海角社区官网

Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma said Thursday the province has listened to 鈥渇eedback鈥� from the city, Indigenous and local communities and stakeholders in the updated development application that features 50 acres of free parks in addition to a $350-million Therme spa for paying customers and the relocated Ontario Science Centre.

She said construction will begin this fall to upgrade water, electrical and gas lines to the site, which will require the removal of 鈥渁 significant amount of trees and vegetation.鈥� Surma pledged 鈥渁pproximately twice as many trees that are native to the area will be planted to improve and increase the long-term tree canopy.鈥�

There will be more food and beverage options, waterfront programming, play zones and Indigenous elements along with related educational opportunities, she added.

鈥淭he plan also shows how the new, modernized Ontario Science Centre will be integrated with the preserved and upgraded Cinesphere and pool complex, as well as an underground public parking facility that will serve visitors across the site and will include increased spaces for bicycle parking.鈥�

In response to criticism from the city and the public, Austria-based Therme said it will shrink its spa building by 25 per cent, including a smaller glass tower that will be 22 metres high instead of 45. The company says a family of four would pay between $68 and $78 for 3.5 hours at the spa with waterslides and other attractions.

The updated plans from Therme will increase free, open space on the west island to 16 acres, Surma said.

Ontario officials don鈥檛 need the city鈥檚 permission for the redevelopment on provincial land, but say they are submitting the changes under the Planning Act as a courtesy to the city, which could block a land swap needed for the redevelopment.

Chow told reporters she hoped something could be done to protect the 鈥渂eautiful and majestic鈥� trees at Ontario Place鈥檚 West Island, which she visits often to paddle board or watch the sunset.

The mayor suggested it would be premature for the province to start work at the site before the city approved its application.

鈥淣ormally, approval first and then something happens to the land, not the other way around,鈥� she said, calling on Ford to 鈥渞espect due process and work with the City of 海角社区官网collaboratively.鈥�

Asked whether the city would consider legal action to block the province鈥檚 plan, Chow said residents 鈥渄on鈥檛 want to see two levels of government wasting money in courts.鈥� But she conceded that if she were planning litigation, 鈥淚鈥檓 not about to reveal it in public.鈥�

Norm Di Pasquale, co-chair of Ontario Place for All, vowed his group would continue to fight the proposal. He called the revised submission 鈥渁 slightly better version of a bad plan鈥� that would still give over public space nearly equivalent in size to BMO Field to a private company.

He said his organization will 鈥渦se advocacy, direct action and if necessary, legal action鈥� to stop the province from removing the trees.

Coun. Ausma Malik, whose Spadina鈥擣ort York ward includes Ontario Place, expressed doubt that the province was listening to residents鈥� concerns. News of the resubmission came just two days after the city鈥檚 latest public consultation on the plan, which 鈥渄oes call into question whether the community feedback from this latest round has genuinely been considered,鈥� she said.

鈥淲e鈥檙e still looking at something that鈥檚 quite massive and outsized and dominating the West Island in a way that doesn鈥檛 keep it public and accessible, that doesn鈥檛 fit on the waterfront as it stands right now,鈥� she said.

At Queen鈥檚 Park, New Democrat MPP Chris Glover (Spadina鈥擣ort York), cast doubt on Surma鈥檚 promise to transplant some of the hundreds of trees that are being ripped out for the spa, destroying habitat for birds and other species.

鈥淚鈥檝e never heard of replanting 鈥� 50-year-old mature trees,鈥� he told a news conference. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to be obliterating every living thing on the west side 鈥� you just can鈥檛 replace that immediately.鈥�

He and Green Leader Mike Schreiner compared the redevelopment of Ontario Place to the $8.3-billion Greenbelt land swap scandal plaguing Ford.

鈥淭his is similar,鈥� Glover added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an attack on our environment.鈥�

Schreiner said in a statement the deal with Therme is 鈥渁 clumsy attempt to peddle yet another poor decision made in some back room without input from the actual stakeholders 鈥� the people of Ontario. If we want Ontario Place to remain an affordable place for all, we need to lead with public land in public hands.鈥�

Ben Spurr is a Toronto-based reporter covering city hall and municipal politics for the Star. Reach him by email at bspurr@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @BenSpurr