It is time to rethink the future
of Ontario Place.
The Ontario Public
Service Employees Union (OPSEU) and
other interested parties are set to
create a vision for Ontario Place
that makes it a public place for the
enjoyment of visitors and the
residents of our province alike.
To considerable
opposition from those who wished to
see it remain in public hands, the
Liberal government earlier this year
announced it would close down
Ontario Place on Feb. 1, 2012. To
make matters worse, the Ministry’s
Advisory Panel released a report in
July titled “Ontario Place
Revitalization,” which without
inspiration or vision recommended
the lakefront lands be redeveloped
with the construction of even more
hi-rise condominium towers and a
hotel / resort.
“The way to
strengthen the Ontario’s economy is
by investing in public structures
and not by selling them off to the
highest private sector bidder,” says
OPSEU President Warren (Smokey)
Thomas. “The proposed plan for
Ontario Place wildly missed a golden
opportunity to leverage the full
potential of this unique public gem
on Toronto’s waterfront.”
Motivated by the
government lack of vision for the
Ontario Place lands, OPSEU, the
Martin Prosperity Institute, and
the
Design Industry Advisory Committee
will host a Design Charrette on
December 1, 2012 along with other
leading design experts. The purpose
of the charrette will be to create
an alternative vision for Ontario
Place.
A charrette is a
collaborative session in which a
group of designers draft solutions
to a design or architectural
challenge. While the structures of
charrettes can vary, most commonly
they involve dividing the attending
experts into smaller groups. Each
sub-group then presents its work to
the full body as material for
dialogue. Charrettes serve as a way
of quickly generating a design
solution while integrating the
aptitudes and interests of a diverse
group of people.
An exhibit of the
charrette results are planned for
public viewing and comment in early
2013. Please share your vision and
ideas about Ontario Place with us at
Rethinking Ontario Place.
