The Sydney Morning Herald

November 29, 2001

Multicultural Toronto gets first Olympic Spirit complex

Toronto, which lost to Beijing as host of the 2008 Summer Games, will be the first international city to house an Olympic Spirit entertainment complex, an official said today.

An international group that owns the rights to develop the Olympic Spirit complexes around the world and the International Olympic Committee chose Toronto because "they see (it) as the most multi-international community in the world," he said.

The $C32 million ($A38.45 million) Olympic Spirit complex, is set to open in Toronto in 2003.

It will be promoting the goals, ideals and spirit of the Olympics, said Bobby Sniderman, general manager of the Olympic Spirit Toronto project.

Their choice had nothing to do with the city losing to Beijing in July, Sniderman added.

The Geneva-based International Olympic Spirit Group, dedicated to keeping the Olympic spirit alive, picked Toronto for its diversity after testing the entertainment complex idea in Munich years ago, he said.

The group plans to open similar complexes in other cities, Sniderman said, but could not provide any further details.

Displays will spotlight past Olympic gold medal winners.

An action cinema will show visitors past Olympic events while movie seats move in sequence and interactive simulators will allow people to compete in events as if they were Olympic athletes, Sniderman said.

For example, someone can climb into a bobsled simulator and race down a superimposed track with wind and snow blowing in their face, he said.

From the streets of downtown Toronto, the 4,500 square metre complex will look like a torch.

Sniderman said up to half a million visitors were expected in the first year, given Toronto's highly diverse population and its driving proximity to the United States.

Adult ticket for the complex, which also houses a restaurant and bar, will be sold for $C18 ($A21.15).

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