Ontario has agreed to pause work on Ontario Place pending court hearing, group says

A group fighting the redevelopment of Ontario Place says that the province has agreed to pause some work at the site pending a court hearing scheduled for next week.

Ontario Place Protectors has launched a court challenge of the Rebuilding Ontario Place Act, which gives the government special powers to expedite the redevelopment of the site, including an exemption from the Environmental Assessment Act.

The matter is due to come before the Superior Court of Ontario for a one-day hearing on July 19.

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In a news release earlier this week, Ontario Place Protectors said that the government has agreed to not not cause “any permanent destruction of any trees, shrubs or buildings at Ontario Place” ahead of that hearing, effectively pausing working at the site until at least 6 p.m. on July 19.

“I think it was a big step forward that we were able to work with the Ontario government and get consent to stop the work,” Eric Gillespie, the lawyer for the group, told CP24 on Friday morning. “Obviously it will be up to the court to decide what is going to happen here. But what our client will simply be asking is that the current status quo – which now is work stopped – be continued until some of these legal issues get resolved.”

The Ford government plans to redevelop the Ontario Place site with a large spa and waterpark, as well as a new home for the Ontario Science Centre.

However, it has run into some community opposition as it seeks to see through its vision for the site.

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.

Surma also said that she “cannot speculate” when asked if the court action could derail development plans for Ontario Place.

“There is an action in place that is before the courts and so as you know I cannot comment. The hearing is taking place though on July 19,” she said.