Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Ontario government has released final designs for the redevelopment of Ontario Place, a $400-million project expected to create more than 5,000 construction and tourism-related jobs.
The updated plan includes more than 50 acres of new trails, parkland, event spaces, and recreational amenities, a revitalized Ontario Science Centre, a redesigned amphitheatre operated by Live Nation, and Therme Canada’s forthcoming waterpark and wellness centre.
Premier Doug Ford said the redevelopment will transform Ontario Place into a “world-class destination,” with improved access via GO Transit, the Ontario Line’s future Exhibition Station, and on-site parking.
A new 3,500-space parking garage will be built east of the main entrance and a landscaped berm along the structure’s north side is designed to help it integrate into the surrounding area.
The final design is organized into five zones:
- The Forum, a central gathering space with markets and a one-acre splash fountain shaped like the Ontario trillium
- The Mainland, which includes walking and cycling paths and a new entrance near Exhibition Station
- The Marina, featuring open-air pavilions and event space
- The Water’s Edge, with new launch points for canoes and kayaks, and natural lookout points over Lake Ontario
- Brigantine Cove, redesigned with boardwalks, playgrounds, and an urban beach
A new Indigenous Cultural Pavilion on the East Island will create space for community gatherings and cultural programming. Design firm LANDInc led the redesign in collaboration with First Nations and Indigenous groups.
“Through meaningful engagement, the inclusion of an Indigenous Cultural Pavilion and the preservation of green space, this project represents an opportunity to honour the past while building a shared future,” said Chief Claire Sault of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
Ontario Place originally opened in 1971. Once complete, the new site will include one of downtown Toronto’s largest parks, surpassing Trinity Bellwoods by 14 acres.