Therme Canada - Ontario Place
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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

Therme Canada has released a newly evolved project design for its West Island of Ontario Place destination. The facility will deliver Therme Group's signature year-round family-friendly destination attraction concept alongside four more acres of public parkland.

Changes include:
• New campus-style layout of the West Island with four more acres of public space, including parks, rooftop trails and gardens, bringing the total to nearly 16 acres.
• New public gathering spaces designed in partnership with MCFN.
• New design features that celebrate the history and heritage design of the original Ontario Place with enhanced views of the Pods, Cinesphere, downtown skyline and Lake Ontario.

Source: https://www.spabusiness.com/wellness-news/New-designs-unveiled-for-Therme-Canada-Ontario-Place-and-Therme-Manchester/351821

Updated design






https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-place-spa-developer-releases-updated-designs-following-public-criticism-1.6528922

https://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/sites/default/files/2022-07/Design%20Review%20Panel%20Meeting%20Presentation%20-%20Ontario%20Place%20Public%20Realm%20Master%20Plan%20%28DRAFT%29%20-%20July%2027%2C%202022.pdf

The provincial government’s plans for a redeveloped Ontario Place:
- Live Nation has been tapped to redevelop the existing Budweiser Stage.
- It will become a year-round venue with space for 20,000 people in the summer and 9,000 people in winter.
- The space will be adjustable to accommodate events in various weather conditions.
- Live Nation says the new facility will employ more than 900 people during events.

Recreation:
- Therme Group will build an “all-season destination” with pools, waterslides, botanical gardens and sports performance services.
- It’s set to include activity programming for adults and children.
- The project will include publicly accessible parks, gardens and beaches.
- Food services and entertainment will also be on offer.
- The space is officially titled Therme Canada: Ontario Place.

Adventure park:
- Ecorecreo Group has been chosen to build an adventure park.
- It will include aerial and obstacle courses, ziplines, climbing walls and escape rooms.
- The company will also run kayak, canoe, Segway and quad-cycle rentals.

Remaining features:
- Premier Doug Ford says key features of Ontario Place including Trillium Park, the Cinesphere and the pods will remain in the new space.
- He says condos and casinos won’t be included in the redevelopment.







Source:https://nationalpost.com/news/premier-doug-ford-to-make-announcement-about-the-future-of-former-ontario-place and https://www.designbuild-network.com/projects/therme-canada-ontario-place-toronto-canada/

The 2020 World Monuments Watch recognizes Ontario Place alongside 24 heritage sites around the globe “in need of timely or urgent action.” In response to the Province of Ontario’s international call for development proposals, the WMF listing demands “an end to top-down decision-making and the embrace of heritage to encourage community dialogue.”


On July 30th 2021, Provincial Government announced a redevelopment plan for Ontario Place after leading a two-year long bidding process behind closed doors. The long-awaited announcement was finally released. The Province has proposed to parcel out the site to three companies: Austrian spa developers Therme, Live Nation, which manages the Budweiser stage venue, and Ecorécréo, a Montreal-based recreation company. This proposal would transform a large part of Ontario Place into a glass-enclosed water park, but offers no coherent vision for the site or define how it would be managed.

Source: https://www.futureofontarioplace.org/explore/timeline

The timeline for the redevelopment is between 2027 and 2030. The park will remain open to the public while construction is taking place.
Ontario Place continues to attract one million visitors per year, the province said. During the pandemic, the site has become an outdoor destination for people looking to get exercise and socialize. It’s also hosted outdoor movie screenings and drive-in events in partnership with festivals, including TIFF.

The new venue will have a capacity of 20,000 in the summer and 9,000 in the winter. Live Nation expects to break ground before 2027 and aims to complete the project in 2030.

Source: https://nowtoronto.com/news/the-future-of-ontario-place-an-adventure-park-botanical-gardens

Therme Group’s strategic partner Wund Holding, operating as ThermenGruppe Josef Wund, has unveiled plans for the creation of Germany’s largest wellbeing resort in Bad Vilbel, part of the Frankfurt Rhein-Main metropolitan area.

Construction is set to begin within a year, with opening scheduled for 2023. More than 1.3 million guests are forecast to visit each year.

Located on the banks of the Nidda river, the project builds on Therme Group and Wund Holding’s shared vision of creating the world’s most-advanced wellbeing resorts which address the vital modern-day need for accessible wellbeing for all.

The experience includes activities for children, adults and seniors with sports and leisure swimming and a family area with more than 30 waterslides. Expansive thermal and mineral pools sit alongside relaxation areas. Guests can enjoy delicious food with a focus on healthy options that the whole family will love. A full range of wellness activities are available with beautifully designed saunas and individual therapy rooms for personalised treatments.

The new facility will be home to a biodiverse ecosystem that includes more than 1,800 palm trees and thousands of other plants delivered with the support of Therme NAT, Therme Group’s specialist botanics company. As part of Therme Group’s wider commitment to the communities it serves, Therme NAT has begun a greening project in the town of Bad Vilbel. By introducing a variety of species including many trees as well as bee and butterfly friendly perennials and shrubs, Therme NAT is helping to improve Bad Vilbel’s urban biodiversity.

Source: https://www.thermegroup.com/therme-groups-strategic-partner-wund-holding-to-create-germanys-largest-wellbeing-resort/

Therme Canada | Ontario Place will be a family-friendly experience with stunning indoor and outdoor pools, waterslides and a wave pool, natural spaces to relax, sports performance and recovery services, and luscious botanical gardens.

Therme Canada will create over 2,200 construction jobs, 800 full-time permanent positions, and can accommodate up to 3 million visitors to Ontario Place every year – supporting the city and province’s tourism sectors and post-pandemic recovery. Therme’s investment is currently estimated to be CAD $350 million.

Source: https://www.thermegroup.com/therme-group-selected-to-develop-landmark-destination-at-ontario-place-toronto/

Status: under construction