Therme Group, wellbeing resort firm, releases its plans for Ontario Place

Just days after the province submitted their application with the City of Toronto to move forward with its plans to redevelop Ontario Place, one of the companies involved is sharing more on what they plan to do with the public space.

Therme Group, an Austrian wellbeing resort firm, is promising a year-round family-friendly experience “featuring unparalleled, affordable and accessible opportunities to experience fun, entertainment and wellness in an immersive destination.”

The Therme Canada facility itself will feature indoor and outdoor pools, waterslides and a wave pool, and botanical gardens.

The company is planning on creating nearly 12 acres of public space that will include parkland, a beach and gathering spaces.

A pebble beach along the western shore will be a cornerstone of the space and offer free access to public amenities like family changerooms and washrooms while also having room for food vendors and picnic areas. The group describes it as “a new Sunnyside Beach – right downtown”

There will also be a new bridge constructed from the West Island to give visitors the chance to walk on the William G. Davis Trail and connect them to the Martin Goodman Trail along the lakeshore.

Therme Canada said its design is based on input from water advocates, public opinion, focus groups, and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. It also plans to bring back plants and trees native to this area of Ontario.

LiveNation, the other company involved in redevelopment, is focused on revamping Budweiser Stage as a “modern, year-round indoor-outdoor live music and performance venue.”

A third company that was involved, Écorécréo Group, pulled out of the project in September, saying the two sides could not agree on a long-term lease.

The province says it recently concluded almost four weeks of online public consultations aimed at gathering input on design concepts for future public spaces and parkland at the site. The results of those consultations and previous public engagement events will be shared in 2023.

Public access to the waterfront has been a major source of conflict to this point and the push to privatize a large portion of Ontario Place has those opposed sounding the alarm along the lake even louder.

“Where is the Ontario in Ontario Place now? With two foreign franchises putting their businesses on the island. They’re turning us into ATMs for the entertainment industry. How is that the future of Ontario?” says Cynthia Wilkey, the co-chair of Ontario Place For All.

When asked about this criticism, Mark Lawson with Therme Canada, said they saw an opportunity to turn the area into a place that could be accessed by people across the city and province.

“One big thing is at that site itself, you know, to abandoned buildings. It’s got contaminated soil. It’s got a shoreline that’s eroding and frankly, pushing the lake further into the water with every passing year,” said Lawson.

“We saw an opportunity for again, nearly 12 acres of public space, a terrific beach, thousands of families will have the ability to ride their bikes down there, take the Ontario Line one day or come from across the province.”

Concerns are also being raised about possible added cost to provincial taxpayers. “We’re talking about $200 million to remediate the site and make it so they get the power and the water pressure that they need,” says Norm Di Pasquale from Ontario Place For All.

“I’ve seen estimates of around $150 million for an underground parking lot at the site. This is a whole lotta corporate welfare that we’re going to have to put up.”

The all-season park is expected to be completed by 2024 and hopes to entertain over 500,000 visitors per year by 2030.