Organizers of the 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games are hiring approximately 5,000 security guards for the upcoming sporting event.
The games -- one of the largest sporting events in Toronto's history -- isn't scheduled to kick off until next summer, but the process to beef up security has already started. On Thursday, many hopeful applicants showed up at the Contemporary Security Canada's Lake Shore Boulevard office to submit a resume.
"I came down here for the overall work experience," Cameron Crawford told CTV Toronto. "I'm trying to get a job with the law enforcement, and this would be the best way."
Organizers of the Pan Am Games are pumping approximately $239 million into security, more than double the original estimate of $113 million. Ontario's Minister of Community Safety Yasir Naqvi said organizers are likely taking extra precautions after two separate fatal attacks on Canadian soldiers.
"I'm confident that they are aware of these types of threats…and is very much part of their planning," Naqvi said.
The Ontario Provincial Police's Integrated Security Unit will be overseeing the hired security guards for the games, and their training leading up to the Opening Ceremony.
"The training will be approved by the Integrated Security Unit and they will be trained to address a number of different threats," OPP Staff Sgt. Richard LaPage said.
Security guards will also undergo first aid training, and learn how to manage crowds. They will be paid an hourly wage of between $19 and $23.
The 2015 Pan Am Games will run from July 10 to July 26, and the Parapan Am Games will take place afterwards, from August 7 to August 15.
The total budget for the games is pegged at more than $2.5 billion.
With a report from CTV Toronto’s John Musselman
