Concerns about secret land transfers and loss of green space are being raised over the Ontario government’s contentious plan to redevelop Ontario Place.
The proposed construction of a private spa on what is now a popular picnic and park area on Toronto’s West Island waterfront has drawn the ire of passionate volunteers from a group called Ontario Place for All. The group is holding a rally tonight to publicly voice dissatisfaction over the deal.
Concerns cited by those opposed to the mega-spa complex, being built by private Austrian resort developer Therme, are similar to the wave of opposition against the backroom Greenbelt deals recently criticized by Ontario’s auditor general.
“All of this has been done with great secrecy,” said Ken Greenberg, an urban designer, city building advocate and Ontario Place for All member. “They (the Ford government) claim transparency but, in fact, it's been extremely difficult to get any information. Every step they are taking is done behind nondisclosure agreements. The budgets are not revealed, the terms of the RFP (request for proposal) not revealed.”
According to information obtained by Global News, Therme has been granted a 95-year lease agreement with the Ontario government. The company asserts the lengthy contract is essential to recover its multimillion-dollar investment.
While both Therme and the Ford government have refrained from publicly disclosing the contract's specifics, citing confidentiality, the Austrian firm driving the project told Global it is injecting nearly half a billion dollars into Ontario Place. This financial commitment includes $350 million to build the 65,000-square-foot private spa and an additional $100 million designated for the portions that will remain publicly accessible.
When Ontario Place was created more than 50 years ago, it was envisioned as a special area to showcase Ontario’s ingenuity and creativity on Toronto’s shoreline, Greenberg said.
“It was all about Ontario, it was about us. They ended up with three private companies, one from Austria, one from the U.S. and a company from Montreal, but no one from Ontario,” said Greenberg.
It is astonishing that today Ontarians are being faced with a proposal to essentially privatize some 13 acres of land on the West Island, he added. “It is just hard to fathom how painful it would be to see this happen here.”
The province's plan to redevelop Ontario Place includes a renovated Live Nation amphitheatre, as well as a publicly accessible park and waterfront area. The Cinesphere, which houses the world's first IMAX theatre, will be preserved under the plan. The province will contribute $650 million to enhance existing infrastructure and maintain the site's historical elements.
More than 900 people in person and virtually took part in public consultations on the future of the site held by the city staff in April. The majority of Toronto residents who participated did not support the West Island redevelopment plans, a staff report noted.
“Specifically, people were opposed to the private spa uses that have been proposed. Many people were concerned that they would not have adequate access to public spaces and identified the need for more on the West Island. People noted that the spa building’s size and scale would overwhelm the West Island and occupy land which could be otherwise allocated for open public green space and parks,” the report said.
According to CBC, Premier Doug Ford's administration has indicated the province will use its legislative power to advance the development proposal, whether or not the city endorses the plan. The province owns most of the Ontario Place site, except for approximately 16 acres controlled by the City of Toronto.
“It's tragic that instead of fostering local ecosystems and nurturing a connection to wildlife and the water, we're subject to disingenuous statements from the firms involved in this project, like "sustainable well-being" and being partners with the environment, said Francesca Bouaoun, a member of Ontario Place for All. “These statements don't hold any meaning in the face of the spa — an opportunity to help green public spaces thrive is being absolutely squandered,” said Bouaoun.
The developer claims “every aspect of Therme Canada Ontario Place is designed with nature, sustainability and environmental efficiency in mind,” Bauaoun said. Yet the reality is, the development will mean the removal of hundreds of trees, destruction of migratory and nesting habitat, and creation of a stadium-sized glass complex. And all of this is being done without being subject to an environmental assessment process, she added.
“Millions of taxpayer dollars are being spent to raze a public space and facilitate a private building that simply is not suited to this area.”
Canada’s National Observer reached out to Ontario's Ministry of Infrastructure for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
This story was produced in partnership with Journalists for Human Rights for the Afghan Journalists-in-Residence program funded by the Meta Journalism Project.
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