The Ford Government and Ontario Place

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East As summer goes on, and Canadians enjoy family BBQs, politicians are relaxing and dreaming of better times. They want to forget their problems as they look to mingle with their constituents. However, there are things on the horizon, and in Ontario the development plans for Ontario Place and the closure of the Ontario Science Center are still on the minds of people. If we look at the history of Ontario Place, it has served Ontarians well over a couple of generations since its inception. However, there is clear evidence of a lack of care or maintenance, and an appalling lack of evolving vision for its future, on the part of subsequent Ontario Governments. It opened on May 22, 1971, and operated as a theme park centered around Ontario themes and family attractions until 2012 when the Government of Ontario announced that it would close for redevelopment. It has since reopened as a park without an admission fee but lacking several of the old attractions. Since the closure as a theme park, several of the venue's facilities have remained open, once reopened, and one section has been redeveloped. The Budweiser Stage operates during the summer season. The Cinesphere, the original IMAX theatre, reopened with new projection equipment and shows films regularly. On the East Island, Trillium Park and the William G Davis Trail opened in 2017. A marina, sheltered by three sunken lake freighters operates seasonally at the site. The exhibit "pods", several pavilions suspended above a lagoon, have remained closed after the closure of the Atlantis event facility. While much of the West Island's facilities are permanently closed, some of the natural spaces are now being used for recreation. Occasionally, special events are hosted in the West island village. So Ontario Place was neglected for twelve years and now, strangely, the Ontario Government and its leader, Premier Ford, have developed an obsession with developing it. Why is that? Let us concede that it is a heaven for developers, and the Premier is known to have a soft spot for them. Let us hope that this attraction is not becoming a fatal one. So what is in the shopping basket for the future development of Ontario Place and the closure of the Ontario Science Center, which is also in the cross-hairs for hungry developers. As we continue to witness, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has dug in his heels on his decision to close the science centre and has touted his plans for overhauling Ontario Place, claiming that he wants the waterfront attraction to become the country’s top tourist destination. The Premier emphasized that he is planning to make Ontario Place the country’s best tourist attraction, and claimed that the Ontario Science Centre’s current location was “a sleepy little neighbourhood”. This claim is quite contrary to the fact that the location is now well connected by public transportation; a transit hub for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT and the Ontario Line when they open. Unfortunately, the Eglinton project is still in the testing phase, but there are hopes that it will finally work after four years of delays. Ford said he believes that once the redevelopment of Ontario Place, including a revamped music stage, spa and a new home for the science centre is complete, it will become more popular with tourists than the CN Tower. “Mark my words, it will be the number one tourist attraction in all of Canada,” Ford said. In pitching his new vision for Ontario Place, Ford also took a swipe at a “small percentage” of people who “make a lot of noise” and, according to the premier, don’t want the government to spend money on its legacy project. “‘We don’t want it, we want to stay antiquated, we want an old wreckeddown Ontario Place that no one’s touched in 10 years and no one uses,’” Ford claimed his detractors were saying. His comments seemed to be directed, in particular, at those who have protested the government’s abrupt announcement in June that it planned to permanently close the 55-year-old Ontario Science Centre building, located at Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue. “We’re building a brand-spanking-new, state-of-the-art, more exhibit space and in the right location — not in a sleepy little neighbourhood in the suburbs that no one goes to,” he said. “This is where all the action is; where the soccer is and the stadium and Live Nation, the Exhibition. It’s just common sense, it’s a no-brainer.” The current science centre is the final stop on the Ford government’s signature Ontario Line project, which will run down to Exhibition Station, beside Ontario Place. With all this said, the question remains: how is the Province working with the City of Toronto, which is the partial land owner of the property on which Ontario Place is located, and the sole land owner of the Ontario Science Center property. It is no secret these days that the City of Toronto is financially in a difficult situation. So how the Province will work with the city to help resolve the housing problem which has reached alarming levels in the city, is still a mystery. Isn’t it wonderful, however, that the province is willing to commit enormous amounts of taxpayers’ money to futuristic projects, looking to attract tourists, while turning a blind eye to the problems of people actually living in Toronto? Also considering the crowding in downtown Toronto, and the chaos of the public transportation system, is this project really a priority right now? This is a question for the people of Toronto, and let us hope that sanity will prevail. What do you think? Have a nice summer!