Heritage

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 Minister 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.

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.

The Strategic Conservation Plan (SCP) 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.  Engagement with Indigenous communities and stakeholders on the draft HIA was undertaken until January 20, 2023, and the project team is now reviewing input and updating the document. An update on Heritage will be included as part of the virtual public consultation meeting on Thursday, April 27, 2023 (see the Environmental Assessments or Public Realm Design + Upgrades sections for more information). The recommended design of the public realm presented during this event includes feedback gathered throughout the EA process and from the HIA community engagement. The final HIA will be included as part of the Category C EA Consultation and Documentation report and will also be part of the development application resubmission to the City of Toronto.