The Toronto 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games Experience
- Message from the Assistant Deputy Ministers of Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Meteorological Service of Canada and Science and Technology Branches
- Foreword from the Project’s Senior Executive
- Executive Summary
- 1. The Mission and Mandate for the Games
- 2. Early Planning
- 3. The Project Team
- 4. Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Partners for the Games
- 5. The Mesonet
- 6. Information Technology
- 7. Integration Tests and Contingency Plans
- 8. Forecast Services and Prediction
- 9. Briefing and Dissemination Services
- 10. Environment and Climate Change Canada Games Operations Cycle
- 11. Research
- 12. Weather and Health Portfolio
- 13. Communications
- 14. Post-Games
- 15. Closing Comments
- Appendix A – List of Abbreviations
1. The Mission and Mandate for the Games
The Pan and Parapan American Games are a regional international summer sporting event, staged every 4 years in the year prior to the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. The 2015 Games were awarded to Canada on November 6, 2009, by the Pan American Sports Organization. During the summer of 2015, Canada welcomed 40 other countries/nations of the Americas as Toronto and the municipalities of the Greater Golden Horseshoe Area in Ontario hosted the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games.
The 2015 Pan American Games marked the third time that Pan American Games were held in Canada. The previous two summer Games were held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1967 and 1999. It was Canada’s first time hosting the Parapan American Games.
Photo: ©Hong Lin
The Pan and Parapan American Games were held from July 10–26, 2015, and from August 7–15, 2015, respectively. Approximately 11,000 athletes, athlete support personnel and technical officials participated in the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games.
The Government of Canada was 1 of 6 major stakeholders supporting the Games, committing 13 federal departments to provide “Essential Federal Services” (EFS). The remaining major stakeholders were the Toronto 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games (TO2015 Games or Games) Organizing Committee, the Province of Ontario, the City of Toronto, the Canadian Olympic Committee, and the Canadian Paralympic Committee, all of whom worked closely with host municipalities and venue owners.
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) mission and mandate for the TO2015 Games was to provide essential services for enhanced weather monitoring and forecasting and for local-level preparedness activities. The key objectives were to enhance public safety and decision making by:
- issuing weather warnings;
- forecasting weather conditions;
- supporting critical weather sensitive government services; and
- monitoring atmospheric conditions.
The funding received by ECCC was used to provide state-of-the-art, 24/7, dedicated, venue-specific weather services during the Games (i.e., 24 hours per day, 7 days per week).
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