What’s up with Ontario Place?

Ontario place is over 50 years old, and what comes next is far from settled. Here’s the latest.

Ontario Place bumper boats with Cinesphere in the background, circa 2004 — Torontonians ride the bumper boats at Ontario Place with the Cinesphere in the background in August 2004. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Richard Buchan)

You can get a good sense of how long someone has lived in Toronto — and whether they grew up in the city prior to the 2010s — by their reaction to the words “Ontario Place.”

To some, those words conjure images of summer adventure, family outings, and school trips. To others, they might be more closely aligned with modern-day public space and access to Lake Ontario shoreline.

For yet another subset, and especially those who live outside the city’s west end, the words “Ontario Place” may generate more of a floating question mark.

Ontario Place first opened on the waterfront in Toronto’s west end on May 22, 1971. It was a big hit, and became known for its Children’s Village play place (created by the mind behind ball pits) and Froster Soak City waterpark, among other rides and attractions. It also featured a marina with over 200 slips, a pavilion with five multi-purpose “pods,” and the Cinesphere movie theatre.

That said, interest and profitability dipped over time. Eventually, Ontario Place became what former Tourism Minister Michael Chan deemed “a drain on the government treasury.”

Today, the 155-acre provincially owned site boasts Trillium Park, the William G. Davis Trail, and two outdoor concert venues — the Budweiser Stage and Echo Beach. The marina, pods, and Cinesphere also remain, though the waterpark and amusement park closed in 2012.

However, that’s hardly the end of the Ontario Place story. There are plans afoot to bring it back to its — ahem — place of prominence. But those plans aren’t going smoothly, and there’s a rising number of voices coming out in opposition to them.

View of Ontario Place from the sky in the early 1990s — Looking at Ontario Place from the air in the early 1990s. (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 1465, File 391, Item 1)

How is Ontario Place being redeveloped?

In 2021, the Ontario government announced a redevelopment plan for the space. Here are some key takeaways:

After a 2019 request for proposals, three companies were selected to reimagine Ontario Place — Austrian company Therme Group, Quebec outdoor recreational rental company Écorécréo Group, and Live Nation, which already runs Budweiser Stage and Echo Beach. Under the agreement, each of the three companies would lease a separate part of the Ontario Place footprint.
Redevelopment plans centred around making Ontario Place a “world-class, year-round destination.” These included an adventure park, a spa and waterslides, and renovating Budweiser Stage into an indoor-outdoor venue, capable of hosting 20,000 concert goers in warmer months and 9,000 through the winter.
Existing greenspace was slated to remain open during and after the redevelopment. The marina, pods, and Cinesphere are staying put as well.
Ontario Place renovations dovetailed with work on another major infrastructure project: a new Ontario Line stop at Exhibition/Ontario Place. Crews broke ground on the station in March 2022.

Since the plan was announced, one of the three private partners — Écorécréo Group, slated to build the adventure park — dropped out of the project. According to an Écorécréo statement, the split was due to an inability of the two sides to agree on a long-term lease of the space.

Despite the change of plans, Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure spokesperson Sofia Sousa-Dias has said she doesn’t anticipate a delay on the project’s overall timelines. Construction is set to begin with the West Island sometime in 2024–25 and finish in 2030.

A map of the Ontario Place redevelopment plan as of November 2022 — The Ontario Place redevelopment map as of Nov. 25, 2022. (Courtesy of the Province of Ontario)

How have the plans been received?

Since the Ontario provincial government submitted a development application to the City of Toronto for the site on Nov. 25, reception has not been positive.

The bulk of the criticism surrounds the $350-million Therme spa set for the West Island. In addition to the large glass spa structure, the new plan touts 11.8 acres of public space, a 0.9-acre public beach, and shoreline restoration to protect against flooding.

However, these measures don’t go far enough for many concerned Torontonians — such as the grassroots organization Ontario Place for All — who want to keep the entirety of Ontario Place a park. One of the groups’ key points is that the spa’s projected $40 entry fee per person would make it inaccessible for much of the city.

This is especially concerning for some when considering the taxpayer money involved. Infrastructure Ontario estimates it will cost $200 million to prepare the land for the spa. Reports indicate a planned underground parking lot will cost an addtional $300 to $600 million.

Also, despite Therme’s stated commitments to create and maintain public space, nearly 850 trees will need to be cut down as part of the development plan.

Say no to Corporate Welfare at Ontario Place! Why should Ontario taxpayers fund a private spa at Ontario Place to the tune of $300 million just so we can pay to get in the spa? Support @ONPlace4All and save Ontario Place, our public parkland, and our wallets! #topoli #onpoli pic.twitter.com/o39x1YQ2c9
— Norm Di Pasquale (@normsworld) November 28, 2022

These issues made Ontario Place a talking point in Toronto’s municipal election in October. In fact, halting the currently constituted redevelopment and privatization of Ontario Place was one of the key planks of Toronto mayoral candidate Gil Penalosa’s election platform.

Penalosa questioned why all aspects of the redevelopment needed to be focused on Ontario Place. Instead, he and others have argued, the Therme spa could be built in a space now used for a parking lot at Exhibition Place. Doing so could save on eventual energy costs and solve some potential construction headaches.

What’s the latest?

Despite public outcry, the Ontario government has reportedly signed a 95-year lease on the property with Therme.

Premier Doug Ford also announced plans to move the Ontario Science Centre to Ontario Place, though at about half its current size.

While Penalosa isn’t running in the upcoming mayoral by-election, other candidates — such as Olivia Chow and Josh Matlow — oppose the current set of plans to privatize parts of Ontario Place and move the Science Centre.

What’s more, the new mayor may have some sway in what happens. While the province owns much of Ontario Place, Toronto lays claim to some of the land needed for the current set of plans.

In late April, a City committee considered the possibility of declaring a parcel of land at Dufferin St. and Lake Shore Blvd. W. “surplus” so it could be moved to the province in a land swap.

However, the committee voted to defer the decision until City Council has approved an official Ontario Place plan and zoning bylaw amendment application, and the province has provided a copy of the Therme lease.

What’s next?

According to Spacing writer John Lorinc, we’re in the midst of a year-long vetting process that includes “site plan reviews, public consultations, design tweaks, council debates, and a vote.”

One would expect those public consultations to be particularly contentious, given how organized the opposition to the plan already is — not to mention Ontario Place’s outsized presence in the hearts and minds of many.

Further viewing for inquiring minds

Interested in more on the history of Ontario Place? Check out this video from YouTube channel Old Toronto Series, which was produced prior to the 2021 announcement:

Old Toronto Series & The Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (Toronto) present: The History of Ontario Place.

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