Activists file injunction to stop controversial Ontario Place redevelopment

On Tuesday, grassroots community group, Ontario Place for All, announced that it has filed an application seeking an injunction to stop the provincial government from proceeding with its controversial redevelopment of Ontario Place. 

The injunction filing with the Divisional Court seeks to prohibit the Ontario government from proceeding with the revitalization of the 63-hectare site —including Therme's roughly half-a-billion-dollar mega-spa — until a full environmental assessment is completed. 

The community group, which unites under the goal of keeping Ontario Place a publicly accessible space, says that it's committed to using all possible avenues to hold the provincial government accountable. 

"This filing is one of those avenues. We just want the government to follow its own laws," says Norm Di Pasquale, Co-Chair of Ontario Place for All. 

Doug Ford's plans to redevelop Ontario Place for private spa now under investigation 😬https://t.co/mmSiowXWmB #OntarioPlace #DougFord #ThermeSpa

— blogTO (@blogTO) November 3, 2023

The group argues that the redevelopment of the site will have devastating impacts on the naturalized ecosystem on the West Island, including the removal of every tree — approximately 840 of them, of which over 600 are mature trees — and all vegetation.

"Our legal action is a bold statement against the irreversible harm posed by the proposed redevelopment. Ontario Place belongs to the people, and any change to its landscape must be fully understood and agreed upon by those it serves — the community of Ontario," says Emmy Egulu, a member of the Ontario Place for All steering committee. 

Following months of harsh criticism, a revised proposal in September outlined five key changes for the waterfront site, which included a public entrance to the West Island, extending the landscape up and over the Therme building, reducing the scale of the Therme building, increasing mobility options, and creating more programming. 

What do you think? 🤔 https://t.co/rtO6xz70ya #Toronto #OntarioPlace #Ontario #Redevelopment

— blogTO (@blogTO) September 25, 2023

The site's previous design located public access to the west side of the pavilion and bridge, with the main Therme entrance at the centre, leading to lots of criticism about the site feeling like a "private Therme entrance."

The community group continues to urge others in Ontario to demand that the provincial government halt its demolition activities — including the removal of roughly 840 trees on the West Island — to take into account the environmental impacts of the proposal and preserve the site's vibrant foliage.