Protestors brave bitter cold
to save Ontario Place
Almost 100 rally attendees
braved the bitter lake winds on
February 25 to protest the
closure of Ontario Place. On
February 1, the provincial
government announced the iconic,
provincially-owned park was
shutting its gates after 40
years of public operation,
without any true plans for the
property’s future. The closure
has caused public outcry on
Facebook to keep the beautiful,
waterfront public space open.
Guest speakers
at the rally were Eduardo
Almeida, OPSEU 1st VP/Treasurer,
Paul Miller, NDP Critic of
Tourism and Culture, Jaime
Carnevale, Ontario Place worker,
Rosario Marchese, NDP MPP
Trinity-Spadina, Joe Ferreira,
OPSEU Local 523 President and
Rod Bemister, OPSEU Region 5
Executive Board Member.
Eb Zeidler
surprised everyone by attending
the rally. Zeidler is the
original architect for the
96-acre park, working on the
design from 1967 to 1971. He was
clear in his sentiment that
Ontario Place was a gift to the
people and should remain public.
Warren (Smokey)
Thomas, president of OPSEU, sent
his support. “To the government,
I say this: Until you have a
firm plan, keep the park open,”
he said. “And when you do come
up with a plan, keep the park
public.”
