The proposed redevelopment of Ontario Place is posing an “imminent threat” to the wildlife and trees that sit on the man-made waterfront site, says The Cultural Landscape Foundation’s (TCLF), who has recently elevated the threat level associated with the project.
Toronto’s Ontario Place is a waterfront park located just off the shore of Lake Ontario that was designed by landscape architect Michael Hough. The park opened in 1971 and is listed in the City of Toronto’s Heritage Register. In 2019, Ontario Place was enrolled in TCLF’s Landslide program, during which plans began emerging for its redevelopment. “The man-made islands are part of an integrated landscape architecture vision that was part of Hough’s idea to integrate native Ontario trees into a site that reflected the diversity of Ontario’s natural heritage,” writes Beth Kapusta in a recent article for TCLF explaining the change in threat status. “The landscape has matured, realizing Hough’s design intent, and providing habitat for nesting birds and other animals and supporting international bird migratory routes. This area is at immediate risk, with nearly 1600 trees slated for removal on both islands.”
The proposed redevelopment led by the Toronto office of the Vienna-based Therme Group consists of a private spa on West Island, which Ontario’s provincial government is advancing. The private spa and the underground parking garage threatens to alter the integrated landscape of Ontario Place as well as its public nature, obstructing views of the site along with its architecture from nearly every vantage point. The spa will also eliminate existing structures, trees, and public beaches on West Island, with only a slight portion of the waterfront, created with new landfill, designated as fully publicly accessible.
While keeping climate change top of mind, civic leaders continue looking for solutions. Most recently, Mayor Olivia Chow and Ausma Malik have proposed the relocation of the spa site to Exhibition Place. Ontario’s independent Auditor General also recently announced that they are looking into the provincial government’s controversial plans by conducting a value-for-money audit. Rallies have been organized at Ontario Place, City Hall, and the provincial legislature, which encourage the participation of the public in motions and legislation related to the redevelopment.
Additionally, the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario has collaborated on political advocacy campaigns and provided knowledge on the site’s design history, while identifying major concerns in Heritage Impact Assessment procedures. The World Monuments Fund (WMF) has also placed Ontario Place on a 2020 “watch list” of global cultural heritage sites. A collaboration with WMF and the Daniels Faculty at University of Toronto produced the awareness-raising The Future of Ontario Place Project. Public awareness has increased since the site’s enrollment in TCLF’s Landslide program as an at-risk landscape.
The TCLF is urging readers to [a] contact Doug Ford to express opposition to the Therme Canada development proposal; [b] contact Mayor Chow and other city officials and buttress their stated opposition to the project; and [c] sign the recently launched Change.Org petition created by Ontario Place for All concerning the current plans. “This Modernist icon cannot be redeveloped as proposed,” writes TCLF’s Director of Communications, Nord Wennerstrom.
To read the TCLF’s article, visit https://www.tclf.org/imminent-threat-ontario-place
With files from The Cultural Landscape Foundation