www.theglobeandmail.com

Three companies chosen to revitalize Ontario Place

Sources name Écorécréo, Therme and Live Nation as companies selected; no formal announcement made yet
www.theglobeandmail.com www.theglobeandmail.com

Three companies, including a Quebec outdoor recreation firm and a European spa and water park provider, have been chosen to revitalize Ontario Place after a closed-door bid process that has dragged on for years, sources have told The Globe and Mail.

The Ontario government plans to give Quebec’s Écorécréo the reins for part of the 63-hectare site on Toronto’s waterfront, along with Austrian company Therme, the sources said. Live Nation, which runs the performance venue at Ontario Place, will have an expanded role.
 
From Globe: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-three-companies-chosen-to-revitalize-ontario-place/

Three companies, including a Quebec outdoor recreation firm and a European spa and water park provider, have been chosen to revitalize Ontario Place after a closed-door bid process that has dragged on for years, sources have told The Globe and Mail.

The Ontario government plans to give Quebec’s Écorécréo the reins for part of the 63-hectare site on Toronto’s waterfront, along with Austrian company Therme, the sources said. Live Nation, which runs the performance venue at Ontario Place, will have an expanded role.

A formal government announcement could come as early as this month. The Globe is not identifying its sources, who have direct knowledge of the bid process, because they are not authorized to speak publicly. Provincial Tourism Minister Lisa MacLeod, who in recent months has promised big news soon on Ontario Place, offered no comment when reached on Wednesday evening.

Taken together, the choice of companies appears to hark back to Ontario Place’s earlier days, offering outdoorsy activities, year-round live entertainment and a more sophisticated take on a water park, with both a beach and spa facilities.

But even if the overall vision gets public approval, the lack of community input into the process has raised hackles. “There’s no public consultation,” said Suzanne Kavanagh, a founder of the grassroots group Ontario Place for All. “Every time there’s a new minister or a new adviser, we write a nice letter saying ‘welcome and we’d love to talk to you’ … and we’ve yet to hear anything.” Ms. Kavanagh and other local activists say they want more of Ontario Place turned into parkland and kept open to the public, without visitors necessarily having to pay to enjoy the site.

The three winning firms did not respond to inquiries about their plans.
 
DSC said:
Taken together, the choice of companies appears to hark back to Ontario Place’s earlier days, offering outdoorsy activities, year-round live entertainment and a more sophisticated take on a water park, with both a beach and spa facilities
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I like this alot more than a casino.

If done correctly, this could really revitalize Ontario Place. I remember the days in the early to mid 90s where you could play as a kid and the parents could go grab a beer.

My mother has fond memories of going to the Ex and wandering over to Ontario Place for a beer after.
 
I thought maybe a new baseball stadium was a possibility, but probably would have been a nightmare getting people in and out of there.
 
waterloowarrior said:
www.theglobeandmail.com

Three companies chosen to revitalize Ontario Place

Sources name Écorécréo, Therme and Live Nation as companies selected; no formal announcement made yet
www.theglobeandmail.com www.theglobeandmail.com

Three companies, including a Quebec outdoor recreation firm and a European spa and water park provider, have been chosen to revitalize Ontario Place after a closed-door bid process that has dragged on for years, sources have told The Globe and Mail.

The Ontario government plans to give Quebec’s Écorécréo the reins for part of the 63-hectare site on Toronto’s waterfront, along with Austrian company Therme, the sources said. Live Nation, which runs the performance venue at Ontario Place, will have an expanded role.
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So Doug's friends?
 
Whatever it is I hope Mr.Ford and Torry dont screw it up, this is a huge and extremley important piece of property on the waterfront and something spectacular for all of Toronto/Ontario/Tourists need to be able to enjoy. Keeping the pods and the overal strutures is a good idea I think and adding to it, possibly adding more pods or more island space some how. Torontonians need to hold them accountable for what is going to be put there. Let's hope it's Amazing.
 
Dinamo5 said:
Whatever it is I hope Mr.Ford and Torry dont screw it up, this is a huge and extremley important piece of property on the waterfront and something spectacular for all of Toronto/Ontario/Tourists need to be able to enjoy. Keeping the pods and the overal strutures is a good idea I think and adding to it, possibly adding more pods or more island space some how. Torontonians need to hold them accountable for what is going to be put there. Let's hope it's Amazing.
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Agreed. Hope you follow and support https://ontarioplaceforall.com/
 
Bluffers416 said:
Tory can't screw it up becuase the city isn't involved in the project. Ford on the other hand, tends to screw up everything, so I'm not hopeful that we'll be getting anything spectacular.
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I'm worried! My thoughts are that Ford will do as little as possible and this will not turn out to be a major attraction for the city. It will probably end up being passive parkland that is used as an event space for festivals, much as it does now but probably on a larger scale. This is NOT what I want. I want the world's fair vibe the old Ontario Place had but on a much bigger scale, with top notch attractions and for it to operate year round with a large enclosed space for Winter use. It needs serious investment money and Ford is not the kind of guy who wants to invest in Ontario. Like most politicians, he only thinks short term.

This area already has passive parkland just east and west of this location. Ontario Place needs to be an urban park that has the potential to be much more than trees, grass and a beach. We already have these things and just a short walk from here. We need people with ambition running this place, not small minds like Doug Ford.
 
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