Ontario Place spa deal won't cost taxpayers a thing, Ford says, won't address other site costs
Premier Doug Ford made clear Tuesday the private spa set to be constructed as part of the Ontario Place redevelopment won’t cost taxpayers a thing, but was more opaque about other costs associated with the overall project.
“There's no public money in this deal...it's not going to cost the taxpayers any money outside of us owning an asset which is a parking lot and clearing the land,” Ford said at an unrelated news conference in Etobicoke, Ont.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
“With the other proponents on another part, eventually we'll get to. I can't disclose that right at this point, without getting confirmation and the exact numbers.”
Ford wouldn’t get into what those “other proponents” of the project included, and stopped short of putting a price tag on the planned five-storey underground parking garage – which the premier said the province will own and generate income from – and land clearing for construction.
Despite that, he said he would “always be transparent” on the details of the waterfront space overhaul, which NDP Leader Marit Stiles has said will cost taxpayers an estimated $650 million.
On Monday, it was reported that the province had signed a 95-year lease with Therme Canada to operate the wellbeing space, which government officials did not confirm but Ford said was “pretty typical” in a an investment of this size.
The government has said the Austrian developer will put up $500 million towards the construction of the 22,000 square-metre spa and Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma added Monday that Therme will continue to invest in the surrounding public land, of which there will be 48,000 square metres.
FORD EYES ONTARIO SCIENCE CENTRE SITE FOR NEW SCHOOL, COMMUNITY CENTRE
A week after announcing the Ontario Science Centre would be moving to complement the Ontario Place redesign, Ford seems keen on working with the city to build a new school or a community centre at the site.
“There’s two options here: We work with the city and make something spectacular about the existing Science Centre and help out the community that's desperately in need of help up there,” Ford said.
The premier had previously said he wanted to build housing at the site, which he said the area was in “desperate need of” at the time.
Since then, a spokesperson for the City of Toronto confirmed to CTV News Toronto that while the old Science Centre can be torn down, it must be replaced with a structure that serves the “purposes of operating as a science centre.”
Moreover, the lease at the Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue site stands until 2064 and the Ontario government would need to renegotiate the terms before any shovels go into the ground to build anything other than a science museum, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) told CTV News Toronto in an email.
Prior to last week’s announcement, the TRCA, which co-owns the space with the City, said Tuesday it had no discussions with the province about a possible science centre relocation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A turbulent campaign nears its finale as Americans choose between Harris and Trump
A presidential campaign marked by upheaval and rancour headed for its Election Day finale on Tuesday, as Americans decided whether to send Donald Trump back to the White House or elevate Kamala Harris to the Oval Office.
Government calls $9M condo purchase an 'operational decision'
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly defends the purchase of a $9 million condo for the Consulate General of New York City at a parliamentary committee, as a necessary investment.
New homeowners find skeleton in attic 15 years after previous occupant disappeared
Homeowners in France have discovered a skeleton in the attic of an outbuilding while undertaking renovation work.
Trudeau and Harris? Poilievre and Trump? Here's who Canadians think would work best with: survey
As Americans prepare to elect their next president on Tuesday, new data from the Angus Reid Institute suggests Canadians hold differing views as to which federal party leaders would be best suited to deal with either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris.
B.C.'s chief electoral officer defends election integrity after 'human errors'
British Columbia's chief electoral officer says "extremely challenging weather conditions" and a new voting system factored into human errors that saw ballots go uncounted in the provincial election — though none were large enough to change results.
'Extreme disregard for the safety of others': Lamborghini driver gets prison sentence for 2021 Toronto crash
A mortgage broker who totalled his Lamborghini and left a passenger with life-altering injuries after trying to pass a Toronto streetcar at nearly three times the speed limit has been handed a two-and-a-half year prison sentence.
'I’m not proud of it': Jason Kelce apologizes after video shows him spiking a cellphone after fan used a homophobic slur
Jason Kelce issued an apology during ESPN's 'Monday Night Countdown' after a viral video captured a 'heated moment' between the retired Super Bowl champion and a fan over the weekend.
Netanyahu fires Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, after months of clashes over war and politics
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fired Defence Minister Yoav Gallant after months of clashes over domestic politics and Israel’s war efforts.
North Vancouver man wins ticket lottery for concert that BCLC can't legally say is the Eras Tour
In another news release littered with Taylor Swift references, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation announced the winner of its "Concert of a Lifetime" giveaway Tuesday.