Ontario Premier Doug Ford is probably the best political friend the city of Toronto has ever had. But no matter how many billions of provincial tax dollars Ford spends to help his hometown, some Torontonians remain ungrateful.
Rather than settle for looking a gift horse in the mouth, they rush to the other end of the horse and pronounce themselves very unhappy with what they see. The latest example is the final design for a dramatically revamped Ontario Place,
.
Drawings show a spectacular-looking future for the decrepit, provincially owned waterfront park. As the government puts it, “The reimagined Ontario Place will offer more than 50 acres of free public trails, expanded green space, playgrounds, interactive fountains, new beaches, event spaces and an updated marina, all designed to create a world-class waterfront destination that will attract up to six million visitors every year.”
Nevertheless, some Torontonians are upset because the
site will include a parking garage
for the convenience of wrongheaded people who insist on using cars.
T
his follows the scandal of a waterpark and spa that will be owned by a private company, even though the land it sits on is public. Then there is the plan to build a new Ontario Science Centre at Ontario Place. How many more of these horrible blows will Torontonians have to endure?
Despite the new Ontario Place’s obvious attractions, the
was the main item in media coverage. It’s glass-sided and not bad looking, for a parking garage. The government says the 3,500-space garage will cost $400 million to build and generate $60 million in gross revenue annually. If so, it’s not a bad investment for taxpayers.
And yet, Toronto NDP MPP Chris Glover said the government shouldn’t try “to make money off the backs of the people of Ontario to access their own parkland.” Toronto city councillor Ausma Malik complained because the garage blocks the view of the waterfront. Local news site BlogTO
called the garage “obnoxiously huge.”
Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said the reimagined Ontario Place “is not revitalization. It is a reckless misuse of public land and a waste of money.”
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow was more measured. She wanted an underground parking garage, which would have been much more expensive to construct, but said, “They did not take my advice, but it’s Ontario land, it’s their parking lot. What can I say?”
Yes, it is Ontario land and Ontario is paying the cost for the Ontario Place project. In a report last year, the Ontario
auditor general estimated those costs
at $2.2 billion. That includes the publicly owned parking garage, plus an estimated $500 million for public spaces, the costs of site preparation, and an estimated $700 million for the new science centre.
The City of Toronto will contribute nothing to the project, although its primary users will no doubt be Toronto residents.
One can quibble over the details of any plan, but surely the main point is that a site that has been mostly shut down since 2012 is going to make a spectacular comeback. It should be just the kind of waterfront fun place that Toronto needs.
Ford has a track record of generosity towards Toronto, but it hasn’t bought him much co-operation from city councillors.
In 2023, Ford got out the provincial taxpayers’ chequebook and
in operating money over three years, and the province took control of the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway, relieving Toronto of substantial operating and capital costs. As part of that deal, Chow agreed to butt out of the province’s business at Ontario Place.
Toronto has also profited handsomely from the provincial government’s Building Faster Fund, which rewards cities that exceed provincial housing targets. Even though housing in Toronto remains unaffordable and city government can do little to help, Toronto was awarded $67.2 million from the fund this year and $114 million last year. Other municipalities also collected money from the fund.
Despite Ford’s generosity, Toronto city council just can’t let him have a win. The premier wanted to remove bike lanes on three major city streets. Toronto council made a big fuss. Recent provincial legislation says Toronto can’t impose building standards that exceed those of the Ontario Building Code. The goal is to make housing cheaper and quicker to build. Toronto is
to preserve its green building standards.
Toronto is happy to take money from taxpayers across the province, but when it comes to calling the shots, city councillors seem to think they have veto power over the government that’s cutting them cheques.
Instead of complaining, Torontonians should try being grateful for the special treatment they get.
National Post
randalldenley1@gmail.com
