The Ford government has released renderings of the final designs for the new Ontario Place.
A map of the entire project shows the layout, with a large swath of land dedicated to the Therme spa, a new Ontario Science Centre, a Live Nation concert venue, as well as a dedicated above-ground parking zone.
“It will be a destination for all of Ontario,” Premier Doug Ford said on Tuesday.
The plan also includes public green space and a beach.
“You can just imagine people strolling along the shore line at sunset, enjoying stunning beaches and wet lands, canoeing, boating, kayaking along our beautiful waters and taking in concerts, markets and festivals. This is going to be spectacular.”
The renderings, created by Therme Canada and Live Nation, show a public park with a beach that includes a canoe launch, a marina, a tree house and even a turtle playground.
Live Nation’s renderings depict the east side entrance and the east pavilion.
Graphics aside, the project has not come without controversy and eyebrow raising expenses.
Last December Ontario’s Auditor General (AG) released a scathing audit of the Ford government’s Ontario Place redevelopment efforts, uncovering that the province’s costs have increased by $1.8 billion since the call for action was issued in 2019.
All told, Auditor General Shelley Spence’s report also found that the Ontario Place redevelopment efforts could cost taxpayers $2.2 billion.
A City of Toronto report also found the redevelopment would make traffic congestion worse.
Despite those troubling headlines, the province stresses that the project will create 5,000 jobs in the construction and tourism sectors and boost economic growth across Toronto and the region.
The province says the parking structure will be publicly owned and will “generate revenue for the province and help the public conveniently access Ontario Place’s many attractions, including public beaches, trails and parks, the state-of-the-art Ontario Science Centre, Live Nation’s revitalized year-round amphitheatre and Therme Canada’s family-friendly waterpark and wellness destination.”
Highlights from the final designs for Ontario Place include: (source: Province of Ontario)
- A new entrance that will serve as a gathering and transit hub, connecting visitors to the new Exhibition Station on the Ontario Line, lakeside walking, cycle paths and onsite parking.
- A reimagined Brigantine Cove featuring an urban beach, boardwalks and children’s playgrounds, including a multi-level interactive treehouse and turtle-shaped play structures.
- New canoe and kayak launch sites and natural stone lookout points throughout the park will provide sunset views across Lake Ontario.
- The Ontario Place marina will become a vibrant hub, with open-air pavilions, boardwalks and spaces for future programming and amenities.
- A new forum space at the park’s centre will provide ample space for outdoor markets and festivals and showcase a one-acre splash fountain, with a core shaped like Ontario’s iconic trillium.
- An up to 3,400 square foot Indigenous Cultural Pavilion on the East Island, offering a dedicated space for community gatherings, workshops and other learning programs.
