Canadian Paralympic Committee Congratulates Toronto and the Greater Golden
Horseshoe on Winning the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games

VANCOUVER , Nov. 6 /CNW Telbec/ - The Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) would like to congratulate the city of Toronto and the extraordinary team of Canadians who put forward the winning 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games bid. Toronto was chosen as the host city for the 2015 Games by the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) today, over competing cities Bogota , Colombia and Lima, Peru .

CPC's President Carla Qualtrough was present when the decision was made in Mexico today: "Today's announcement is great news for the Paralympic Movement in Canada . It will ensure the support and awareness of para-sport created by the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games continues for the benefit of summer para-sports and Canada's high-performance summer athletes with a disability."

This will be Canada's first time hosting the Parapan American Games.

"With Canada hosting both the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games and the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, this is a very exciting time for para-sport in Canada ," added Canadian Paralympic Committee CEO Henry Storgaard. "Hosting the 2015 Games will raise awareness of summer para-sports and we hope this will inspire even more Canadians with a disability to become involved."

The Toronto 2015 Sport Venue plan encompasses state-of-the-art facilities and an athlete's village already under construction.

"I'm thrilled that Toronto will be hosting the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games," said Paralympic Swimmer and eight-time Paralympic gold medalist, Benoît Huot. "It's great to see that the hard-work and time invested into the 2015 bid paid off and I look forward to the opportunity to compete in such a deserving city."

There will be 12 summer para-sports contested at the 2015 Toronto Parapan American Games. The Parapan American Games are held every four years for athletes with a disability from the 42 PASO member nations.

About the Canadian Paralympic Committee

The Canadian Paralympic Committee ("the CPC") is a non-profit, private organisation with 43 member sports organisations dedicated to strengthening the Paralympic Movement. The CPC is responsible for creating an optimal high-performance environment for Canadian Paralympic athletes to win at Paralympic and ParaPanAmerican Games. By supporting Canadian Paralympic athletes and promoting their success, the CPC inspires all Canadians with a physical disability to get involved in sport through programs delivered by its member organisations. The Canadian Paralympic Committee is currently preparing for the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, taking place from March 12 - 21, 2010 and where 55 Canadian Paralympic athletes will compete in Para-Alpine skiing, Para-Nordic skiing (cross-country skiing and biathlon), sledge hockey and wheelchair curling. For more information, visit www.paralympic.ca.

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For further information: Anna Parisi, Chief of Communications, Canadian Paralympic Committee, [email protected], [phone]