More than 400 guests joined Canada’s Prime Minister Jean Chretien, Ontario Premier Mike Harris, and Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman at a farewell dinner for the International Olympic Committee’s evaluation commission.
Or as it’s chairman Hein Verbruggen called it “the evacuation commission”.
About 11 of the team members got stuck in the hotel they were staying in, delaying a 5:00 p.m. press conference for ninety minutes. A shortened version was held just prior to the dinner.
Reports say the IOC dignitaries were trapped between the 11th and 12th floor of the hotel, while the media waited for them down the road at another hotel.
Luckily the elevator doors were partly open during their experience, allowing the group to breathe a little easier.
Speaking at the dinner, Prime Minister Chretian said “it’s a great occasion for Ontario, for Canada and for Toronto to have the mayor, the premier and myself united, working together, hoping together, praying together — in three different religions”.
“Hopefully, Toronto will welcome the world in 2008”, he said. “We share the determination to make the Games of 2008 the best the world’s ever seen. I do believe hosting the Games would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We’re 100 per cent behind the bid”.
The evaluation team’s chairman Hein Vebruggen thanked Toronto for its outstanding effort and commitment to the Games and congratulated the city on its great support.
He added “but if you’re stuck in an elevator you’ll easily trade 70,000 volunteers for one engineer”, he joked.
