Therme Canada - Ontario Place
Views: 21,056 Subscribe

The “Garage Mahal” parking structure at Ontario Place could feature a massive digital billboard on one side, larger than a Toronto Raptors basketball court (94x50 ft), surpassing even Sankofa Square’s screens, which is part of ongoing infrastructure for the Therme year-round spa/waterpark.

A rendering of the parking garage at the future Ontario Place site below:


Revelation from The Trillium highlights the 95-year lease’s evolving details amid public scrutiny, with the garage supporting 2029 Therme operations (construction starts Q2 2026).

The billboard aims to generate ad revenue for Ontario Place’s revitalization, tying into the West Island’s fenced prep zone; no Therme construction visible yet beyond site works.

Source: https://www.timminstoday.com/local-news/ontario-place-parking-garage-could-feature-a-digital-billboard-bigger-than-the-raptors-court-12203467#:~:text=EDITOR'S%20NOTE:%20This%20article%20originally,have%20often%20teased%20upcoming%20releases.

Therme Canada unveiled a refreshed design for the development in July 2025. The revised concept aims to strengthen connections between people, place and well-being, while providing broader public access to the waterfront, integrating indigenous-led design principles and delivering immersive, family-oriented leisure experiences.

The design of Therme Canada Ontario Place is centred around four main components: a new entrance pavilion along Lake Shore and Boulevard West; new parkland and beach spaces; a new bridge to the West Island; and the main building.

Therme Canada Ontario Place will feature ten swimming pools, waterslides and a wave pool, 14 saunas, nine steam rooms, cold plunge pools, more than 20 water slides, as well as sports performance and recovery facilities.

Additionally, the new resort in Ontario will include botanical gardens with thousands of plant species and hundreds of palm trees to provide publicly accessible green spaces.

A public beach and pedestrian and cycling paths offering improved connectivity with Lake Ontario will also be developed. The new resort will provide fun and health-focused programmes and affordable wellness therapies.

Source: https://www.worldconstructionnetwork.com/projects/therme-canada-ontario-place-toronto-canada/?cf-view&cf-closed

Ontario Place's final designs have been shared and it's like a whole new world

Source: https://www.narcity.com/toronto/ontario-place-final-designs

Source: https://www.thetrillium.ca/news/municipalities-transit-and-infrastructure/province-exempt-ontario-place-from-environmental-notifications-10640275

Source: https://x.com/joshuaostroff/status/1919429348190277676/photo/1

Source: https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threads/kotsys-toronto-photos.21511/page-22

https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/90d9-city-planning-ontario-place-infrastructure-ontario-community-consultation-part3.pdf

Continuing the controversy from the beginning of 2024: Closure of part of Ontario Place angers advocates opposed to massive spa redevelopment.

The closure of Ontario Place's West Island for a massive spa redevelopment has sparked anger among advocates opposing the project. The grassroots organization, "Ontario Place for All," criticizes the Doug Ford government for a lack of notice and a "careless disregard" for the waterfront property. While the province is determined to proceed with redevelopment plans, the opposition continues its legal fight, calling for the immediate reopening of West Island, emphasizing the need for environmental assessments and preservation of the cultural heritage site. Legislative actions exempting the project from assessments are viewed as undemocratic. The Infrastructure Minister's spokesperson cites safety reasons for the closures, but advocates remain committed to their fight against the redevelopment.

In a statement on Tuesday, Ontario Place for All, a grassroots organization, condemned what it called the sudden closure of West Island, saying the Doug Ford government is showing "careless disregard" for the waterfront property.

"We're very disappointed," Norm Di Pasquale, co-chair of Ontario Place for All, told CBC Toronto. "It's all completely unexpected with handwritten notice. It took us announcing it to the world, instead of the Ontario government, to announce that the West Island was actually closed. It's the usual lack of care that we are seeing from this government."

The provincial government, meanwhile, says it is proceeding with its plans to redevelop Ontario Place. As part of a "new deal" with the city, the city says it will accept the province's legislative authority to redevelop Ontario Place, while the province says it will obtain the land it needs for its plans, which include a large waterpark and spa that will be built by the Austria-based company Therme.

The deal also means the province will take over two highways, the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway.

Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-place-for-all-closure-west-island-ontario-place-1.7078776

Controversy surrounding Therme Canada - Ontario Place. Could this affect the timeline and building plans further?

The province's plans for redevelopment at Ontario Place's waterfront site have proven controversial, with Chow herself previously promising to push back against Therme Canada's indoor water park and spa, slated for the West Island. The mayor also recently suggested the site should be located at the Better Living Centre, part of Exhibition Place.

Earlier this year, the company said its redesign will include more open parkland, natural spaces, public trails, and places for people to gather. Meanwhile Ontario Place for All, a community group against the redevelopment, is seeking an injunction to stop the process.

Additional information vis-a-vis the redesign.

According to Therme, the following changes have been made to the design:
-The size of the Therme building has been reduced by 25 per cent. Instead of a single large building, it's now composed of a campus of connected buildings.
-Some 1.6 hectares of rooftop parkland and trails have been added on top of the buildings. This is in addition to the 4.8 hectares of public parkland, including a new beach, boardwalk and cycling trails included in the previous design.
-The bridge connecting the mainland to the West Island over Lakeshore Boulevard West and through a redesigned entry pavilion will include greenspace and will be accessible to the public.
-The East Headland will now have a larger public gathering space and "better protection from the elements."
-Public pathways have been widened and more space for food concessions added.

Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/chow-ford-announcement-monday-1.7040823
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/therme-ontario-place-redesign-1.6943599