Heritage

Ontario Place is recognized as a “Provincial Heritage Property of Provincial Significance”. The property has also been listed on the City of Toronto’s Municipal Heritage Register. The Ontario government has committed to undertaking all necessary heritage assessments and approvals to conserve and manage the cultural heritage value or interest of Ontario Place including, but not limited to, retaining and restoring the Pod complex and the Cinesphere.

Illustration of cinesphere

Key Objectives include:

  • To achieve the government’s commitment to redeveloping Ontario Place while continuing to respect and conserve the cultural heritage value or interest of Ontario Place.
How is heritage being protected?

As a “Provincial Heritage Property of Provincial Significance,” Ontario Place is subject to the Ontario Heritage Act and the Standards and Guidelines for Conservation of Provincial Heritage Properties (S&Gs).  In 2013, the Deputy Minster of the then Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport approved the Statement of Cultural Heritage Value (SCHV) for Ontario Place. The SCHV summarizes the heritage value of Ontario Place and identifies the heritage attributes of the property.  As per the S&Gs, the Province will complete the following documents and processes to help guide the conservation of the cultural heritage value of Ontario Place through the redevelopment process:

  • A Strategic Conservation Plan (SCP) has been developed and approved for Ontario Place. The SCP provides guidance on conserving, maintaining and managing change on the property.
  • The preparation of Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA) will be required for government and tenants prior to any redevelopment. A HIA will be prepared when an activity is proposed for a provincial heritage property that may affect its cultural heritage value or interest and/or heritage attributes. The Ontario Place HIA will recommend options to mitigate impacts on a site’s heritage features. 
  • The SCP and HIAs support provincial heritage approvals, City of Toronto planning applications and the Environmental Assessment. Independent qualified heritage person(s) must be consulted for both government and tenant design teams with regard to all construction and redevelopment work. Consultation with Indigenous communities, stakeholders, and the public is required for both the SCP and HIA processes.
Are there archaeological sites at Ontario Place?

The province has completed a Stage 1 and 2 archaeological assessment of the site. These studies confirmed that the islands are artificial, consist of urban fill and do not contain any archaeological resources.

A Marine assessment has been completed for the Ontario Place property and concluded that the majority of the lakebed was disturbed by the construction of the Ontario Place Islands.

Current status

The Strategic Conservation Plan for Ontario Place has been completed and approved by the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism. You can access the SCP here.

As part of ongoing due diligence for the redevelopment of Ontario Place, an HIA was drafted. Community Engagement on the draft HIA was undertaken until January 20th, and now the team is reviewing input and updating the document.