host the swimming and sitting volleyball events. After the Games, the facility will serve as a world-class training centre for all athletes in various water sports and the home of the Wheelchair Basketball Canada National Academy. Co-owned by the City of Toronto and the University of Toronto (Scarborough Campus) and developed in partnership with the Governments of Canada and Ontario, the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, located in Scarborough, will serve community members, university students and
high-performance athletes for decades to come. The venue will open to the community in the fall of 2015 after the Parapan Am Games and will leave a lasting legacy of healthy lifestyle and recreational opportunities for Toronto residents and the local community long after the Games have ended.

The cultural celebration for the Games continues as PANAMANIA Live, presented by CIBC, returns to Nathan Phillips Square. From August 7 to 12, Nathan Phillips Square will host free PANAMANIA performances including Chromeo, The Roots, Janelle Monáe, Explosions in the Sky, Jann Arden and A Tribe Called Red. PANAMANIA Live is a 35-day arts and culture festival that enriches the TORONTO 2015 Games experience.

Residents and visitors can also join world-class athletes and fans at the Victory Celebrations at Nathan Phillips Square. The Victory Celebrations, which honour medal-winning athletes after the official medal presentations have taken place at the competition venues, are part of PANAMANIA Live programming and run from August 8 to 12.

The Parapan Am Games are an excellent opportunity to experience the Games and cheer on Parapan Am athletes. Tickets for the TORONTO 2015 Parapan Am Games are available at bit.ly/1xVH1FA. The purchase of a ticket includes free access to public transit for trips to and from the event on the date displayed on the ticket.

Visitors and residents are encouraged to take public transit when possible. Toronto’s public transit system is the second largest in North America and has the highest per capita ridership rate on the continent with more than 2,800 subway vehicles, buses and streetcars transporting more than 1.62 million riders throughout the city each day.

More information is available online at: toronto.ca/panam.

Toronto is Canada’s largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world’s most livable cities. Toronto is proud to be the Host City for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.