coolcanadian
Banned
They should build the largest ferris wheel here and hotel!!!! Why use the port lands when they could transform Ontario Place!
Why is Tory the guy they picked to turn it around? When was the last time anyone has seen Tory come out with a bright, new idea?
They don't actually expect or want Tory to come up with a "bright idea" that would revitalize Ontario Place. They want him to ratify a decision that has probably already been made to sell off all or part of it.
Tory suits this role because he is (a) respected (b) from Toronto and (c) a Tory. That way, whatever he recommends can be cast as non-partisan and in the city's interest.
I hope that they come up with something that makes people want to visit. How about a world-class attraction and not the usual condo/conference centre/mall/midway or casino?
I heard on CBC radio tonight that the 2017 date is because it's Canada's 150th birthday. I'm not sure that that is quite relevant to ONTARIO Place, but it's the excuse they're using.
Has anyone complaining about the closure of Ontario Place been within the past 20 or so years? I can remember thinking in 1994 that there was no coherent theme or particular attraction(s) to warrant a return visit. Is it a third rate amusement park, quasi-educational centre, or open space? All they had at the time was a log flume ride, mini putt, a hall of mirrors, and a laser show between screenings of a wildlife film. There was also a seemingly random-placed bell to commemorate 100 years of Japanese settlement in Canada.
Your options for food and drink were pretty much limited to a Pizza Pizza shack. I've gathered from people who've attended in the intervening years that not much has changed.
I assume that because this is provincial land that the city has no authority to designate anything here heritage?
Governments in Ontario have let the park decline for the last 20 years. When I went last summer, I was surprised how dirty and run down everything looked. There was lots of rust on the floating pavilions. A simple paint job would have costed very little, yet would have made a big difference. The drop in attendance, is the fault of the government and the people who run it. Look at Canada's Wonderland. Every year there are new major attractions and the park looks as good as it did the day it opened. So I'm not surprised that it has one of the highest attandance figures of any seasonal amusement park. Blame Mike Harris and Dalton McGuinty for decline in attandance. I will be VERY upset if they try to sell it off to the highest bidder.