The Ontario Place theme park operated annually during the summer months from 1971 until 2011. Designed originally to promote the Province of Ontario through exhibits and entertainment, its focus changed over time to be that of a theme park for families with a water park, a children's play area, and amusement rides. Exhibits in the pods were discontinued and the pods became a venue for private events.
The Forum concert stage had long been a primary draw to Ontario Place in its early years as it offered free concerts by a wide variety of prominent artists, for free with the price of admission to the park. Structured as a true amphitheater with seating on all sides and a recessed stage that was round and revolved during concerts, all seats offered an equal view of the stage and were offered on a first come first served basis. In the 1990s, despite the vocal protests of
Eb Zeidler, the architect of the park among others, the Forum was torn down and replaced by the (misleadingly named)
Amphitheatre, in truth a static proscenium arch stage with banked ticketed seating. After a long period of declining attendance, the Government of Ontario closed the facility except for its music venue and marina after the 2011 season.
Background Built in 1926, the
CNE Ontario Government Building displayed exhibits about Ontario at the annual
Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). After the success of the Ontario Pavilion at
Expo 67 in
Montreal, the Government of Ontario decided to replace the CNE building with a new state-of-the-art showcase. The government at first considered moving the Ontario Pavilion to a site on Toronto Island but instead decided at the instigation of Jim Ramsay, to build a facility elsewhere on the waterfront.'' The Forum, an outdoor concert venue, was featured on a central hub-island, while a children's village would occupy an eastern island. A commercial section overlooked the water, with modular construction for shops and restaurants to the west. All would be connected by an intricately planned set of walkways and bridges. In addition, each island would have a unique colour scheme, and the entire complex was later infused with the brilliant colours and graphic design that was typical of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The children's village was designed by
Eric McMillan and cost $700,000. In 2014, the Ontario government's Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sport declared Ontario Place to be a "cultural heritage landscape of provincial significance".
Opening When Ontario Place opened on May 22, 1971, the eastern island's children's village was not yet built, postponed to July, after plans grew to encompass more features and attractions. Opening day attendance was 23,000 The park's initial size was , created by landfill. To commemorate the opening of the theme park and promote the province of Ontario, a multi-media exhibition was created and presented inside the pavilion.
Dolores Claman wrote the music and Richard Morris wrote lyrics for the music to this presentation, entitled "Theme from Ontario Place". "Theme from Ontario Place" was subsequently released by the Ontario Department of Trade and Development as a double-sided 45 rpm vinyl record. It was manufactured by
Quality Records (OP1971), side A containing a "Pop" version and Side B an "Easy Listening" recording. A photo of the still under construction Ontario Place was used on the cover. The purpose-built Imax theatre premiered a specially commissioned film
North of Superior, an 18-minute film depicting life in Northern Ontario and its first season over 1.1 million people viewed the film. In its first year, attendance was 2.5 million. The park had higher than expected costs and ran a deficit of $2.2 million. The Government of Ontario raised the admission from $1 to $1.50 for adults and 50 cents to 75 cents for youth. Manager James Ramsay was replaced and returned to the Ministry of Trade and Development. Two government-run restaurants that had lost money were leased to a private operator for the second season. During the first year, visitors to the CNE had to pay admission to enter Ontario Place. Starting in the second year, admission to the CNE included free admission to Ontario Place.
Changes over time The park was altered considerably since its inception. Redevelopment occurred on all three islands of the park; the pod buildings themselves were eventually closed to exhibit space and rented out as the "Atlantis" private event facility. In 1980, the "Ontario North Now" exhibit was built on the west island to showcase Northern Ontario. An additional "Echo Beach" outdoor music venue was added to the north shore of the east island in 2011. On the east island, the original children's area, which was primarily "non-powered", has largely been removed. The large wood-and-rope climber area was replaced with the large "Soak City" waterpark, the first water park in Ontario. Several small fair-ground rides were later added. The large
tension structure tent that covered most of the children's park was removed in 2009/10, leaving a large open area with a new stage. Many of the concrete bollards used to secure the various tents and structures can still be seen.
Operating deficit and attendance Although proposed as a tourist attraction to promote Ontario, the park's subsidy nevertheless was a consistent concern of the Government of Ontario. The first season ran a deficit of $2.2 million, In the seasons of 1988 and 1989, Patti Starr, Ontario Place chair, reduced the deficit by $1.4 million by privatizing retail sales and fast-food operations, cutting advertising and increasing fees. In 1994, the Forum was torn down for the larger Molson Amphitheatre, in part to reduce the park's $4.5 million annual deficit. In 2003, the subsidy was $3 million. By 2004, attendance had declined to one million annually. The Ontario Government appointed former Toronto Mayor
David Crombie to revitalize the park. When the Ontario Gaming Commission was proposing a casino in downtown Toronto in 2012, one site mentioned was Ontario Place as a solution to declining attendance and revenues. The downtown casino was eventually stopped by opposition at Toronto City Council. The casino idea was also opposed by border cities in Ontario with existing casinos.
2010 refurbishment From the fall of 2010 through to the fall of 2011, over $10 million was spent on improvements. These included: • a significant refreshing and expansion of the waterpark. Froster Soak City added a new "family" waterslide, an outdoor "spa pool" and waterfall, and over 100 metres of newly landscaped beach and public promenades. These upgrades expanded Soak City's variety and added new views of the Toronto downtown waterfront. The new slide, called "Topsy Turvy", was purchased from ProSlide Technology of Ottawa, Ontario. Topsy Turvy was recognized as the "2010 Best New Waterslide" from the
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). The installation of Topsy Turvy and the engineering systems needed for its operation was completed in October 2011, too late for the 2011 final season; • upgrades to the Cinesphere. The original projection system was replaced by state-of-the-art IMAX 3D film technology by Toronto architecture firm
Gow Hastings Architects, making Cinesphere the largest 3D theatre in Canada and second largest in North America. New sound systems, seats, concession areas, and interiors were also added; • introduction of an "in-habitat" ecology, conservation, and animal care exhibit called the Eco-Learning Centre. A former arcade building, founded and created by Jaime Carnevale, the Eco-Learning Centre was established in a lagoon area of Ontario Place as a fun and informative "edutainment" attraction, and was created with displays by the World Wildlife Fund, the
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, the
Royal Ontario Museum,
Parks Canada, the
Toronto Humane Society, The Recycling Council of Ontario, The Toronto Wildlife Centre, Earth Rangers and the
Ministry of Natural Resources. The Eco-Learning Centre attracted over 300,000 visitors in its first year of operation. • construction of Echo Beach • general cleanliness of the park was also upgraded significantly, including the removal of over of obsolete fencing. Investments were made in entertainment, marketing and sponsorship for the 40th-anniversary celebrations. Free grounds admission was offered to the public for the first time in 20 years. Live entertainment performances were quadrupled, to over 2,000. Advertising was reinstated, with a new ad campaign developed by Draft FCB of Toronto. A significant sponsorship of the 40th birthday celebration by
CTV generated over $1,500,000 in extra advertising value. Ontario Place was recognized in 2011 by IAAPA as a worldwide finalist for a "Brass Ring Award" in the category of "Best Integrated Marketing Campaign". The results of this effort generated an improvement in attendance numbers, park revenues, and public perceptions of Ontario Place in 2011. Total park attendance increased 9% to 880,001 despite a below average year for concerts at the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre and a decline in cross-over attendance from the Canadian National Exhibition. Core park attendance increased by 72% to 563,362. First-time visitor attendance increased even more, at 89%. Revenues in all categories increased by double-digit figures, despite the fact that there was no charge for actual admission to the grounds. Scores from interview-based research into visitor perceptions also improved strongly. Favourable response to the question, "Ontario Place has changed for the better", increased by 43%, as did, "Ontario Place is my favourite entertainment park in the GTA", at 50% up. Perceptions of park cleanliness and general upkeep improved, by 34% and 37%, respectively.
Closure of theme park and redevelopment In the summer of 2010, the
Government of Ontario issued a
Request for information calling for ideas from private bidders to completely redevelop the park. Ontario Place general manager Tim Casey told the
Toronto Star: "2011 will be our 40th anniversary. It definitely needs a revitalization, that's no surprise. It's a blank slate, we’re open to just about anything.” All Ontario Place facilities were closed except for the marina, the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre, the Atlantis entertainment venue and parking. Following the provincial elections in June 2014, the government announced the plans in July for Ontario Place to be developed as an urban parkland with Molson Canadian Amphitheatre, Cinesphere and the pods retained. The West Channel at Ontario Place was a venue for the
2015 Pan American Games (Athletics -marathon/race walk, cycling (road race), triathlon (cycling/run), open water swimming, triathlon (swim),
water skiing and
2015 Parapan American Games (Cycling)). Minor and temporary upgrades were made to accommodate use during the games. Construction was begun in March on the park and a waterfront path, which was named the William G. Davis Trail, after the Ontario premier who opened the original Ontario Place in 1971. In 2017, portions of the East Island were transformed from a parking lot into
Trillium Park. The new park included the William G. Davis Trail, which opened in June 2017. In November 2017, the Cinesphere re-opened with showings of
Dunkirk and
North of Superior as part of a regular schedule of weekend programming. This follows the province indicating interest in establishing a casino on the lands. In November, Finance Minister
Vic Fedeli suggested that the government was open to considering a new purpose for the park, without the restrictions that had been set by the previous government. In December 2018, the Government of Ontario appointed James Ginou, a Toronto businessman and Progressive Conservative fund-raiser, as the new chair of the Board of Ontario. He had previously served in the position from 1997 until 2003. In 2019, the Government of Ontario announced that it would develop a rapid-transit line (the "
Ontario Line") connecting Ontario Place to downtown Toronto and further north-east to the
Ontario Science Centre. The line is targeted to open in 2027. In May 2019, at an announcement held in the Cinesphere, the Government of Ontario released a call for proposals to redevelop Ontario Place with "big, bold ideas". Proposals must not include residential units, a casino and must not require a specific monetary outlay or subsidy by the Government of Ontario. Proposals must preserve the existing amount of parkland included in the Trillium Park, preserve the existing Budweiser Stage, but otherwise permit any type of changes, subject to approval. Also in May 2019, Toronto city council voted 25–0 to list Ontario Place on Toronto's heritage property register. The listing does not offer any legal protections.
World Monuments Fund included Ontario Place on its 2020 World Monuments Watch program alongside 24 heritage sites around the globe “in need of timely or urgent action”. In response to the Province of Ontario's international call for development proposals, the WMF listing demanded “an end to top-down decision-making and the embrace of heritage to encourage community dialogue”. Following the Watch inclusion, World Monuments Fund partnered with the Architectural Conservancy Ontario and the
Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design at the University of Toronto to protect the heritage values of Ontario Place through an initiative called "The Future of Ontario Place Project". Through a research initiative, design challenge, and public campaign, the Future of Ontario Place Project started working in 2020 to build public knowledge of the heritage values of the site, and to imagine the future of Ontario Place as a public cultural asset for all Ontarians.
2021 plan In July 2021, development plans were announced. Two companies are to redevelop different sectors: • LiveNation (which already operates music venues at the site) will revamp the Budweiser Stage Amphitheatre into an indoor/outdoor facility with a capacity of up to 20,000 people in the summer and nearly 9,000 in winter. • Austrian company
Therme Group will develop the west island. A new large facility will cover most of the island. The facility will include indoor and outdoor pools, a spa, waterslides, restaurants and botanical garden. Outside of the facility, it will build a public park and beach. The projected admission price for indoor activities is about $40 per person for full day admittance. A third company proposed to build a zip-line and adventure park but pulled out of the project. The company and the government could not come to terms on the lease. Private sector investments are expected to be about $500-million. Public sector investment was not disclosed. A review process for environmental, heritage, and public consultation, will likely extend into 2023. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2024, with a 2030 completion. In February 2022, Toronto city council voted to adopt a process to create an approvals process for the Province's plan for the redevelopment of Ontario Place. This process generally follows the city's traditional development approvals process, notwithstanding Ontario Place is predominately constructed on Provincially-owned land. Based on this timeline, a rezoning application is expected in late 2022 and a site plan approvals process began in 2023. The Cinesphere was closed for renovations. In September 2022, the ministry reported: “Repair work on the Cinesphere, pods, and bridges is proceeding on-schedule this fall. Site servicing, including sewage, water, electrical, and gas, is expected to begin in the spring of 2023." Other partners include AECON Group Inc., Diamond Schmitt, and Studio TLA. Strategy Corp, is serving Therme Canada with strategy and communications. Formerly, Swim Drink Fish Canada was a partner, but has exited the partnership in the belief that the government's portion of the plan is "simply too opaque and controversial for us to support". Therme's plans have received strong public backlash, with the group Ontario Place for All leading the campaign against the development. Plans to develop the public space and existing beach by a for-profit private developer became a prominent 2023 election issue in Toronto. The mayoral campaign saw mayor
Olivia Chow come out in opposition to the project. Later in 2023, she dropped her opposition to the project when the City and Government of Ontario reached an agreement for the transfer of the two Toronto freeways (Don Valley and Gardiner) to the province, saving the city an estimated $1.2 billion. The community group has continued its opposition, attempting to stop or slow down the project in the courts. The Ford government has proposed to move the
Ontario Science Centre to the site. It would sit atop a large parking garage that would serve the Therme spa. The Centre would also incorporate the pods as exhibit space, and the Cinesphere. The proposed move has been controversial. On February 26, 2026, the government unveiled the final design for the new and larger 400,000 sq. ft. facility which includes doubling the size of the iconic dome shaped
IMAX venue
Cinesphere. Construction of the $1B (CAD) facility is expected to begin in Spring 2026 with a completion date in 2029.
Rebuilding Ontario Place Act Auditor General's Report In December 2024, the
Auditor General of Ontario's annual report included analysis of the redevelopment of Ontario Place and described the selection process as "not fair, transparent or accountable." It found that the Ford government had frequently broken its own selection rules even though those rules were less stringent than normal provincial procurement standards since it allowed the government to select bids that failed to meet the specified criteria. The AG's report further criticized the process for lacking transparency around assessment criteria which discouraged participant investment in the process while officials from the premier's office, ministerial offices, and Infrastructure Ontario communicated with and advised on favoured bidders. The report also found that the public cost had gone up by $1.8 billion since the start of the process in 2019 to $2.2 billion. The park is profiled in
Ali Weinstein's 2024 documentary film
Your Tomorrow. ==Venues and facilities==