Toronto 
Credit: Ontario Govt.
Ontario has announced that the province will redevelop Ontario Place into a world-class destination with pools and waterslides, gardens, an all-season concert venue and a year-round family-friendly adventure park.
Ontario Place was a premier tourist destination when it opened in 1971.
The site closed in 2012 and the government launched a Call for Development in 2019.
Ontario announced Live Nation, Therme Group and Écorécréo Group will redevelop the site spread across 155 acres of land and water. Ontario says the plan will keep the Cinesphere, the pod complex, the marina, Trillium Park and the William G. Davis Trail.
The redevelopment plan includes:
Therme Canada by Therme Group:
Credit: Ontario Govt.
An all-season destination by Therme Group includes a family-friendly, all-season destination offering something for all ages, including pools, waterslides, botanical spaces to relax, as well as sports performance and recovery services. The plan also includes eight acres of free, publicly accessible gathering spaces, parkland, gardens and beaches.
Indoor-outdoor live music and performance venue by Live Nation:
Credit: Ontario Govt.
Live Nation will redevelop the Budweiser stage into a modern, year-round indoor-outdoor live music and performance venue. The new venue will have an expanded capacity of 20,000 in the summer and close to 9,000 in the winter. The plan will keep the current amphitheatre lawns.
All-season adventure park by Écorécréo Group:
Credit: Ontario Govt.
Écorécréo Group will build an all-season adventure park with aerial obstacle courses, net-based aerial adventures, ziplines, climbing walls, escape rooms and many other activities. One will also be able to rent segway, quad-cycle, canoe and kayak at the site.
What happens next:
Ontario Place will remain open while work is underway with Trillium Park and the William G. Davis Trail open for public use.
According to the news release, the government will launch the next phase of engagement in August.
Virtual public information sessions will also be held in the fall with planning and development consultations related to the site-wide environmental assessment, heritage, and site servicing to follow later in the year.
Announcing the redevelopment, Premier Doug Ford said, “By taking this first step with our world-class development partners, as well as the City of Toronto and Indigenous communities, we will deliver a renewed Ontario Place that provides year-round entertainment for all ages and interests. As we continue to engage and consult with the community, Ontario Place will realize its full potential as a long-term economic generator for the people of Ontario.”
You can also follow the latest developments here.
