Doug Ford’s cabinet quietly approves the ‘winding up’ of Ontario Place Corporation

Premier Doug Ford’s cabinet has quietly approved the “winding up” of Ontario Place Corporation, moving forward the controversial redevelopment of the provincial waterfront park.

Three weeks ago, ministers rubber-stamped an order in council to begin dissolving the body that has overseen Ontario Place since 1990.

“On the recommendation of the undersigned, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario … orders that … the Board of Ontario Place Corporation … shall prepare a proposed plan for winding up the corporation and transferring its assets, liabilities, rights and obligations to the Crown in right of Ontario or to an agency of the Crown,” says the June 9 cabinet document.

The change comes as Olivia Chow was elected Toronto mayor last Monday on promises to fight Ford’s planned private development at Ontario Place.

Chow received the loudest cheers during her victory speech at the Great Hall on Queen Street West when she vowed to keep the lakefront park “public.”

While Ford pledged to work with the incoming mayor, he emphasized Tuesday that “Ontario Place is going to be a public space” despite a private spa, operated by Austrian-based Therme with a 95-year lease, on the West Island and an expanded Live Nation concert venue.

It will also be home to the Ontario Science Centre, which is being relocated from Don Mills.

“The vast majority of Ontario Place is going to be open to the public all along the shore — for the biking and hiking and whatever you want to do, be it a picnic,” the premier said, indicating the province has no plans to change course.

“This is moving down the tracks pretty quickly right now,” he said, noting the park, which dates back to 1971, was paid for by all Ontarians.

“I respect that the host city is Toronto and we’ve been working hand-in-hand with the previous mayor (John Tory). But this is a provincial site, we’re going to do what’s right for the province (while) respecting that it is in Toronto.”

According to the “Ontario Place Corporation Windup Plan” tabled at Ford’s cabinet on June 9, Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma’s department should assume all “operational functions” of Ontario Place by Dec. 31.

“Dissolution will require the proclamation of the Ontario Place Corporation Repeal Act,” the plan says, referring to legislation passed on Dec. 6, 2018 — buried under a flurry of other bills at the end of the parliamentary session — but never proclaimed into law.

Aides to Surma, who has been under fire over the shaky rollout of the redevelopment, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Star.

The windup plan, which warns of “multi-year” construction though no job losses for Ontario Place’s few staffers, serves as a road map for what’s next at the lakefront.

“Trillium Park will remain open throughout construction, as long as it is safe to do so,” the plan states.

That’s the $30-million public park on the east side of Ontario Place, which was opened by former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne in 2017.

“Parking lots will operate at a reduced capacity. Some site services will still be required in areas of the site throughout the construction period, such as: garbage collection, maintenance of heritage assets, site security, janitorial services, plowing, landscaping, maintenance, and electrical services,” it continues.

The cabinet document points out “operations on the site have changed considerably over the decades” since the park, with its iconic white geodesic-domed Cinesphere, opened 52 years ago.

“While originally the site was used on a fee-based park style model, the site was closed to visitors in 2011,” the plan says.

“Over the 2010s, efforts were made to re-establish smaller-scale projects on a more sustainable basis, such as concerts, partnerships with local artists, and film screenings at the Cinesphere,” it adds.

“In 2018, the Government of Ontario announced its commitment to redevelop Ontario Place — making it a world-class, year-round destination. In 2023, the government also announced its plans to move the Ontario Science Centre to Ontario Place to create an iconic destination on Toronto’s waterfront.”

SHARE: