Toronto's Port Lands could be set for a dramatic transformation. With representatives of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in town to build support for the City's prospective bid for the 2025 World Expo, the Port Lands have been at the forefront of prospective plans for the event. During an event held at the Toronto Region Board of Trade (TRBOT) yesterday, a panel discussion foregrounded the Port Lands as a viable site for the event, while the socio-economic and cultural benefits of hosting the Expo were widely touted.

The panel discussion featured the Toronto Port Lands Company's CFO Winston Young alongside BIE's Deputy Secretary General Dimitri Kerkentzes, Greenland Group's CEO Henry Cao, and the Canadian Ambassador to Colombia Carmen Sylvain. Moderated by TRBOT's Jan De Silva, the conversation outlined the benefits of a well-hosted event, which can range from immediate profit to long-term economic growth, as well as the somewhat intangible effect of civic "branding" that can help establish a cultural sense of place.

Kerkentsez, Sylvain, De Silva, Cao, and Young (l-r), image by Craig White

Unlike many international events, Kerkentzes told the audience that many Expos "can turn a profit" based on high numbers of visitors and (comparatively) low costs. Kerkentzes and Cao noted that Shanghai was able to profit on hosting the 2010 Expo, and Kerkentzes added that the "numbers from Milan's 2015 expo also look promising." Cao also argued that the the Shanghai Expo was instrumental in delivering accelerated transit and infrastructure upgrades, while the panel also discussed how the creation Lisbon's new central business district was facilitated by Expo 98.

For Toronto, the panel argued that hosting the event would be a boon to regenerating the Port Lands and establishing the city as a more prominent business and tourism destination. According to Young, the Port Lands were first identified as a potential site for the Expo two years ago. Since Toronto's underutilized Port Lands are "relatively isolated geographically," Young believes that an "urban revitalization" of the site would not entail "not too much disruption and congestion." As with past events, most infrastructural projects and improvements are likely to be concentrated on the Expo site itself.

Looking southeast across Toronto's Port Lands, image by Marcus Mitanis

Sylvain also told the assembled audience—which included local business leaders, development professionals, and public sector figures—that a successful bid (and an economically productive event) would require co-operation from the Federal government, which would likely entail an influx of infrastructure spending. In addition, the theme of the event and the long-term potential of the chosen site were also cited as important factors.

Following the panel discussion, BIE Secretary General Vicente Loscertales closed out the event with a speech that underlined the importance of integrating the business community into the planning and execution of the event. Citing Tsukuba's Expo 85 as a precedent, Loscertales noted that "corporations like Mitsui and Sony invested a lot," helping create a nascent high-tech hub in the region.

Vicente Loscerates speaks at the Toronto Region Board of Trade, image by Craig White

Though yesterday's event amounted to a sort of high-concept pep rally for the Toronto Expo, realistically weighing the risks and benefits of hosting the event is certain to prove significantly more complex. For one thing, many past Expos have left behind legacies of debt, while global interest in the event has waned in recent decades.

Voicing another concern, the Urban Land Institute's Executive Director Richard Joy asked the panel whether it's still fair to compare the cultural reach of today's Expos to Montreal 67 or Vancouver 86, which took place "before the internet, and during the Cold War, when global cultural exchange was much more limited." Indeed, it seems true that contemporary Expos don't hold as exalted a place in the cultural imagination as past events, which enthralled visitors with visions of technological utopianism. That forefront of innovation has moved elsewhere, and for many that sort of crowded, sweetly naïve enthusiasm is more of a relic of the 20th century.

While the BIA representatives pointed out that Shanghai's 2010 Expo set a record for total visitors (though Montreal continues to hold the record for most international visitors) modern events are clearly no longer the global sensations they once were. As it stands, both Canada and the U.S. have allowed their BIE memberships to lapse, suggesting diminished interest in the event over recent decades.

While it's still early in the process, more details of a potential bid—including the theme, as well as economic projections and detailed infrastructural plans—will more clearly outline an Expo's potential benefits. If the City does follow through with a successful bid, however, the challenge will be to create an event that's a defining cultural legacy for Toronto rather than one that just delivers an afternoon of fun for the family.

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