Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion is pushing organizers of the 2015 Pan Am Games to put up a banner at Pearson International Airport that welcomes athletes to “Mississauga,” not “Toronto.”
McCallion, the 92-year-old mayor who’s been Mississauga’s biggest proponent for more than 30 years, told Ian Troop, Pan Am chief executive officer, that a banner inside the airport should recognize Mississauga because the airport is in Mississauga.
“I think it’s extremely important that they’re welcomed to Toronto, yes, but to Mississauga first. And then they go to Toronto, OK?” she told him.
Toronto Councillor Josh Matlow, who represents Ward 22 (St. Paul’s), says that’s not likely to happen.
He said with all due respect to Mississauga, most of the athletes, coaches and spectators coming to the Pan Am Games “will be, in their minds, coming to Toronto.”
Currently, a sign inside Pearson Airport welcomes visitors to Toronto. But that sign features the faces of McCallion, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and Brampton Mayor Susan Fennell.
Matlow said that bickering over which city gets the spotlight won’t benefit the Games. Councillor Paula Fletcher seemed to agree.
“I’m sure they can make everybody happy at the Pan Am, they have bigger issues to worry about -- like getting all the venues finished -- long before the airport sign,” she told reporters.
