Ontario promises 1,600 dedicated parking spots for Therme spa at Ontario Place: lease

The Ontario government has released the terms of its 95-year lease with European company Therme for the spa and waterpark it plans to build at Ontario Place, and it shows the province has promised 1,600 parking spaces for the private facility. Markings for construction crews are seen at Ontario Place in Toronto on Friday, November 3, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

The Ontario government has released the terms of its 95-year lease with European company Therme for the spa and waterpark it plans to build at Ontario Place, and it shows the province has promised 1,600 parking spaces for the private facility.

The spa and waterpark has been the subject of vocal criticism, particularly for the fact that the province is on the hook for building the parking area.

An auditor general report last year suggested Ontario's obligations to provide parking for Therme factored in to its decision to relocate the Ontario Science Centre to the redeveloped waterfront Ontario Place attraction.

The report said a government proposal on relocating the science centre suggested parking could be integrated with the building at Ontario Place "in order to dispel public/stakeholder concerns relating to cost and impact on the environment."

The lease shows Ontario has promised 1,600 dedicated parking spaces for Therme, and the government says it is proposing a total of 2,500 parking spaces for Ontario Place.

Premier Doug Ford has agreed in a deal with the City of Toronto to consider moving the parking to nearby Exhibition Place, rather than in a garage under the new Ontario Science Centre.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2024.