Ontario Place, a popular waterfront attraction in Toronto, has recently faced a setback as construction on its revitalization project has been paused due to a legal dispute. The dispute revolves around the terms of the contract between the Ontario government and the construction company hired to carry out the renovations.
This pause in construction has raised concerns among residents and tourists who were eagerly anticipating the completion of the project. Ontario Place is not only a significant cultural and recreational hub for the city but also an important economic driver for local businesses.
Lawyers for the group, a coalition of heritage, architectural and cultural organizations as well as private citizens, will make their case during an all-day hearing at the Ontario Superior Court in Toronto on July 19.
Until then, the provincial government has consented to halt "any permanent destruction of trees, shrubs, or buildings" at Ontario Place, although a statement from Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey's office seems to suggest that other types of construction work could still proceed.
"There is a hearing date on the Ontario Place Protectors claim scheduled for July 19, 2024, the province has entered into a voluntary undertaking to pause specific activities until that hearing date," Downey's press secretary wrote in an email statement.
Last month another group, Ontario Place for All, lost a separate legal challenge to stop construction after a court ruled that the Rebuilding Ontario Place Act exempts the West Island from needing an environmental assessment to proceed with development.
“Under our system judges are given certain powers and unfortunately there is a strong view that a lot of those powers have been eroded or taken away by some of the legislation to bring in this water park and that is simply not constitutional in many people’s minds,” Gillespie told CP24 on Friday morning.
Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma was asked if any work was continuing at Ontario Place during a unrelated press conference on Thursday but refused to comment.
According to the group’s website, Bill 154 was pushed through the legislature without any legislative debate or hearings and without opportunity for public comment. The group says the law violates the Canadian Constitution and threatens Ontario’s democracy.
“The ramifications of the ROPA go far beyond Ontario Place,” the website states. “Left unchallenged, it will give the Ontario premier and cabinet a template to ignore Ontario’s heritage, environmental, and planning laws and their responsibility to the public anywhere in the province.”
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