You won’t need to head down south for the ultimate beach getaway anymore. One of the partners working on the redevelopment of Ontario Place has resubmitted a new proposal and with it some more details about its future plans including more parkland, a new bridge, and a sandy beach.
Therme Group, the Austria-based company that specializes in ‘wellbeing resorts’ announced back in July 2021 that it had big plans for Ontario Place and to turn it into the ultimate getaway for all. Its plans included a bunch of fun additions like pools, waterslides, botanical gardens, and sports performance-related services, just to name a few.
Though all of that is still part of its new plan, the company has revamped its proposal to include more green space from its original eight acres of parkland to now 12 acres. We’re talking a 0.9-acre public beach right in downtown Toronto, the creation of 6.3 acres of new aquatic habitat for native species, and 1.35 KM of enchanted trails around the entire West Island. The addition of trails includes the extension of the William G. Davis Trail and its connection to the Martin Goodman Trail.
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According to the group, this is a 36% increase in the West Island trails compared to what had existed previously. The proposal also includes a shoreline restoration to protect the West Island from flooding, erosion, and high-water levels, 1.3 acres of new wetlands “to help return clean water to the lake, support local wildlife, and build climate resiliency,” and overall, 11.8 acres of year-round, freely accessible public space.
There will also be efforts to restore and improve existing heritage gathering areas on the eastern and western sides of Ontario Place West Island, according to Therme.
“There Canada, our partners at the Province of Ontario and the City of Toronto, and our consulting partners, have been working for over a year to reach this important milestone and we’re excited to be taking the step forward today with the Province,” said Mark Lawson, Vice President Communications and External Relations at Therme Canada.
“Having signed a long-term ground lease at Ontario Place, we are delivering on our commitment to create an iconic, global attraction along with new privately funded and maintained public space that will allow everyone to enjoy Ontario Place year-round.”
But these aren’t the only plans coming to change up Toronto’s lakefront. Earlier this year, Waterfront Toronto released a five-year strategic plan that outlines all of the exciting initiatives taking shape on the city’s shorelines. From nature escapes to a floating restaurant to a first-in-Canada “destination playground,” the city’s waterfront is looking for a little upgrade.
And that’s not all! We’re actually getting another beach and it’ll be located on the Martin Goodman Trail at the entrance to Tommy Thompson Park, according to CreateTO. The Leslie Slip Lookout Park will see an industrialized area transform into a gorgeous multi-use community space. It’ll be surrounded by forested dunes and will span 1.9 acres along the waterfront, with a viewing platform offering stunning views of the skyline and the Toronto Ship Channel.
Big things coming to Toronto and we just can’t wait.
