

Chris Fox, CP24.com





Comments from the newly appointment chair of Ontario Place suggesting that the shuttered amusement park can be rebuilt “in any way” that the premier “wants it to be rebuilt” have caused unease in some corners of the city but Mayor John Tory says that he remains confident that there will be a “orderly” and “cooperative” process, in which the city’s wishes will be considered.

James Ginou was appointed to head up the Ontario Place board in December, returning to a role that he previously held from 1997 to 2003.

After news of his appointment was first reported last week, Ginou told QP Briefing that Ontario Place is in “complete disrepair” and that “nothing can be saved.” He added that the future use of the prime parcel of waterfront real estate will ultimately be determined by Premier Doug Ford’s government since it “has to be rebuilt.”

It should be noted that the previous Liberal government did have a plan to transform Ontario Place and in 2017 it opened a park and waterfront trail on the grounds as part of those efforts. Ford, however, has been non-committal on his plans for the site, which has been shuttered since 2012.

Speaking with reporters at an unrelated event on Tuesday, Tory said that he is “not reading too much into” Ginou’s comments at this point

“I have had a conversation with the premier and he indicated to me recently that what we will try to do together is do things in a cooperative manner,” he said. “Ontario Place is their site but I have also made no secret of the fact that it think we should be developing that site in a way that is appropriate for a jewel on the waterfront of a great city.”

When Ford was at city hall he advocated for the establishment of a casino at Exhibition Place which is near the Ontario Place grounds, though the idea was ultimately rejected by council.

While Ford has not made any public comments in favour of placing a casino on the grounds of Ontario Place, his finance Minister Vic Fedeli was asked whether the idea would be considered during a November appearance on CBC’s Metro Morning and replied that “nothing is off the table.”

“This is the last remaining piece of land like this. We only get one shot at it so I am concerned that Doug Ford in the back room is going to decide what happens as opposed to ensuring that this is a place for all Ontarians,” Joe Cressy, who represents the area on council, told CP24 on Tuesday. “Ontario Place is not for sale and nor should we have a provincial government that should in the back rooms decide who the new lease holder is.”

Prior to entering city politics, Tory was part of a working group that made recommendations to the province on how to redevelop Ontario Place.

The 55-page report submitted by the working group in 2013 called for the establishment of a new public concert venue, a number of restaurants, cafes and shops and a low-rise residential development.

“It is a very unique location on the waterfront and that carries with it very special responsibilities in terms of what you do there,” Tory said on Tuesday.