ontario place

Ontario Place redevelopment will include a huge new all-season adventure park

Plans for the complete redevelopment of Ontario Place have finally been revealed by the provincial government, and though there has been some criticism of the closed-door process of selecting the private companies to helm the ambitious project, the site's future is indeed looking mighty exciting.

Premier Doug Ford and Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Minister Lisa MacLeod joined others at Toronto's 50-year-old waterfront attraction today to confirm the partners that will completely revamp the defunct theme park — information that was leaked last week, though details were at that point still unknown.

Part of the massive overhaul is the revival of the long-lost amusement aspect of Ontario Place, which the province is now vowing to make a top year-round destination.

While Live Nation will take over the evolution of the existing Budweiser Stage into a state-of-the-art indoor-outdoor performance venue and Therme Group will build one of the wellbeing resorts it is renowned for, outdoor recreation company ÉcoRécréo Group will establish a new family-friendly all-season adventure park.

The grounds will include such features as aerial obstacle courses and "net-based aerial adventures," ziplines, giant climbing walls, an immersive theatre, live-action escape games, boat and bike rentals, and and more.

ÉcoRécréo, based on Montreal, already operates such activities at more than a dozen other locations, with a focus on innovative participatory and screen-free fun for both kids and adults.

While some of the other aspects of the Ontario Place renewal are expected to be completed by 2030, the adventure park will be ready by 2024, the province estimates.

Countless families across the province hold fond memories of the 155 acre attraction, which was once the the most fun amusement park in Toronto but shuttered in 2012, after which its infrastructure fell into a sad state of disrepair — and the province hopes to create these good memories anew with this revitalization.

"This site remains a valuable but underused resource, one that should be a magnet for tourism and investment," MacLeod said at a presser about the new plans on Friday.

"As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the initial opening of Ontario Place, it is ready to rise again."

Lead photo by

ÉcoRécréo Group's Voiles en Voiles in Montreal


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