FAQ

The vision for the Ontario Place redevelopment is to create a remarkable world-class, year-round destination that will include family-friendly entertainment, public and event spaces, parkland, and enhanced waterfront access. 

Ontario Place will provide people of all ages with something to enjoy, including enhanced public spaces, increased access to the waterfront, a beach, pools, health and wellness services, as well as an indoor-outdoor live music and performance venue that will host events year-round. 

The redevelopment will create approximately 5,000 new jobs, during both construction and permanent operations stages, yield millions of dollars in rental payments for the province, attract an estimated four to six million visitors each year, and more.

Ontario Place will be a destination for families, friends, and tourists to recreate memories of years past and build new memories for the future.

Once the redevelopment is completed, any occupied land will be leased from the Government of Ontario and there will be no casinos or condos built on-site. In addition to the free public spaces, parkland and waterfront access, visitors will have the opportunity to experience year-round entertainment and recreational activities, developed by Therme Canada and Live Nation.

Therme Canada and Live Nation were selected as development partners through the 2019 Call for Development process to lease land at Ontario Place from the Government of Ontario.

As part of the redevelopment project, the government is exploring sustainability measures, such as flood mitigation, habitat creation, enhanced biodiversity, water quality improvements, and storm water management systems. The government is working with several groups, including the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and Indigenous communities, as we make progress on the redevelopment.

The Ontario Place redevelopment will minimize disturbance to natural heritage features as much as possible. During construction, preventative measures will be put in place to minimize any impacts to birds and wildlife. A natural heritage consultant has also been engaged to ensure that wildlife remains protected, and any impacts are mitigated. For example, barn swallow nesting structures were installed as new habitats at Trillium Park in advance of repairs starting to the Cinesphere and Pod complex. In addition, the redevelopment will replace any trees removed as a result of construction on-site.

Over the years, Ontario Place has been significantly modified from the original Michael Hough design from 1970. Key principles from the original plan will be preserved and enhanced, including access to the water’s edges, creating a diversity of shoreline experiences, preserving access across the site, and views of the water.

With the partial closure of Ontario Place in 2012, there has been minimal investment in the site’s public spaces over the past decade. Through the redevelopment project, Ontario Place will have enhanced parkland and public spaces, as well as access to the water.  

The enhanced public spaces at Ontario Place will include increased access to the waterfront, more natural park experiences, additional space for recreational activities and public gathering all year-round. 

Once complete, the Ontario Place redevelopment will create a beautiful and cohesive landscape that will seamlessly integrate the redeveloped site with the expanded public space. 

The redevelopment of Ontario Place is a large-scale and complex project that will take several years to complete. There will be various stages of construction that will include both public space and lands that will be enhanced by Therme Canada and Live Nation. 

Repairs to the exterior of the Pod complex and Cinesphere started in Fall 2022, site servicing renewal began in Spring 2023 and continues to progress today. Additionally, preparation works for West Island redevelopment are also underway.

As part of the redevelopment, the ministry has undertaken a Category C Public Work Class Environmental Assessment (EA) for all government-led works (non-tenanted areas) including future mainland uses (Ontario Science Centre and parking) site infrastructure (roads, bridges, etc) and public spaces and parkland.  Since the establishment of the Environmental Assessment Act in In 1975, private sector activity has not been subject to the Act unless made subject, in specific instances, by way of a designating regulation or agreement, such as with waste projects like landfills and certain mining projects.

Tenants are required to work with relevant authorities to secure all required environmental approvals/permits in advance of any construction works. As such, tenants are responsible to obtaining all relevant provincial and federal approvals required.

The redevelopment is informed by extensive wildlife survey work completed over the past four years by certified ecologists and environmental professionals. The findings of this survey work are summarized in a Natural Heritage Impact Study (NHIS) completed as part of the ongoing development review process and available publicly on the City’s Application Information Centre here.The province is also carrying out the redevelopment of Ontario Place in consultation with Indigenous communities as well as stakeholder agencies, including the TRCA and Aquatic Habitat Toronto (AHT), and in accordance with applicable legislation, such as the Endangered Species Act.

The Ontario Science Centre will find its new home in a custom-built, state-of-the-art facility at Ontario Place. The centrally located, modern site will bring exciting science-based educational programming to the heart of the city. Science-based programming at Ontario Place is in keeping with the original vision for the site as a destination for education and innovation. The new Ontario Science Centre facility at Ontario Place will be approximately 275,000 square feet in size and will be fully integrated with the restored Cinesphere and pods complex.