Toronto mayoral hopefuls make duelling pitches for the future of Ontario Place

Candidates running to be Toronto's next mayor offered up competing visions on Thursday for the controversial redevelopment of Ontario Place, an issue that is expected to play a big role as the campaign unfolds.

Former city councillor Ana Bailão released a proposal to relocate the Ontario Science Centre, currently in North York, to the Ontario Place grounds — a move that she said would free space for the construction of thousands of new homes.

Bailão said the current plan to transform parts of the historic waterfront site into into a 65,000-square metre private spa and waterpark needs to be scrapped.

"A new science centre would be able to modernize and tap into our tech and innovative sectors," Bailão said at a morning news conference.

"[The] unique location and waterfront views would make it an ideal location for a science centre that would benefit local families and school children."

A proposal to relocate the science centre to the waterfront was first brought to the table during community consultations with the province's previous Liberal government but was never pursued.

Bailão said she believes the current Progressive Conservative government could support a plan to build a new science centre on the Ontario Place grounds if it means 5,000 new homes, including 1,500 "affordable" homes, could be built in North York.

Garnering provincial support for the proposal could prove challenging, given that Premier Doug Ford has repeatedly expressed support for the existing redevelopment plan. Therme, the Austria-based company behind the spa and waterpark, has said it would make Ontario Place a "world-class year-round destination for all."

The city is still in the process of reviewing the detailed redevelopment plans, with planners set to provide further feedback to the province and its partners before the project moves ahead. A report released by city staff on March 23 identified a number of potential problems with the proposed design of the spa, notably a part of the structure expected to be so large that it "overwhelms the public realm."

While the province's plan for Ontario Place does include considerable public greenspaces, it has continued to draw opposition from some local advocates. They argue the 155-acre waterfront site should be a park completely accessible to the public.

Coun. Josh Matlow, who is also running for the city's top job in the June 26 byelection, also weighed in on the future of Ontario Place Thursday.

Matlow said if he was elected he would not allow the sale of 16-acres of city-owned property on the Ontario Place grounds that the province says is crucial for the redevelopment.

"As mayor, Toronto's waterfront is not for sale," Matlow said at a news conference just hours after Bailao spoke.

"It's going to remain public [and] it's going to be what Ontario Place was envisioned to be many years ago — a place for Torontonians and all Ontarians to be able to come together, to play, to congregate … not be replaced by a spa."

When asked about Bailao's proposal to use part of the site for a new science centre, Matlow called it a "questionable" idea.

"I'm not opposed to the idea of moving the Ontario Science Centre but it hasn't really been explored in any thoughtful way to understand if it's realistic and also if the redevelopment suggested can actually happen from a technical or engineering perspective."

A spokesperson for Coun. Brad Bradford's mayoral campaign said he believes the redevelopment of Ontario Place should include public park space for residents and visitors but did not provide further details.

Meanwhile, mayoral candidate Mark Saunders — who was appointed by the province as a special advisor on the Ontario Place redevelopment after he stepped down as police chief — said he would like to see "year-round economic drivers and activity" at the waterfront destination.

"We need to be reasonable. The current plans call for significant green space for the public to enjoy," Saunders said.

"It's a plan that keeps Ontario Place as a destination 365 days a year; not just the summer months."

Saunders campaign said he took the job as a special advisor after the procurement process with Therma had already been completed.

As for mayoral candidate Mitzie Hunter, a Liberal MPP, she said in a statement on Thursday that plans for Ontario Place redevelopment must meet three criteria, and the current proposal needs changes driven by public input. Hunter will resign her seat by the end of the May 12 mayoral nomination period.

Hunter's three criteria are as follows:

• Public space at Ontario Place must be preserved and enhanced.

• Ontario Place must be a beautiful space suitable for Toronto residents and out of town visitors.

• The site must be affordable and accessible for families from Toronto and across Ontario.

"I am not going to be a mayor who simply says no, as we need to say yes to the right things," Hunter said in the statement. "I am a unifier who will help drive forward redevelopment. The current proposal does not meet these tests."

Hunter added Ontario Place "out of date and crumbling and needs a dramatic redevelopment," saying the current proposed plan is "ambitious but is not there yet."

So far, 31 people have officially registered to run for mayor in the upcoming byelection on June 26th. The full list can be found here.