Instead, the proposals for the future of Ontario Place are likely to involve some combination of entertainment, recreation and retail on the islands to the west of downtown. “Our government promised to move quickly to bring Ontario Place back to life and we are delivering on that promise,” said Michael Tibollo, Ontario’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. The entire site has been designated a heritage site by the City of Toronto, although that does not put any legal obstacles on development. Rob Ford presided over a push toward a casino in downtown Toronto, widely expected to be at Ontario Place, which failed when the previous Ontario Liberal government did not meet his demand for a $100-million hosting fee. When Ontario Place opened in 1971, it was Toronto’s answer to Montreal’s great success with Expo 67, which remade part of its riverfront, leaving iconic architecture and public parkland.

Source: National Post May 29, 2019 02:35 UTC