Editor's note: A previous version of this story stated that new renderings for the project have been released. Existing visuals were initially released last year.
Plans to revamp Toronto's Ontario Place have been in the works for over a year now -- the project, which could be completed as soon as 2027, includes plans for Therme Group to build a family-friendly, all-season destination, encompassing pools, waterslides, botanical spaces, and sports performance and recovery services.
"Therme’s vision for this site enhances the existing publicly accessible outdoor green spaces, with the planned addition of a public beach, and biodiverse gardens of native species, art installations, and unique spaces for the community to meet," Therme's website reads. "These will all be available free of charge.”
The latest images reveal a futuristic-looking structure enclosing an indoor pool and botanical spaces, with a sloping green roof on top. At the waterfront is a narrow public beach with a large wooden floating platform in the water for swimmers to climb on and jump off.
But not everyone has been happy with Therme's plans for Ontario Place. Some have called the revitalization a privatized cash grab, while others have raised environmental concerns about the impact the new structures will have on the environment. In an interview with STOREYS in August, Diane Chin, Chair of Architectural Conservancy Ontario, took aim at Therme's building design specifically.
"The Therme spa will be so disastrous for climate change and bird migration,” Chin said. “Those big glass buildings are going to be a site for so many birds migrating across the lake to smash into. Heating it in the winter, cooling it in the summer will be a tremendous use of energy. And they’re going to have to charge a fortune to recoup the cost of maintaining this building.”
Therme won't be the only private partner working on the Ontario Place revamp. Live Nation is redeveloping the Budweiser Stage into a year-round, indoor-outdoor performance venue that can accommodate 20,000 people in the summer and 9,000 in the winter. And Écorécréo Group has been tasked with building an all-season adventure park, which is set to include aerial obstacle courses, zip-lines, climbing walls, and escape rooms.
