Trees removal begins as province’s Ontario Place development plans get underway
Tree removal has begun at Ontario Place as the provincial government develops the waterfront landmark that’s been at the centre of criticism for years.
Ontario Minister of Infrastructure Kinga Surma confirmed trees have begun being cut down in order to update and replace Ontario Place’s aging and outdated infrastructure.
“As a result, tree removal is necessary to allow this work to be completed,” the Etobicoke Centre MPP said in a statement Sunday.
Trees removed from Ontario Place visible in the west parking lot (Credit: Norm Di Pasquale).Since the site’s redevelopment was first announced in 2021, community groups and local politicians have taken issue with the building of a private spa, multi-level parking garage and the relocation of the Ontario Science Centre.
Norm DiPasquale, co-chair of Ontario Place for All, visited the site on Sunday morning to witness the “tree butchers.” He said this is just the beginning.
“It’s indicative of what to expect when they cut all 850 trees and all vegetation on West Island,” DiPasquale said.
He said the government is operating on an “opaque schedule” and gave no notice that the cutting would begin this weekend.
Trees removed from a portion of land beside a bridge at Ontario Place (Credit: Norm Di Pasquale). The grassroots advocacy group filed an injunction last month to stop the provincial government from developing the West Island of Ontario Place, arguing the building of a private spa will result in the “complete obliteration of the naturalized ecosystem.”
The infrastructure minister said twice as many trees will be planted for every tree that is removed and six times as many trees will replace large, mature trees. In doing so, more than doubling the tree count.
Surma said the government has supported on-site environmental monitoring by select First Nation groups and will work with them to repurpose the wood from the removed trees, where possible.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus survives vote calling for his ouster
Greg Fergus survived a vote to oust him as House of Commons Speaker on Tuesday, but with close to half of MPs expressing a loss of confidence in him, he faces a precarious path forward in maintaining order in Parliament.
'It was hell': Israeli mother held hostage with her children describes 51 days in captivity
Hagar Brodutch, her three children and four-year-old neighbour were kidnapped by Hamas-led militants from their home in Kfar Aza, Israel on Oct. 7 and held for 51 days. They were released in November, but Brodutch says her thoughts are never far from those still being held in Gaza.
'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
BREAKING Teen dies after being hit by train in N.W. Calgary
A teenager has died after being hit by a train in northwest Calgary on Tuesday afternoon.
P.E.I. kiteboarder 'lucky to be alive' after shark attack in Turks and Caicos
A professional kiteboarder from P.E.I. says he has been seriously injured in a shark attack that occurred while he was snorkelling in the Turks and Caicos Islands last week.
'It's his vacation too': Jimmy the baby goat joins 2-week road trip across Canada
After Jimmy the baby goat was shunned by his mother, a New Brunswick man took the kid on a two-week road trip across Canada.
The double-level airplane seat is back. This time, there’s a first-class version
It’s the airplane seat design that launched a thousand memes and kickstarted a media storm. And now the double-level seat is back – only this time, with a twist.
New COVID-19 subvariants become the dominant strains in Canada
More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new variants of COVID-19 have become the dominant strains of the novel coronavirus in Canada.
Black bear kebabs make family sick with parasitic worms
It was supposed to be a celebration, but one family’s unique meal of black bear meat sent several members to the hospital instead.