Bill 154 and Ontario Place
Last week, the provinical government pushed through the Rebuilding Ontario Place Act, 2023 as part of the New Deal for Toronto Act. From the outset at Queen's Park, they passed a motion which allowed the government to skip committee hearings where the public can provide input, and skip debate on the third and final reading of a bill.
As part of its justification, the province has said it must reach certain milestones on the Ontario Place redevelopment set out in a contract with private companies, with one of those deadlines being the end of this year - why should taxpayers be on the hook for financial penalties connected to Therme!
The implications of this bill are not just shocking for Ontario Place, but for the democratic process!
Not only does the province have powers to expedite the redevelopment and give the Minister of Infrastructure the power to issue minister zoning orders which override local laws, it also:
- exempts the project from the Environmental Assessment Act
- exempts the project from the Ontario Heritage Act
- indemnifies the government against claims of "misfeasance, bad faith, trust or fiduciary obligation" (legal protections!)
...all of this for the the construction of a massive spa! As MPP Chris Glover (Spadina-Fort York) notes "This bill sets a dangerous precedent for how far Ford's Conservatives will go to exempt themselves from provincial laws and avoid legal accountability."
On the day of the Bill's passing, a lawsuit was launched challenging the legislation as "a complete negation of the laws meant to protect every Ontario resident and their most basic democratic rights."
This opinion piece from David Moscorp in TVO summaries succinctly :
"Ford and company will justify the recent norm-busting law as necessary because it’s in the service of “getting things done.” Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma has already done just that, claiming in the legislature that the legislation is meant to “finally, after over 30 years of debate in this House, get it done and bring Ontario Place back to life.” Of course, implicit in the claim is an admission that the government cannot navigate the environmental, public, heritage, or planning rules meant to ensure that developments are undertaken in sound ways and in the public interest. Implicit in the claim is an admission that the Ford government expects to face opposition it can’t manage or convince. It can only strong-arm its way to getting what it wants."
As our fight now continues at the door of Queen's Park call you MPP and let them know that this project and its exemptions are  unacceptable! We've created a handy tool with a suggested script - once you fill out your phone number and postcode, hit "Make the Call" button, and the system will call your phone and patch you through to your MPP!
Sunday morning strollers and runners on the West Island at Ontario Place
Tree cutting has occurred already - join for upcoming rally and site walk this Saturday!
This past weekend, reports came in on Saturday morning of tree clearing on site around the Budweiser Stage entrance and the mainland bank underneath the pedestrian bridge to the West Island! The Province passed legislation just days before to break all rules of good planning, environmental and democratic process to plow ahead with their destructive plan for the waterfront.
Please BOOKMARK this website, Save the Trees at Ontario Place, to see up-to-date monitoring of the site !
While there was no demolition work the following day on Sunday, there are many folks monitoring the site and noting what is happening behind the giant wooden hoarding along lakeshore.
We still have a text alert set up which will be sent out to try and preserve the mature trees still standing !
Our injunction is still filed in divisional court in an effort to stop the province from proceeding with its West Island and we will communicate any updates on the status of that legal action.
MPP Chris Glover has been down to the site several times this week to report on what's happening - watch his check-ins HERE and HERE
News coverage from last weekend in The Toronto Star , CityNews , CP24 .
THIS SATURDAY, December 16th, head down to the West Island at Ontario Place for two events!
📍 At 11am, meet at the entrance to the West Island (see map below) to join for a walking tour of a lakeshore wilderness, led by acclaimed landscape architect Walter Kehm! Here is a chance to learn more about what is at stake with the potential loss of this important urban habitat. Sponsored by Save the Trees at OP .
📍 At 12pm, join a rally and tell the province to stop the destruction of Ontario Place! (there will also be posters on hand). Meeting spot will be the entrance to West Island - follow the pedestrian bridge which crosses from Exhibition Place to Ontario Place.
[Dress warmly! Public washrooms on West Island are open. Closest transit stops are the 509/511 streetcar stops at Exhibition Station loop]
Want to taken more action? Call you MPP and let them know this work is unnacceptable ! We've created a handy tool with a suggested script - once you fill out your phone number and postcode, hit "Make the Call" button, and the system will call your phone and patch you through to your MPP!
 Some of the early December avian sights around the West Island at Ontario Place: Downy Woodpecker, Long-tailed Duck, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Horned Grebe, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Common Goldeneye, and a Northern Cardinal.
Huge thank you to West End Phoenix!
We are incredibly grateful to all of the work from the West End Phoenix who helped put together the Save Ontario Place Telethon on December 3rd!
With 60+ (!) performers, over 15 speakers, and good banter throughout the day from fabulous hosts Dave Bidini, Sarah Harmer and Seán Cullen, we raised $12,000, handed out hundreds of signs and buttons and saw over 700 people come through the doors at the West End Phoenix space on 3 Bartlett Avenue.
THANK YOU everyone for tuning in and showing up, it was an inspiring community action day to stand up for public and accessible space, and demonstrate the rights of the people!
Huge gratitude to all of the amazing musicians, speakers, performers, volunteers, and incredible local businesses who supported with food and drink!
If you missed the show, don't worry! Catch the full recording HERE !
And go ahead and support the wonderful work of West End Phoenix HERE!
What could $650 million buy?
The continued commitment of public funds for a private spa and giant parking garage by the government is staggering. Hard-working Ontarians are struggling to pay for essentials. Resources are lacking in almost every realm. The lack of local health care, long-term care, housing, and other services affects our communities across the province. Rather than channeling funds into this extravagant venture, which stands to benefit a privileged few, the $650M could pay for essential services such as:
7000 nurses1 Ontario is suffering from nursing shortages and burn out in the health care system. "Nurses and health-care professionals are speaking out in our own words to share the bleak realities we face as we hold together a system starved of resources by this government," https://nursestalktruth.ca
3250 affordable housing units2 Ontario's Housing Action Plan target is 1.5M new homes by 2031, with affordable housing a lynchpin to solving the housing crisis. In their 2023 Hunger Report, Feed Ontario states, "22% of food bank visitors have housing costs that exceed their monthly income."
 800 long-term care beds3 The Ford government pledged to build 30,000 long-term care beds by 20284. The number of persons aged 85 and older has doubled since 2001, reaching 861,000 in 2021. https://www.carp.ca/our-advocacy/ltc/
 "The government's current path with Ontario Place is a clear indication of where its priorities lie – and sadly, it's not with the everyday needs of Ontarians," said Emmy Egulu, Ontario Place for All Steering Committee member. "The Government is setting a dangerous precedent that will impact communities across the province, allowing private companies to take control of public assets through backroom deals and get massive subsidies from our tax dollars."
Share these graphics and let's help visualize the tax dollar waste of this project !
Contact your MPP today and ask them which they would rather choose! Find our handy contact tool with other talking points HERE .
Auditor General of Ontario Science Centre report
At the end of November, the Minister of Infrastructure Kinga Surma released the "business case " for relocating the Science Centre to Ontario Place. The new planned facility is set to be half the size of the current one, without space for existing programming (e.g. planetarium and rainforest), no space for the fabrication facility, and very limited space for outdoor play and education. The case also noted that “securing a publicly owned cultural anchor such as the OSC could be an important addition to counter negative perceptions of the commercialization and privatization of this waterfront public asset” - the province recognizes the Ontario Place plan is unpopular, and is driving the move of the Science Centre to make the MegaSpa look better!
Several reporters quickly picked up on glaring holes in the business case.
Writing in the Globe and Mail shortly after the announcement , architecture critic Alex Bozikovic commented: "The Premier’s efforts to reshuffle the science museum and the waterfront park involve $1-billion in questionable expenditures. This government is spending boatloads of public money on its own priorities with no real explanation."
Elsa Lam at Canadian Architect provides an excellent and comprehensive breakdown  with the basic math behind the case:
"For the sake of simplicity, a somewhat more accurate high-level comparison might be to just put the two consultant estimates, in full, side-by-side: $499 million for a new science centre and partial exhibitions, to which should be added the cost of a basement level, foundations, and the underground link—versus $328 million to repair the existing Science Centre, including giving its exhibitions and public spaces a generous $100-million refresh. From a sustainability perspective, one might also consider the massive carbon cost of building an underground, multi-level concrete parking garage and underground link next to a lake—as opposed to renovating an existing building whose embodied carbon has already been locked into place."
Ontario Auditor General report
On Dec 6th, the acting Ontario Auditor General, Nick Stavropoulos, released his office's annual report that included 12 value-for-money audits. This included the Ontario Science Centre.
What did the report find? The Ford government made its decision to move the Ontario Science Centre to Toronto's waterfront with "preliminary and incomplete cost information" and failed to consult key stakeholders. He noted that the ‘business case’ put forward by the government last week missed key information like incremental parking costs, financing, transaction and legal costs for a new science centre, and similar costs for the repairs and upgrade of the current facility! The likely negative impact on attendance from residents and school groups was also not included.
 
On Dec 7th, we held a joint press conference with Save Ontario's Science Centre  responding to the scathing Auditor General report on Ontario Place and the Ontario Science Centre, which showed the underground parking lot at Ontario Place was part of the 95 year lease, and that the moving of the Science Centre was used to justify the taxpayer funded parking lot.
Watch our joint press conference HERE !
Speakers from all opposition parties were present:
MPP Chris Glover
MPP Stephanie Bowman
MPP and Leader of the Ontario Green Party Mike Schreiner
MPP Bhutila Karpoche
We are extremely pleased to see this cross-party support for a better future for both Ontario Place and the Ontario Science Centre! And as a reminder, the office of the Ontario Auditor General is still probing the Ontario Place plan!
 
How to get involved with the fight for the Ontario Science? Follow fellow grassroots group Save the Science Centre and sign the letter to keep the Science Centre open !
This coming Sunday Dec 17th at noon, join MPP Andrea Hazell and Save Ontario's Science Centre for a rally at the OSC parking lot, 770 Don Mills Road! 
 
Upcoming Mersivity Symposium 2023 organised by year-round, daily Ontario Place swimmer, Steve Mann. Free to the public, at University of Toronto: Harnessing Technology to Serve People and Planet -- Uniting Sustainability, Technology, and Society. This annual symposium is the world’s foremost gathering of thought leaders, innovators, and visionaries at the forefront of technology's alignment with both sustainability and society. The symposium will feature an impressive lineup of speakers and presenters from esteemed institutions including IEEE, MIT, and Stanford University. Join us at the Mersivity Symposium 2023! To register and discover more about the Mersivity Symposium 2023, visit https://mersivity.com .
Tabling at Patagonia!
This past weekend we had a table set up at Patagonia Toronto on King Street West! An enormous THANK YOU to all those who volunteered time to chat and connect with folks about what's going on with Ontario Place! As well as spreading awareness, lots of new signatures were added to the petition.
We'll be back in store on Sat Dec 23rd-Sun Dec 24th, and Sat Jan 6th-Sun Jan 7th! If you want to come out and volunteer, please send an email to in...@ontarioplaceforall.com.
THANK YOU to Patagonia Toronto for the continued support and environmental advocacy!
 The context of the Ontario Place / Ontario Science Centre scandal...
cartoonist: Jim Hedger
Ontario Place in the newsCoverage of the advocacy nature walk around the Ontario Science Centre, held by Save Ontario's Science Centre co-chair Floyd Ruskin and arborist Todd Irvine of City Forest. Watch here on Global News and City News !
From the Toronto Star Editorial Board: "Back to the drawing board in Ontario Science Centre move "
Shawn Micallef in The Toronto Star on that "end of life" quote from Minister Kinga Surma referring to a 50+ year old building. Open call for Ontario artists ! Still a few days left in the call for proposals for "Lumiere: The Art of Light" at Trillium Park, March and April 2024. Submissions are open until Monday, December 18, 2023. "Bypassing public hearing, debate on Ontario Place is undemocratic: opposition ", in CBC NewsWinter solstice event planned for Dec 21st organized by SwimOP (Swim at Ontario Place)!
 Early morning steely winter sun on the West Island
Our Core Principles
- Ontario Place must be for ALL and kept publicly accessible.
There must be a thoughtful, comprehensive public review before any changes, with a full and robust public consultation that: conforms to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report’s call for informed, respectful, and meaningful consultation with Indigenous peoples over economic development recognizes the diverse communities that use and contribute to Ontario Place
Public interest, not commercial interest must drive the new vision.
Future plans must: acknowledge the waterfront’s Indigenous heritage and incorporate meaningful Indigenous consultation maintain Ontario Place as part of Toronto’s waterfront park system. be integrated with the revitalization of Exhibition Place. celebrate Ontario. be guided by a collaboratively developed Conservation Management Plan that sustains Ontario Place as a recognized cultural heritage landscape.
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