Province could expropriate Toronto-owned lands at Ontario Place if agreement isn’t reached: report

The provincial government will have to expropriate City of Toronto-owned water or lands at Ontario Place if an agreement between the governments is not reached, according to a new report.

Ontario quietly released a Draft Environmental Study Report online that identifies 6.4 acres of city property that would need to be transferred to the province in order for them to complete the redevelopment of Ontario Place.

“If an agreement to transfer the City of Toronto-owned water or lands … to the Government of Ontario is not reached, expropriation will be required,” read the report.

Toronto land that could be expropriated by the provincial government for the Ontario Place re-vamp. Credit: Province of Ontario.

Toronto Mayor-elect Olivia Chow has voiced concerns over the project, which includes a new concert stage and a private waterfront park and spa, but it seems she would have little bargaining power to stop it.

Premier Doug Ford has also already made it clear he wouldn’t let Toronto city council stop his plans.

“This is a provincial site. We’re going to do what’s right for the province,” he said last week.

“This is the first time in writing the province could expropriate. They want to override all of the processes to get this done …  It’s really frightening lack of transparency from this government,” said NDP MPP Chris Glover, who represents the riding in which Ontario Place is located.

The controversial plan from the province to revamp Ontario Place includes having the Austrian-based Therme group build a spa resort and water park on the property.

Live Nation will also be building a revamped stage for concerts. Neither will be required to have environmental assessments because they are private companies. The Ford government exempted private projects from environmental assessments back in 2019.

The map below shows where Therme’s spa and the Live Nation stage will be.

Map of where environmental assessments of Ontario Place will take place.

“Every living thing on this island is going to be obliterated. All of the trees, 850 trees, part of an ecosystem, birds, and endangered species in order to build a huge mega spa,” said Glover.

CityNews reached out to the province’s Ministry of Infrastructure and asked if the government was planning to expropriate the City of Toronto land if necessary. A spokesperson responded, saying in a statement, “We look forward to our continued discussions and collaboration with all parties to bring Ontario Place back to life.”

Olivia Chow’s spokesperson has not responded to CityNews’ request for comment.

With files from Meredith Bond