August 22, 2023 - Ontario Place is a treasured public space, a site of international heritage importance and well-used, well-loved parkland. I am committed to continuing to fight for a public, inclusive, and green Ontario Place for everyone to enjoy.
At the start of their development application for Ontario Place, the Province agreed to respect the City’s planning review process and public engagement framework. Alongside City staff, I have worked to ensure the process is democratic and transparent. That means allowing the public to consider the proposal – and any changes – with full details and with facilitation of City staff in public forums – not through public relations messaging by one of the Province’s lease holders. The next round of City of Toronto-led community consultations on the development application where everyone is welcome are next month with an in-person meeting on September 7th at the Beanfield Centre (Exhibition Place), beginning with an Open House at 3PM and a presentation and Q&A at 6PM, followed by a virtual consultation meeting on September 12th.
City staff through their Spring update report were clear that the development application hasn’t demonstrated that it belongs on our waterfront. The proposed buildings are fundamentally out of scale for the site, there is insufficient public realm for this space, and an environmental assessment has not been completed for the West Island. In April, hundreds of people attended in-person and virtual meetings for the first round of community consultations on the application, with many more providing comments to City staff online, overwhelmingly stating strong opposition to the proposal and raising many concerns. Hundreds of millions of dollars of public funds spent by the Province to subsidize site preparations for a private spa and water park, and accompanying parking structure for thousands of cars, could be put to much better use.
What has been shared today by Therme doesn’t address the fundamental concerns raised by City Staff and the public nor does it provide important details to respond to those concerns and make informed planning decisions.
I am looking forward to the City-led public engagement planned for September to hear directly from Torontonians about the changes to the development application. I encourage everyone to attend and have their voices heard for a public, green and accessible Ontario Place for all.
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For more information, please contact:
Nora Cole
[email protected]
Office of Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik
City Councillor, Ward 10, Spadina–Fort York
