Ontario Place: Transforming into a Year-Round, Multi-Use Waterfront Community & Urban Park for Canadians

This video presents “Ontario Place – Toronto 2011”:

  • “A look at Toronto’s iconic waterfront Park, Ontario Place.
  •  The Ontario government has promised to transform Ontario Place into a top rated tourist attraction, so we are waiting to see what kind of great ideas they have for the transformation.”

Ontario just endorsed the report  by the Minister’s Advisory Panel on Ontario Place Revitalization — led by John Tory — and all of its 18 recommendations, including the following design and development principles:

  • Must be accessible and welcoming to all who visit.
  • Be flexible and have the ability to adapt to changes over time to respond to different audiences and interests.
  • Respect and enhance the natural beauty of the surroundings by protecting sightlines to the water, creating easy public access to the waterfront and restoring a landscape culturally specific to Ontario and its waterfront.
  • No more than 10-15 per cent of the total land-water property can be residential.
  • Mixed-use community that may include space for:
    • commerce and business
      • corporate headquarters
      • hotel
      • cafes
      • retail
    • a research/education centre of excellence
    • a range of entertainment and cultural activities

Over the coming months, the government will begin the necessary work to:

  • develop the site for development — this could include:
    • site preparations
    • geotechnical investigations and surveys
  • start conversations with partners and the private sector to lay the foundation for the revitalization to take place

Please note that there will be no casino at Ontario Place after the transformation is completed.

Presently, the transformation requires the partial closure of Ontario Place, which includes the closure of:

  • Ontario Place grounds
  • Cinesphere
  • Waterpark
  • Rides
  • Attractions
  • Restaurants

However, the following key features remain open for 2012:

Comments and questions about the revitalization of Ontario Place can be sent via email to: OntarioPlaceRevitalization@ontario.ca .

Ontario Place to be Transformed into a Year-Round, Multi-Use Waterfront Community & Urban Park for Canadians
Ontario Place to be Transformed into a Year-Round, Multi-Use Waterfront Community & Urban Park for Canadians

Ontario, Canada: Newsroom

Moving Forward with Ontario Place Revitalization

August 15, 2012

McGuinty Government Endorses Panel Recommendations For Transformation

Ontario is moving forward to transform Ontario Place into a year-round, multi-use waterfront community and urban park where families can live, work, play and discover along the water’s edge.

The government has endorsed the report by the Minister’s Advisory Panel on Ontario Place Revitalization — led by John Tory — and all of its recommendations including the following design and development principles:

  • Must be accessible and welcoming to all who visit.
  • Be flexible and have the ability to adapt to changes over time to respond to different audiences and interests.
  • Respect and enhance the natural beauty of the surroundings by protecting sightlines to the water, creating easy public access to the waterfront and restoring a landscape culturally specific to Ontario and its waterfront.
  • No more than 10-15 per cent of the total land-water property can be residential.
  • Mixed-use community that may include space for commerce and business — corporate headquarters, hotel, cafes, retail — a research/education centre of excellence, and a range of entertainment and cultural activities.

Over the coming months, the government will begin the necessary work to develop the site for development — this could include site preparations, geotechnical investigations and surveys — and start conversations with partners and the private sector to lay the foundation for the revitalization to take place.

Revitalizing Ontario Place is part of the McGuinty Government’s plan to establish an iconic, world-class destination along the waterfront for Ontarians that will offer a new era of experiences, create jobs and further strengthen the economy.

QUOTES

“The McGuinty Government is committed to revitalizing Ontario Place as a place for families to live, work, play and discover along the water’s edge. Today, we take the next step in returning Ontario Place to a ‘must visit’ destination in Toronto; a place for Ontarians of all ages, home to exciting new experiences, a magnet for tourism and an economic driver.”

 – Michael Chan
Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport

QUICK FACTS

  • An agency of the Government of Ontario, Ontario Place opened in 1971.
  • The Minister’s Advisory Panel on Ontario Place Revitalization report contains 18 recommendations on how to transform Ontario Place.
  • On February 1, the Advisory Panel on Ontario Place Revitalization was established to advise the government on the redevelopment of the site
  • The Advisory Panel undertook a comprehensive process to develop their advice, including the review of previous studies and research, and stakeholder and public consultations.
  • On June 5, the Advisory Panel hosted a town hall to invite Ontarians to share their ideas on the future of Ontario Place.
  • On June 6, the Ontario government accepted an early recommendation from the Advisory Panel and publicly announced that there will be no casino at Ontario Place.

CONTACT

  • Rob Foote
    Minister’s Office
    416-327-4365
    rob.foote@ontario.ca

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