By
      Nicola
      Luksic
     
     
      Source:
      The
      Varsity
     
    
   
   
    
     
      TORONTO
      (CUP)
      -
     
     
      The
      federal
     
     
      government
      recently
     
     
      gave
      the
      Toronto
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Olympic
      bid
      committee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      financial
      thumbs-up
      at
     
    
   
   
    
     
      aceremony
      at
      the
     
     
      University
      of
      Toronto’s
     
     
      (U
      of
      T)
      athletic
      centre.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Heritage
      minister
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sheila
      Copps
      signed
     
    
   
   
    
     
      *
      over
      Ottawa’s
     
    
   
   
    
     
      backing,
      adding
     
     
      that
      it
      will
      be
      willing
     
     
      to
      provide
      an
     
     
      estimated
      $50
     
     
      million-in
      service
     
     
      support.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      STUDENT
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UNION
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ELECTIONS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ADVANCED
      POLLS
     
     
      March
      20,
      21
     
    
   
   
    
     
      REGULAR
      POLLS
     
     
      March
      22,
      23
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -NOMINATIONS
      RUN
      FROM
     
     
      MONDAY
      FEB.
      28
      TO
      NOON
     
     
      ON
      FRIDAY
      MARCH
      3.
      PICK
     
     
      UP
      YOUR
      NOMINATION
     
     
      FORMS
      AT
      THE
      BARN.
     
     
      -CAMPAIGNING
      RUNS
      FROM
     
     
      MARCH
      3
      TO
      MARCH
      19,
     
     
      -GENERAL
      MEETING
      IN
      THE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PIT
      MARCH
      15
      WITH
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CANDIDATE
      SPEECHES.
     
     
      -CALL
      FOR
      NOMINATIONS
     
     
      FOR
      VALADICTORIAN
     
    
   
   
    
     
      for
      more
      info
      stop
      by
      the
      barn
      or
     
     
      e-mail
      us
      at
      studentu@upei.ca
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Tt’sreally
     
     
      appropriate
      that
      the
     
     
      press
      conference
     
     
      was
      held
      ina
      locale
     
     
      that
      exemplifies
      what
     
     
      the
      Olympic
      spirit
      is
     
     
      about,”
      said
      Bruce
     
     
      Kidd,
      U
      of
      T’s
      dean
     
     
      of
      the
      faculty
      of
     
     
      physical
      education
     
     
      and
      health.
     
    

    
     
      Kidd
      is
      also
     
     
      chair
      of
      the
      Legacy
     
     
      and
      Community
     
     
      Enhancement
     
     
      Committee
      for
      the
     
     
      Olympic
      bid
      team.
     
    

    
     
      But
      there’s
     
     
      much
      more
      to
     
     
      Toronto’s
      Olympic
     
     
      bid
      than
      spirit,
      says
     
     
      UofT
      professor
      and
     
     
      community
      activist
     
     
      David
      Hulchanski,
     
     
      who
      worries
      the
     
     
      Olympics
      will
      bea
     
     
      distraction
      from
      more
     
     
      pressing
      city
     
     
      concerns.
     
    

    
     
      “Ts
      [the
     
     
      Olympics]
      really
      a
     
     
      priority?”
      asked
     
     
      Hulchanski,
      who
      isa
     
     
      professor
      of
      housing
     
     
      and
      community
     
     
      development.
      “I’m
     
     
      worried
      that
      this
      will
     
     
      consume
      everyone’
      s
     
     
      attention,
      time
      and
     
     
      money.
      Even
      having
     
     
      to
      talk
      about
      it
      and
     
     
      think
      about
      it
      isa
     
     
      waste.”
     
    

    
     
      Hulchanski
      is
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      Particularly
     
    
   
   
    
     
      concerned
      that
      in
     
     
      hosting
      the
      massive
     
     
      event,
      at
      an
     
     
      estimated
      cost
      of
     
     
      $2.69-billion,
      the
     
     
      needs
      of
      lower-
     
     
      income
      city
      dwellers
     
     
      will
      be
      ignored.
     
    

    
     
      “We
      want
      to
     
     
      ensure
      that
      those
     
    
   
   
    
     
      fears
      aren’t
      realized,”
     
     
      replied
      Kidd,
      noting
     
     
      that
      a
      social
      impact
     
     
      assessment
      was
     
     
      recently
      handed
      to
     
     
      Toronto
      City
     
     
      Council.
     
    

    
     
      The
      report
     
     
      recommends
      that
      the
     
     
      Council
      come
      up
      with
     
     
      aresidence
      bill
      of
     
     
      rights
      and
      arent
     
     
      control
      system
      that
     
     
      would
      dampen
      the
     
     
      population
      strain
      that
     
     
      the
      city
      would
      likely
     
     
      face
      if
      it
      wins
      the
      bid
     
     
      race.
     
    

    
     
      Hulchanski
      is
     
     
      not
      convinced.
     
    

    
     
      “How
      do
      they
      know
     
     
      there
      will
      beno
     
     
      evictions?”
      he
      said.
     
     
      “Great
      promises
     
    

    
     
      were
      made
      in
      Sydney
     
     
      [Australia,
      for
      this
     
     
      year’s
      summer
     
     
      Olympics],
      but
      look
     
     
      where
      they
      are
      now.”
     
    

    
     
      Recent
     
     
      statistics
      point
      out
     
     
      that
      rent
      in
      Sydney
     
     
      has
      recently
      climbed
     
     
      by
      an
      average
      of
      23
     
     
      percent.
      “Students
     
     
      will
      be
      affected
      by
     
     
      the
      tightening
      of
      the
     
     
      housing
      market,”
     
     
      predicted
      Hulchanski.
     
    

    
     
      Other
      blips
     
     
      have
      popped
      into
     
     
      Sydney’s
      Olympic
     
     
      plans.
      The
      actual
      cost
     
     
      of
      hosting
      the
     
     
      Olympics
      turned
      out
     
     
      to
      be
      $1.8-billion
     
     
      greater
      than
      what
     
     
      was
      proposed
      in
      the
     
     
      original
      budget.
     
    

    
     
      Some
      of
      the
     
     
      more
      weighty
      costs
     
     
      for
      Toronto’s
      bid
     
     
      include
      a
      $623-
     
     
      village
      and
      a
      $150-
     
     
      million
      broadcast
     
    
   
   
    
     
      centre.
     
    

    
     
      “Once
      you're
     
     
      into
      it,
      there’s
      no
     
     
      going
      back,”
      said
     
     
      Hulchanski.
      “I’m
      not
     
     
      against
      the
      Olympics,
     
     
      but
      this
      is
      not
      the
      time
     
     
      to
      go
      for
      it.”
     
    

    
     
      Toronto
      City
     
     
      Council
      recently
     
     
      approved
      a
      plan
      to
     
     
      bid
      for
      the
      Olympics.
     
     
      The
      decision
      puts
      the
     
     
      city
      up
      against
      nearly
     
     
      adozen
      competitors,
     
     
      including
      Paris
      and
     
     
      Beijing.
     
    

    
     
      The
      race
     
     
      itself
      will
      likely
      cost
     
     
      up
      to
      $25-million,
     
     
      according
      to
      Kidd.
     
     
      A
      decision
      by
      the
     
     
      International
      Olympic
     
    

    
     
      Committee
      is
     
     
      expected
      by
      July
     
     
      2001.
      Students
      and
     
     
      the
      U
      of
      T
     
     
      community,
      says
     
     
      Kidd,
      will
      benefit
     
     
      from
      improved
     
     
      sporting
      facilities.
      “I
     
     
      would
      hope
      we
     
     
      would
      get
      some
     
     
      facility
      upgrades,”
      he
     
     
      said,
      adding
      that
     
     
      there
      will
      also
      be
     
     
      opportunities
      for
     
     
      students
      to
     
     
      participate
      in
      hands-
      —
     
     
      on
      research
      oriented
     
     
      projects
      with
      the
     
     
      arrival
      of
      the
      games.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Kidd
     
     
      recognizes
      there
      will
     
     
      beplentyofcampus
      .,
     
     
      interest
      if
      the
      bid
      goes
     
     
      through.
      “One
      of
      the
     
     
      things
      we
      need
      to
      do
     
     
      is
      have
      acampus-
     
     
      wide
      conference,”
      he
     
     
      said,
      adding
      that
      he
     
     
      and
      the
     
     
      bid
      committee
     
     
      welcome
      all
      input.